Jacksonville, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces a draft environmental assessment and proposed finding of no significant impact for the operation and maintenance dredging and dredged material placement for the Port Everglades Navigation Project, Broward County.
The draft information is available for public, state and agency review and comment starting today, Aug. 9, and ending Sept. 9, 2019. The Corps will include the comments received, as well as a summary matrix of the comments and Corps responses, in Appendix B of the final assessment.
The purpose of harbor dredging maintenance is to enable safe and efficient vessel navigation through federal channels. The accumulation of sediment, commonly referred to as shoaling, in the harbor has reduced depths and widths, hindering safe and efficient navigation. Periodic dredging is required to remove these sediments and maintain the channel at its federally authorized dimensions.
The Preferred Alternative consists of the routine maintenance dredging of the Federal project and adjacent slips and berthing areas as well as two placement options for the associated placement of dredged material. Dredged material will be placed in the Port Everglades Harbor Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS); however, beach quality sand may be placed in the ODMDS or along the beach at the Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.
Maintenance dredging occurs on an as needed basis for the removal of shoals or on a three year cycle. Average shoaling rates may require the removal of approximately 100,000 cubic yards during the routine dredge cycle of the project's Federal components. However, shoaling caused by storm activity and/or the inclusion of maintenance dredging of the slips and berths could increase the quantity proposed for dredging above and beyond the predicted average. Details on the Preferred Alternative can be found in the draft environmental assessment (EA). The draft EA, associated appendices, and proposed finding of no significant impact are available for review at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/About/Divisions-Offices/Planning/Environmental-Branch/Environmental-Documents/. (Click on the “+” next to “Broward” and scroll down to the project name.)
Interested parties can submit questions or comments via email to CESAJ-PortEvergladesOM@usace.army.mil or by letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: Coastal Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019.
For information on the Port Everglades Improvements project and other federally authorized channels, please visit the Jacksonville District website at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil.
-30-