CONCORD, Mass. – The Duxbury Bay Maritime School is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to impact waters of the U.S. in conjunction with increasing the number of floats and establishing a Reconfiguration Zone in Duxbury Bay at 457 Washington Street in Duxbury, Mass.

The proposed work involves increasing the total number of floats from 9 to 22 and establishing a Reconfiguration Zone. The total area of floats will be increased from 4,483 square feet to 8,677 square feet. These floats will be arranged into 4 groups of several floats each. Each group will be secured by a line attached to a 50-foot chain attached to a 500-pound mooring anchor. Three of the groups touch the Federal navigation project anchorage line. The mooring anchors are located in the federal anchorage and any boat moored at the outermost floats will extend into the anchorage.

These floats will replace those that were previously installed without a permit. The unpermitted docks were removed in 2015. The purpose of the floats is to provide access for a public boating school. In addition, dock space is rented to shellfish aquaculturists for mooring slips and to hold oyster seed trays. The Reconfiguration Zone will consist of 2 separate parts with a total area of approximately 22,395 square feet. The zone will be used by 4 to 7 commercial boats and 33 boats belonging to the school.  

The project will impact 0.20 acre of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. This habitat consists of sandy subtidal sediments in an area that has been dredged. Loss of this habitat may adversely affect these species by impacts by the anchors or shading. 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 proposed work (file #NAE-2010-01590) should be forwarded no later than April 21, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Phillip

Nimeskern), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA  01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Phillip Nimeskern at 978-318-8660 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: phillip.w.nimeskern@usace.army.mil.