CONCORD, Mass. – The Aquidneck Lobster Company is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with constructing and maintaining a ramp and pile-secured floating docks in Newport Harbor in Newport, Rhode Island.

The proposed work involves installing pile-secured floats to support commercial activities at the Aquidneck Lobster Company (ALC) in Newport Harbor. The site is a commercial fishing and lobstering operation that also sells retail to the public. There is also a restaurant called The Landing on the premises. ALC is on Bowen’s Wharf. It is the southern abutter to a commercial dock that houses Bowen’s Wharf Marina, 12 Meter Charters, Jamestown & Newport Ferry Company, Newport Majestic Cruises and Sight Sailing of Newport.

The marina, various cruise boats and water taxis all use the same fairway that the Aquidneck Lobster Company uses. The area can become crowded with multiple boats navigating in close proximity while docking. Water depth ranges from -3 feet to -15 feet at mean low water. The work is proposed in Newport Harbor at 30 Bowen’s Wharf in Newport.

There are currently no floats on the north side of the Aquidneck Lobster Company. ALC boats are tied off to the fixed pier on the outside of the building and rafted. The proposed work is to install floats to provide an orderly docking system for the various fishing vessels, work boats and small tenders that dock at the facility. Approximately 10-20 transitory vessels come to unload lobsters or fish in the morning and then move on and are not docked overnight. ALC has its own boats that would be docked at the new float system.

The proposal is to install a 5-foot by 140-foot line of floats extending east-west, an 8-foot by 36-foot line of floats extending north-south (on the west side of The Landing restaurant), and a 4-foot by 87-foot line of floats running along the northern edge of The Landing restaurant in the inshore waters. There will be one 3-foot by 24-foot ramp to access the pile-secured floats.

There is no dredging, bottom disturbance or filling proposed. There is no salt marsh or eelgrass at the site. Shell-fishing is prohibited in this area. There will be a structural perimeter limit established to encompass the facility.

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps of Engineers 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 United States. The public notice can be viewed on the Corps website at 

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. Select Regulatory and then public notices or go directly to http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Regulatory/Public%20Notices/.

Public comments on the Corps permit review of the Aquidneck Lobster Company proposed project (File # NAE-2012-575) should be forwarded no later than May 24, 2012 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Michael Elliott), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Michael Elliott at 978-318-8131 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: michael.j.elliott@usace.army.mil.