I would like to correspond or talk to someone out there about how you got your channel dredged. We are a small town on Lake Ontario with a similar problem, we need our long access channel to Lake Ontario dredged.(I operate a sailing charter business). It is now below six feet in one spot and deeper draft sailboats are already avoiding our businesses because of sand.
What kind of agreement or issues did you have to work up with the Army Corps? They have always in the past done our harbor, but we want to seek other means like possibly a community based dredge program. Or a one time private contractor followed by regular maintenance work by ourselves perhaps.
Were there liability issues? Who actually filed for the permits? What sort of sediment did you have to move? What sort of equipment did the contractor use ( auger? Cutter head? mechanical bucket type?) What amount of sediment at what cost per cubic yard did you move? And did you have to transport the spoil? (we're hoping to replenish an adjacent public beach.

My phone is 315 594 1906 my website is http://www.silverwaters.com thanks for any info you can provide! We too believe in DIY!