It has been public knowledge for years that the Navy intends to dredge Key West Harbor. It now appears that the first real dredging the harbor has seen in almost 40 years will begin soon.

But with the project only months away -- and the contract already given to a private contractor -- the public remains unaware of most of the details of this important, expensive and environmentally sensitive project.

Last week, the new commanding officer of Naval Air Station Key West, Capt. Jim Scholl, spoke to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council's Large Ship Working Group and provided more details about the project, including the news that plans for disposal of the dredged material have changed. Now the Navy plans to haul clean rock and sand to a disposal site 13 miles offshore, while sludge that could be contaminated will be taken to Fleming Key.

Environmental agencies, including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have been kept abreast of these developments, and that's good. But the general public has been left in the dark. Given the importance of Key West Harbor to the community, economically and culturally, that must change.

Originally, the Outer Mole at Truman Annex was to be conveyed to the city, along with the rest of the property. After Sept. 11, and after the Navy decided to remove training operations from Puerto Rico, Key West and its excellent harbor regained some of its strategic value in the eyes of the Navy.

The Navy decided to hold onto the Outer Mole, and continue allowing the city to lease the facility for cruise ship docking. Capt. Scholl said last week that the Navy needs to dredge the harbor in order to accommodate the cruisers and destroyers that will come here for training and maintenance. The prospect of increased Navy ship visitation at Key West is welcome, both for the economic infusion it will bring to the city and for the diversification it promises to the economy.

Many are also hopeful that the dredging, done properly, will be an overall environmental benefit to the harbor, by removing the loose sediments that get stirred up when cruise ships enter or leave the harbor and cause the plumes that are plainly visible behind the ships.

But given the sensitivity of the coral reef environment, and the importance of the marine environment to the community, some are also worried that the dredging will go farther than the caprock and create a deeper harbor to facilitate more cruise ships. There is also likely to be concern about the fate of the spoil that is dumped on the ocean bottom offshore.

To answer questions, the Navy ought to expand its public information efforts immediately, with community meetings, presentations to the Key West City Commission and other groups, as well as a Web site with plentiful information about its plans.

Key West's historic legacy and its current economy depend heavily on its harbor. Such a major project affecting such an important public asset should not be a mystery to its citizens.