Anclote River dredging is just the beginning of fixes to Tarpon Springs waterway

TARPON SPRINGS — Tarpon Springs’ economy relies on its waterways, especially the Anclote River.

From fishing to diving for the famous sponges.

“It amounts to $250 million a year for Tarpon Springs. That’s what the annual revenue is for this river,” said Mayor Costa Vatikiotis

Vatikiotis has been among those working for years to try and get the Anclote River dredged because it’s now too shallow for larger ships to use.

Dredging the river costs more than $8 million but hasn’t been done since 1998.

Work was supposed to start at least five years ago and is finally underway.

“I would say the factors that involve these delays are: 1. Politics, 2. Simply the amount of the federal budget, and 3. Being subject to whatever Mother Nature provides to us every summer in the way of hurricanes,” said Vatikiotis.