The press release from Northern Neck Planning District Commission:
For Immediate Release
October 19, 2026
Contact: Jerry W. Davis, AICP, Executive Director
Organization: Northern Neck Planning District Commission
Email: jdavis@nnpdc17.state.va.us
Phone: (804) 313-8477
Northern Neck Planning District Commission Awards a Contract for Dredging the Little Wicomico River and Repairs to the Jetty
Warsaw—The Northern Neck Planning District Commission (NNPDC) has selected Docks of the Bay Marine Construction from White Stone, Virginia as the contractor for dredging the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County. The firm was selected as part of a competitive negotiation bidding process. The project is being funded by the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Fund (VWMF). The project includes dredging the channel to a required depth of 9 feet, making repairs to 300 feet of the jetty and placing the sandy dredged material on the beachfront south of the jetty.
In 2018, the Virginia General Assembly established the VWMF to support shallow-draft dredging across the Commonwealth. The NNPDC has received multiple VWMF funding awards to support regional navigation planning covering Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties. Initial Phase I study planning gathered data on 142 waterbodies in the Northern Neck. Nineteen waterbodies moved to a Phase II feasibility-level analysis based on shoaling severity, coastal structure counts, and economic usage.
Phase III study, which included five of the nineteen waterbodies, obtained sub-bottom cores and grain-size sampling, conducted bathymetric surveys, tested sediment for contamination, identified disposal & placement sites, finalized engineered channel designs with cost estimates, and prepared Joint Permit Applications or study reports. Phase III was completed earlier this year. Phase IV consists of utilizing the VWMF award to dredge the Little Wicomico River channel.
The NNPDC provides planning and technical assistance to Northern Neck localities; administers regional programs including environmental projects, economic development, tourism promotion, National Heritage Area administration, transportation planning, ridesharing, housing assistance, and other functions that support local government. The NNPDC’s office is located at The Regional Center in Warsaw. Details on projects and programs are available on the website, northernneck.us.
According to Jerry Davis, three companies submitted bids.
