CONCORD, Mass. – Michael Leitzel representing the town of Bourne Selectmen 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 dredging and disposing of material as beach nourishment in Bourne, Mass. The work is proposed in Little Bay Channel, Pocasset Harbor at Barlows Landing, and the Pocasset River in Bourne.

The proposed work involves maintenance and improvement dredging with beach nourishment. The project will use a hydraulic cutterhead dredge, the Barnstable County Dredge, to perform the work.

The dredged material will be used as beach nourishment at Monument Beach, Mashnee Island Causeway Beach, and Barlows Landing Beach. Any dredged material found to be unsuitable for beach nourishment will be used as daily cover at the Bourne Landfill. Dredged material from Little Bay will be transported to the Pocasset River Dewatering site, dewatered, and used as beach nourishment on Monument Beach and Mashnee Island Causeway Beach. Dredged material from Pocasset Harbor will be transported to the Barlows Landing Dewatering Area, dewatered and transported to Barlows Landing Beach for beach nourishment. Dredged material from the Pocasset River will be transported to the Pocasset River Dewatering Area, dewatered, and then trucked to the Bourne Landfill where it will be used as daily cover.

Maintenance dredging totals are 34,020 cubic yards. Improvement dredging totals are 6,860 cubic yards. The combined total is 40,880 cubic yards.  

The dredging portion of this project will impact approximately 618,362 square feet of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for various species and life stages. Habitat at these sites can be described as subtidal open water with a featureless fine to medium sand substrate. 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 public notice, with more specifics on the work proposed by the town of Bourne Selectmen, can be viewed on the Corps website at  www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

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.; and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands.

Public comments on this work proposed by the town of Bourne Selectmen (file # NAE-2016-184) should be forwarded no later than May 19, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Christine Renzoni), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Christine Renzoni at 978-318-8026 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: christine.m.renzoni@usace.army.mil.