Petaluma River should be dredged

<p>The Petaluma River has always been an integral part of the town's identity and economy. Since Petaluma's earliest days, the 15-mile tidal slough has been used for commercial shipping and a wide range of recreational pursuits.</p><p>Until recently, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers had regularly dredged the Petaluma River every four years to ensure its navigability which is vital to local commerce and boating. But the last time it did so was in 2003, with an emergency dredging completed with funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the New Year's Day flood in 2006.</p><p>Today, unfettered siltation has made the river increasingly shallow and difficult for larger boats to navigate. In addition to threatening local companies like Jerico, a tugboat and barge company, with extinction, the emergence of large sandbars is causing recreational vessels to become stuck in the downtown Turning Basin. As word spreads about the river's problems, fewer boaters will visit Petaluma and that means less dollars for downtown merchants and city tax coffers. </p><p>Along with navigation problems, the lack of dredging has also increased the risk of flooding during winter months, since a channel choked with silt cannot effectively and safely move floodwaters down to the bay.</p><p>With navigation problems mounting and the threat of flooding increasing, it is imperative that river dredging occur soon. City officials,</p><p>residents and business owners need to act now by calling upon Congresswoman Jared Huffman, along with Senators Dianne Feinstein and</p><p>Barbara Boxer, to encourage federal officials to get this important project funded.</p>