Plans to dredge and drain Courtown Harbour put back until next year

The dredging and repointing works for Courtown Harbour have been rescheduled to begin in early January, reported coastal engineer George Colfer from Wexford County Council.

The plans to drain and dredge have been put on hold due to heavy rain washing away the dams recently which were placed to divert existing inflows into the harbour.

‘The works will commence in early January with completion scheduled for February 2018,’ said Mr Colfer.

Cathaoirleach of Gorey Municipal District Cllr Joe Sullivan said he is ‘somewhat disappointed that the work has been put back once again.’

‘I am hoping we do not get more bad weather in January that will cause setbacks once again,’ said Cllr Sullivan. ‘It is something that needs to be done.’

The Ounavarra river, the Aughboy river and the entrance to Courtown Harbour half way up the channel were dammed in preparation for the draining, but bad weather pushed back these plans even further.

After the entrances were blocked, the contractor was to begin reducing the level of water in the harbour by pumping it out to sea before the dredging works began.

Officials from Inland Fisheries also sprang into action to rescue fish from the harbour and both rivers in advance of the draining works.

It was announced back in April 2015 that the harbour would be drained over the summer, but after concerns of the closure over the busy period the council engineers put back the dredging.

It was pushed back until after the repair works on the piers, and was due to begin over the winter of 2015/16, and again in the winter of 2016/17, but was delayed while the repairs to the piers dragged on.

The harbour has become almost unusable for the boats. The larger yachts are unable to use most of the moorings, and at low tide, many of them are left sitting on the ground, risking damage.