CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, New England District is proposing periodic maintenance dredging
of the Chatham Stage Harbor Federal Navigation Project (FNP) in Chatham, Mass.
The congressionally authorized FNP provides for an entrance channel 150 feet wide
and 10 feet deep below Mean Lower Low Water, extending from Chatham Roads
through Harding Beach for a distance of approximately 2.1 miles.
“The outer entrance channel portion of the FNP
in Chatham Stage Harbor shoals about every 3-4 years requiring periodic
maintenance dredging to restore the entrance channel,” said Project Manager
Bill Kavanaugh, of the Corps’ New England District, Programs/Project Management
Division in Concord, Mass. “Maintenance dredging was performed most recently in
2009, 2010 and 2014 with the Government-owned special purpose dredge CURRITUCK.”
Typically, 40,000 to 60,000 cubic yards of clean
sand needs to be removed from the seaward portion of the channel taking about
two to three months to complete. The Corps proposes to continue to use either
the CURRITUCK, or a mechanical dredge, to complete this work. Placement of
dredged material will either be at the previously used nearshore placement site
off of Harding Beach, at an adjacent nearshore placement site off of Harding
Beach (i.e. approximately 1,200 feet west of the previously used site), or at
both of these nearshore sites.
Funding has been identified in the Fiscal Year
2016 Work Plan for maintenance of Stage Harbor. The Corps has scheduled a
hydrographic survey to determine the condition of the FNP. If maintenance is
required and the approvals can be obtained in a timely manner, then maintenance
may be performed in conjunction with the CURRITUCK’s annual visit to the region
this summer. Otherwise, maintenance will be performed when needed and in the
years that the necessary approvals and funds are available.
Work is being coordinated with: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National
Marine Fisheries Service; Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management; Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection; Massachusetts Division of Marine
Resources; Massachusetts Historic Preservation Office; Massachusetts Board of
Underwater Archaeological Resources; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; Wampanoag Tribe of
Gay Head (Aquinnah); and town of Chatham Director of Coastal Resources and town
Harbormaster. An Environmental Assessment is being prepared and will be
available for review upon request. The material to be dredge has undergone
physical testing and has been determined to be acceptable for disposal at the
designated disposal sites.
The public notice is available at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/PublicNotices.aspx.
Public comments on this proposed work should be forwarded no later than May 31,
2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District,
Programs/Project Management Division (ATTN: Mr. Bill Kavanaugh), 696 Virginia
Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751 or by email to nae-pn-nav@usace.army.mil.