Tiber Dredging at Fiumara Grande: a new era for boating in Fiumicino

At Fiumara Grande, in the municipality of Fiumicino near Rome, long-awaited dredging operations have finally begun at the mouth of the Tiber River. The project, dormant for over 25 years, will restore safe navigability to the area. The dredger is already in action and is set to remove approximately 70,000 cubic meters of sediment along a 400-meter stretch upriver, increasing the average depth by about one meter. This will allow pleasure boats to transit safely once again.

“Seeing the dredger at work in Fiumara Grande is a great satisfaction,” stated Pino Rinaldi, CEO of the Nautical Consortium of Lazio. “I want to thank Councillor Ghera and Mayor Baccini for finally unlocking this long-needed operation. The silting of the riverbed had rendered navigation almost impossible, with serious consequences for the local nautical economy.”

Fiumara Grande has long been a hub for boatbuilding, refitting, and nautical tourism, with marinas and historic shipyards known internationally. In recent years, the worsening of the riverbed led to major losses in employment and investment.

With dredging underway, the sector sees a new horizon. “We can now focus on reviving a local tourism economy aimed at the international market, especially Northern Europe. We hope this dredging becomes systematic or at least quickly repeatable when necessary—avoiding emergency-only responses,” Rinaldi added.

Local institutions also expressed satisfaction. Fabrizio Ghera, Lazio’s Regional Councillor, confirmed the region’s commitment to coastal defense and river safety. Mario Baccini, Mayor of Fiumicino, emphasized the role of institutional synergy: “This intervention proves what good governance can achieve when it puts territory needs—safety and sustainability—at its core.”

The Fiumara Grande dredging project marks a turning point for the Lazio coast’s nautical industry, boosting tourism, jobs, and economic resilience.

©PressMare - All rights reserved