Bill > S05915

This bill, known as the "DREDGE Act," requires state and local governments to develop and maintain regular dredging schedules for navigable waterways to ensure public safety, environmental protection, and economic viability. The legislation mandates that each municipality with a navigable waterway under its control must create an annual dredging schedule to be filed with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and published on its website. If a waterway involves multiple levels of government, those entities must collaborate and create a joint dredging agreement specifying each party's responsibilities. The bill addresses scenarios involving federal waterways that require preliminary work by state or local municipalities, requiring those entities to also develop and submit coordinated schedules. Notably, experts recommend dredging most navigable waterways every eight years, but the bill highlights that some waterways, like the Browns River in Islip, have gone undredged for significantly longer periods. The legislation allows for emergency work to be conducted outside the established schedules and is designed to improve waterway maintenance planning and ensure safe and reliable navigation. The act takes effect immediately upon passage.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5915