To develop a regional dredging program for the localities of the Middle Peninsula, a database of 120 creeks and rivers was created of its waterbodies from Tappahannock to West Point. Generally, these waterbodies can be categorized into three basic types of shallow draft channels: federally-defined, non-federal with ATONs (aids to Navigation) and non-federal without ATONs. For the Middle Peninsula there are 13 federal channels, 12 non-federal channels in creeks with ATONs, and 94 in creeks without defined channels or ATONs.
Physical parameter data was collected or created for each of these creeks. This data included creek mouth morphology, amount of shoaling in the creek mouth, tide range, number of coastal structures such as piers, marinas, boat ramps, and wharf, the water surface area, mouth width, tidal prism, and cross-sectional area of the mouth (mouth width x average depth). The data collected was used to prioritize dredging needs based on these physical parameters
