JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 9, 2011) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort), will hold a public workshop for the Jacksonville Harbor (Mile Point) Navigational Study Monday, Aug. 15 at the University of North Florida (UNF) University Center, Room 1058.
The public workshop will feature an open house from 5 to 5:30 p.m. during which residents and interested parties may discuss the project with Corps and JaxPort staff.
Following the open house, a brief presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m., to include a summary of the Tentatively Selected Plan, environmental impacts and project schedule.
Public comments will be received and considered in developing a final plan for the project. Experts from both agencies will be available to discuss details until 7 p.m.
Mile Point is located between river miles four and five west of the Atlantic Ocean along the St. Johns River. The Mile Point north shoreline is approximately 5,000 feet of shoreline located along the north shore of the St. Johns River and east of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW). The confluence of the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) is within the Mile Point study area. The IWW enters the main channel of the St. Johns River at an angle of approximately 45° from the north, out of Sisters Creek. From the south, the IWW enters out of Pablo Creek at an angle almost parallel to the main channel flow out of Pablo Creek, with flow usually running in the opposite direction of the flow of the river. On the south bank of the St. Johns River is the Mile Point training wall, also known as the Little Jetties. Flows from the St. Johns are directed along the federal navigational channel in that location by the Mile Point Training Wall, which forms the south bank of the river in that area.
Due to the crosscurrents that occur on the ebb flow at the confluence of the IWW and St. Johns River, , there are navigation restrictions for inbound vessels with a transit draft greater than 33 feet to avoid transiting during the ebb tide. The purpose of this study is to eliminate or alleviate the crosscurrents which occur during the ebb flow at the confluence of the St. Johns River with the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW).
The study will develop and evaluate alternative plans to reduce the effects of the crosscurrents on vessels transiting Jacksonville Harbor, allowing the navigation restrictions to be lifted and to reduce the effects of the crosscurrents on the Mile Point shoreline.
Federal and state natural resource agency representatives have also been invited to attend the workshop.