In recent years, Irondequoit Bay has supported as many as seven marinas totaling more than 900 boat slips, along with several restaurants.

But lapses in dredging at the outlet connecting the bay with Lake Ontario pose an economic threat to these businesses along with future development plans.

“People have invested a lot of money in the bay assuming there’s a channel,” said Al Jaehn, dockmaster at Mayer’s Marina at the bay outlet. “If for any reason there isn’t a channel, it would be a very big problem.”

Last week, U.S. Reps. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, and Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, announced that their plan to create a $5 million Niagara River Navigation Fund intended to dredge 13 harbors on Lake Ontario won approval from a key subcommittee.

Plans are also under way to address problems at smaller local sites such as Braddock Bay in Greece.

Slaughter, co-chairwoman of the Great Lakes Task Force, said her office has heard from boaters throughout the region concerned about the impact of infrequent dredging of Lake Ontario’s federal harbors.

“The maintenance to harbors along Lake Ontario is vital to the health of the harbors and local economies up and down our coast,” said Slaughter, who said lack of regularly scheduled dredging poses a security problem as well.

Under the plan, funds would be used to dredge and do structural repairs at the Port of Rochester, Irondequoit Bay, Olcott, Oak Orchard, Wilson, Great and Little Sodus Bay, Oswego, Cape Vincent, Morristown, Port Ontario, Ogdensburg, Sackets Harbor and Little River Harbor.

The funding bill has several hurdles to clear yet, including approval by the House and Senate. But Wayne Hale Jr., director of the Orleans County Planning Department, was encouraged that the shared concerns of small harbor communities were being addressed.

Orleans County, where sportfishing alone is a $12 million annual business with Oak Orchard Harbor the focal point, helped spearhead formation of the Great Lakes Small Harbor Coalition last fall.

“This is a welcome start to long-term financial support for dredging and maintenance of our small harbors,” Hale said. “We’re grateful to Congresswoman Slaughter and Congressman Owens for responding to our needs in such a big way. In the future, we hope to attract funding for the many non-federal harbors, too.”

That would include Braddock Bay in Greece.

Hale said a $35,000 state grant has been awarded to several Lake Ontario shoreline counties to prepare a regional harbor dredging plan. Existing channel data and economic impact studies will be reviewed and the public asked for its input.

“It’s our hope that the plan will show federal decision-makers, including the Army Corps of Engineers, the importance of accessible harbors and our priorities for maintenance,” Hale said.

Irondequoit Bay, which was opened to Lake Ontario in 1985, has been dredged on a loose five-year schedule by the Army Corps, the last time in 2008.

William Mayer, owner of Mayer’s, said funding for a consistent dredging plan would be welcomed.

“Oh yes, but it’s not just me,” Mayer said. “This is a small-boat marina, you don’t need more than 24 inches, but the rest of the bay has some 50-foot boats on it and those big boys need the depth. They’ll do the screaming if this wasn’t dredged.”

The big boats have helped his annual fuel sales, Mayer said.