By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Council for the Town of Essex received a report on the seaweed management methods being used at the Colchester Harbour at the July 29 meeting, which noted Town staff will use granular pellets for the first time this year to mitigate seaweed growth.

Earlier this spring, an informal open house was hosted in part to speak with residents and harbour users about concerns down at the Colchester Harbour. Then, Town Council directed administration to investigate the list of concerns. One of them included seaweed management.

Director of Community Services/Deputy CAO, Jake Morassut, explained that, whether manual or mechanical, the Town is not allowed to touch seaweed until July 15 each year, as per federal regulations.

After that point, staff cut the seaweed at the bottom manually with a device, which Morassut said is laborious.

In the past, he added, the Town has purchased underwater fans to assist with water circulation, which is supposed to help blow material around and help to mitigate seaweed growth. They do help in close proximity, but commercial-grade fans would need to be purchased for a better mitigation effort. They are more costly.

Morassut noted the Town has the harbour dredged after Thanksgiving. Not all areas are done, due to the cost.

In contacting other marinas to see what they do to mitigate seaweed growth, Morassut noted granular pellets – at an estimated cost of $3,000-$5,000 annually – can be sprinkled in well areas of each boat, which helps prevent seaweed growth.

Aquatic herbicides could cost $12,000-$15,000 annually. It can only be used in main waterway areas.

Mechanical cutting could cost $40,000-$50,000. The Town used to do this a decade ago. The seaweed is removed and needs to be dumped to dry out before being brought to the landfill to reduce the weight and associated tipping fee. That does create a smell. Dropping the wet seaweed at the landfill is an option, but would be more costly with the water weight.

Manual cutting costs hourly staff wages and is labour intensive, as the seaweed needs to be cut, scooped, and removed from the site. This is not recommended because of the labour intensity. This could be a lot of work, but may look like not a lot has been accomplished.

Morassut noted the Town budgets $75,000 each year for dredging and $8000 for seaweed management. The federal government has contributed funding to allow for more dredging, but is not guaranteed.

Dredging the entire area would cost around $325,000 annually, including the wells.

This year, administration has funding to complete three applications of the granular pellets and one aquatic herbicide treatment. Staff has purchased the granular pellets to give that a try. It is hoped to report back to Council on how that went for consideration in the 2027 budget.

Councillor Brad Allard said it seems the granular pellets seem to be the only viable answer. He asked about the frequency. Morassut said it is likely four applications per year.

Councillor Jason Matyi asked if boaters could help rake the seaweed in their slip. Morassut said the Town would not want them to use the razor blade that staff uses. It is a three-foot straight razor and could be dangerous. He encouraged them to talk to staff about any issues.

Matyi asked if it was better to rake the seaweed first, then place the granular pellets. Manager of Parks and Facilities, Rodney Klie, responded that the pellets will help keep the biomass from building up. He suspects it will take a few applications to get the process established.

The Colchester Harbour opens on an annual basis on May 1st and closes on Thanksgiving Monday each year. 89 transient, monthly, and seasonal slips are available for watercrafts up to 45ft long. The Town of Essex does not own the harbour, but operates it as part of a lease agreement with the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

On an annual basis, the harbour operates at a loss, Morassut explained. For instance, in 2025 the harbour operating loss was $247,470.36. That was a result of revenues being just over $237,000, while expenses were just above $484,000.