The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District received a permit application to conduct work in waters of the United States from the U.S. Navy for proposed work on Naval Station Newport, located within Coddington Cove in Middletown, Rhode Island.

The proposed work involves replacing two sections of bulkhead and riprap revetment within Coddington Cove. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inspection in 2016 identified deteriorated conditions that have contributed to at least four large sinkholes in the vicinity of stormwater outfalls though a bulkhead. The Navy is required to repair or replace the bulkheads and contain the sediment behind the existing revetment to prevent further unpermitted soil discharges into Coddington Cove.

Within waters of the U.S. subject to USACE regulatory authority, there would be two 309-foot and 90-foot sections of replacement bulkhead constructed; 300 cubic yards of pea stone placed within 400 square feet below the high tide line (HTL) as backfill in between the two new and existing bulkheads; 800 cubic yards of riprap installed below the HTL as bulkhead toe protection; 900 cubic yards of riprap installed within 11,000 square feet below the HTL to construct a new 211-foot revetment as shoreline stabilization; and excavation of dredged material within 4,900 square feet below the mean high water (MHW) line for the bulkhead replacements and 11,000 square feet below MHW to facilitate the revetment construction.

USACE is soliciting comments from members of the public; federal, state and local agencies; American Indian Tribes; and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of this
proposed activity. The public notice with more detailed information is available for review on the District website at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicNotices, file # NAE-2022-00757.

Public comments on this proposed work should be forwarded no later than Oct. 27, 2022, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attn: Daniel Breen, Regulatory Division, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742 or by email to Daniel.B.Breen@usace.army.mil. Please reference file # NAE-2022-00757.