CONCORD, Mass. – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation – Highway Division (MassDOT) is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the U.S. in conjunction with dredging in Cohasset Narrows adjacent to the William H. Dalton Memorial Bridge, Cranberry Highway (US-6/SR-28), in Bourne and Wareham, Mass.
The proposed work involves the dredging of 1,341 cubic yards of material over a 33,791-square-foot area across four separate locations within the Cohasset Narrows, adjacent to the new William H. Dalton Memorial Bridge in Bourne and Wareham. MassDOT is proposing to dredge these locations in order to remove accumulated sediment that may have resulted from contractor means and methods used during construction of the new bridge, and return these areas to their pre-bridge construction conditions.
Dredging would be performed by an excavator with a hydraulic clamshell bucket, supported on a work platform consisting of sectional floats pinned together. Sediment would be dewatered on a scow barge supported by spud piles, and then transferred to an upland disposal site. All dredging work would be conducted behind a silt boom and curtain.
This project will impact approximately 0.8 acre of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. This habitat consists primarily of sandy substrate. Loss of this habitat may adversely affect these species. However, the Corps has made a preliminary determination that the site-specific adverse effect will not be substantial. Further consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding EFH conservation recommendations is being conducted and will be concluded prior to the final permit decision.
The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the U.S. The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed work, can be viewed on the Corps website at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
Public comments on this work proposed by MassDOT (file #NAE-2010-01184) should be forwarded no later than Feb. 4, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Dan Vasconcelos), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Dan Vasconcelos at 978-318-8653 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: daniel.b.vasconcelos@usace.army.mil.