Friday January 16, 2026
NWPB —
Dozens of people watched from the shore on Tuesday as a giant excavator plunged its bucket into the last remaining strip of dirt that held back water behind the Bateman Island causeway.
With one strong scoop, muddy water bubbled through a small channel crews dug, disconnecting the popular island from the earthen bridge that linked it to the Richland shore.
Cheers and claps came from the shore, where onlookers watched the muddy water bubble and drop about six inches from behind the causeway to a pool of water in front of it.