The purchase of an Edgartown dredge in the mid-1990s has proved to be a major money-saver for the town. This year, the Edgartown parks department estimated it saved around $18 million by using locally dredged sand to restore the dunes at South Beach.

The state Department of Environmental Protection Monday granted Edgartown emergency authorization to dredge Katama Bay, clearing the way for a project intended to help restore the storm-battered South Beach.

Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that the town of Edgartown along with Barnstable County will receive a combined $1 million in grants to support coastal dredging efforts.

In an ongoing battle with nature, dredging has begun again in Edgartown Great Pond as its salinity levels have hit a critical low.

From massive dredging and beach renourishment in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown to renovations at the Gay Head Cliffs overlook, a number of public works improvement projects are under way around the Island this winter.

Dredging has begun at Herring Creek, the shallow run that connects Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds, marking the final phase of a five-year project.

The geomorphic processes of the Vineyard’s littoral belt are among the most varied on Earth. Meaning the Edgartown dredge has a lot of work to do.

Tisbury has hired the Edgartown dredge crew for an emergency job in the Tashmoo channel. Using finely-tuned teamwork, the crew makes the sand flow.

Impassable for some boats at low tide, the channel at Lake Tashmoo could be dredged this summer. But first there is red tape to untangle.

The overall health of the Edgartown Great Pond has shown significant improvement over the past decade, according to a report released Tuesday from the nonprofit Great Pond Foundation.