CONCORD, Mass. – Permit applicants Conrad and Janice Roy are 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 constructing a shore outhaul system and installing piling in Mattapoisett Harbor at 56 Ocean Drive in Mattapoisett, Mass. The proposed work is the construction of a shore outhaul system below the mean high water mark of waters of the U.S. in order to provide the applicants easy access to deep water to anchor their recreational vessel to shore. The work includes the installation of a 12-inch diameter timber piling approximately 180 feet from the mean high water mark. The 25-foot piling has already been driven to a depth of approximately -10 feet mean low water (MLW).

The applicants propose connecting this piling to a 3-inch by 3 inch stainless steel post and located approximately 30 feet landward of the mean high water mark with its top 3 feet off the beach grade. The height of the line at the landward post is anticipated to be approximately 18 inches above the coastal beach and will connect to a pulley system on the top of the seaward piling. The polypropylene rope will maintain a minimum 42-inch clearance at high tide at the seaward piling as required by the conservation commission and will taper to approximately 18 inches at the coastal beach. The 180-foot distance is necessary to obtain a 2-foot depth at MLW to accommodate a 13-foot skiff.

This project will impact 0.05 acre of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. This habitat consists of sandy bottom with scattered seagrass beds and cobble bottom. Loss of this habitat may adversely affect 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 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-2015-02201) should be forwarded no later than April 21, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Joshua Helms), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA  01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Joshua Helms at 978-318-8211 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: joshua.m.helms@usace.army.mil.