Dear DTLW Advocates,
This week, Dredge the Little Wicomico River, VA!, Smith Point Sea Rescue, Northumberland County Board of Supervisors Mr. A.C. Fisher, Jr. and Mr. Charles Williams, both of whom are licensed watermen, and Capt. Ryan Rogers of Midnight Sun Charters traveled to Richmond to meet with Delegate Hillary Pugh Kent, Senator Richard Stuart, and House and Senate Appropriations members and staff.
The delegation urged support for budget amendments HB30 Item 376 #3h and SB30 Item 376 #2, which would fund dredging of the Little Wicomico River at the Smith Point jetties.
These meetings highlighted the financial, public-safety, and navigational impacts of severe shoaling on Northern Neck communities and Chesapeake Bay boaters. Firsthand expertise from the delegates strengthened every conversation during our meetings.
During our visits, we shared clear, consistent messages about:
• The public safety risks caused by the severely shoaled jetty
• Impacts to marine rescue response times, including Smith Point Sea Rescue
• Economic losses already being experienced by marinas, watermen, charter captains, and small businesses
• The fact that planning and coordination are complete and the project is ready to proceed once funding is secured
We also emphasized that dredging the Little Wicomico River Jetty is not a new idea or a special request. It is routine maintenance of a federally authorized navigation channel that provides Virginia’s northernmost access point to the Chesapeake Bay and aligns with the state funding approach previously used for comparable shallow-draft projects.
These conversations matter. Appropriations staff and members are the ones who shape final budget decisions, and it is essential that they hear directly from the people who live, work, and depend on this waterway.
Every petition signature strengthens our credibility and reinforces that this is a community-driven, public-safety priority.
📣 What you can do now
• Share this petition with friends, neighbors, and fellow boaters
• Stay tuned — budget and funding decisions are still ahead, and continued engagement is critical
Thank you for continuing to focus on this urgent need.