Granite State Times

The Army Corps of Engineers dredged Rye Harbor to make it easier for commercial and recreational traffic to navigate, WMUR9 reported.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) touted the completion of the dredging as a win for the state’s fishermen and credited her Republican colleague, former U.S. senator and New Hampshire governor Judd Gregg, for his assistance in pushing for the dredging.

“I toured Rye Harbor to celebrate the completion of dredging,” Shaheen said on Twitter. “I fought to see this through because it allows critical routes for New Hampshire fishermen. Appreciate the bipartisan support from Judd Gregg on this effort and glad he could join me to see the results.”

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen | Courtesy of U.S. Senate

It has been over 30 years since Rye Harbor was last dredged, though it should be dredged every 20 years, according to WMUR9. Prior to the dredging, some boats simply had to wait until high tide to access the harbor.

"It wasn't uncommon to see a boat in the middle of the channel sitting on the bottom, waiting for the tide to lift it, so it could get past that high spot," Rye Harbormaster Leo Axtin told WMUR9.

Shaheen sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and lobbied the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give priority to the $4 million project, New Hampshire Public Radio reported.

Shaheen isn't done pushing for dredging to happen in New Hampshire, however, and plans to push for a ship-turning basin in the Piscataqua River to be dredged next.