The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District, in partnership with the Florida Inland Navigation District, have begun dredging portions of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW).
USACE awarded a $5.8 million contract in late July for maintenance dredging of the IWW in St. Johns and Flagler Counties. USACE expects to remove more than 400,000 cubic yards of material from the navigation channel, including an estimated 90,000 cubic yards that was deposited when Hurricane Dorian moved close to the shore a few weeks ago. All of the material dredged from the IWW will be placed on Summerhaven Beach near Marineland per the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s permit and the awarded plans and specifications.
“Maintenance dredging of the IWW helps us improve conditions for boaters using the IWW in that safer navigation is achieved by removing dangerous shoals,” said Shelley Trulock, Project Manager with Jacksonville District. “Placing of dredge material on local beaches is what we call Regional Sediment Management, taking maintenance dredge material and placing it on beaches, which helps stabilize the shoreline providing both storm and environmental benefits.”
Dredging will continue 24 hours daily until spring 2020. USACE staff remind boaters and beach-goers to use caution in the work areas while dredging is underway and construction activities are occurring on the beach.
“There will be a dredge, booster barge and floating pipeline within the IWW as well as equipment on the beach,” said Trulock. “We need boaters and beach goers to exercise caution while the work is taking place.”
The work is being performed by Southwind Construction Corporation, a small business from Evansville, Indiana. The work will take place concurrently with a contract awarded by St. Johns County to Turnbull Construction to repair breaches caused by the passage of Hurricane Dorian.
For more information on the USACE Jacksonville District, visit our website at www.saj.usace.army.mil.
Release no. 19-081