CONCORD, Mass. – The Massachusetts Maritime Academy 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 proposed dredging and construction of a pier in Buzzards Bay, Mass.
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is proposing the construction and maintenance of a 22-foot by 948-foot pile-supported pier with a 240-foot section of wave fence at its outer corner, new dredging of 19,480 cubic yards of sand from a 26,700-square-foot area and the maintenance dredging of 10,720 cubic yards of sand from a 75,000-square-foot area.
The total dredge volume is 30,200 cubic yards over a 101,700-square-foot area. The material will be dredged to a depth of -22 feet below mean low water (MLW) with a 2 foot over dredge. The material will be disposed of above the high tide line at the town of Sandwich’s Town Neck Beach as part of their dune re-nourishment project.
The dredging portion of this project may impact approximately 101,700 square feet of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. The substrate at this site can be described as sandy material.
Loss of this habitat may adversely affect some of 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 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands; and 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 proposed work by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (file #NAE-2014-00985) should be forwarded no later than June 19, 2015 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Crystal Gardner), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Crystal Gardner at 978-318-8332 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: crystal.i.gardner@usace.army.mil.