NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) --For the first time since the 1970's, the city of Norfolk is considering dredging The Hague inlet.
Crews are collecting soil samples from The Hague waterway for a potential dredging project.
Public Works Assistant Director, Trista Fayton said it's the preliminary stage to possibly remove 15,000 cubic yards of sediment in the waterway.
"It's very important because of the flooding,” said Fayton.
She said Tuesday's sampling of the river will determine if the city goes forward with the project. City officials told 13News Now that dredging would happen along water edges near the Chrysler Museum and the Stockley Garden.
"Because we're going to want to find out if there are technical hurdles in us actually doing the dredging,” said Fayton.
People like Christina Manos said The Hague waterway deserves the city's attention. However, she doesn't want the inconvenience of possible construction crews if the dredging is approved.
Myles Moore said the crews are worth it if the city gets rid of flooding.
"It's kind of annoying,” said Moore. "It gets really bad like it doesn't have to rain. You know it could be perfect weather and we'll still have to deal with the flooding."
Fayton said the testing and permitting phase costs the city about $200,000. If the project continues, it could take until the end of the calendar year to find a place to get rid of the inlet's sediment.
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