CONCORD, Mass. – Rocky Point Club, Inc. 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 installing boat moorings, a float and channel markers in Greenwich, Conn. The proposed project includes work in navigable waters for the installation of up to 39 seasonal boat moorings, a new 8-foot by 14-foot swimming float, and three sets of channel markers with two buoys per marker leading to Rocky Point Club. The club has historically placed seasonal moorings in designated and leased shellfish beds known as Ford A and Ford B; the moorings are removed during the off-season. However, the placement of the moorings are subject to a new agreement with the shellfish bed leaseholder each season. Therefore, the applicant is requesting to have a combination of mooring alternatives permitted in the event that the shellfish bed leaseholder does not renew the mooring agreement.

The club wishes to place moorings in Ford A and in Ford B due to the proximity to the club’s launching facility and deeper water depths. However, if the shellfish leaseholder does not approve this placement, or only the placement of some of the moorings, the applicant will place all (or some) of the moorings in a secondary mooring field. The applicant has agreed to remove these moorings each season and to use conservation moorings in shellfish beds in lieu of traditional moorings in order to minimize impacts to chain drag on shellfish reserves. The swim float also is proposed to be located northwest of the existing pier. The proposed channel markers will be located along the west side of the proposed Ford A/B moorings, leading from the channel to Rocky Point Club. The buoys and the float also will be seasonally removed.

The work is proposed in Long Island Sound off of 60 Rocky Point Road in Greenwich. The moorings will impact approximately 7 acres of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. 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 can be viewed on the Corps website at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

Public comments on the work proposed by Rocky Point Club, Inc. (file #NAE-2015-00831) should be forwarded no later than May 6, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Lindsay Flieger), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA  01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Lindsay Flieger at 978-318-8656 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: lindsay.flieger@usace.army.mil.