Maintenance Dredging and Rehabilitation Construction to the Southern Jetty
May 26, 2021 (Chesapeake Beach, MD) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District (Corps), is planning to perform rehabilitation construction to the southern jetty and maintenance dredging for the Fishing Creek Federal navigation channel in Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland.
The proposed work consists of the rehabilitation of the southern jetty at Fishing Creek to a height of six feet mean lower low water (MLLW) using 1.5 to 3 ton capstone, which will reduce overtopping and ensure sediment does not pass through the structure. This maintenance effort will restore the jetty elevations 2.7 feet higher than the original construction (NAVD88) and increase the jetty crest width to 16 feet. Rehabilitation will be segmented into three sections with a total length of approximately 1,000 feet. A 75-foot wide by 10-foot deep MLLW channel parallel to the southern jetty will be dredged prior to access the site and perform the rehabilitation (Map 1). Dredged material from the access channel will be placed at an existing nearby upland placement site (Map 2).
The proposed work also consists of dredging the Fishing Creek channel to its authorized depth of seven feet MLLW, plus at least one foot of allowable overdepth, and a width of 100 feet (Map 1). The Corps plans to hydraulically dredge approximately 22,000 cubic yards of material consisting of combinations of clay, mud, sand, silt, and shell. The dredged material will be placed via pipeline to the same upland site used for the access channel dredged material. Earthwork berm repairs, to include possible raising of the existing berms, may be needed at the existing placement site. The proposed jetty rehabilitation and maintenance dredging of Fishing Creek is being reviewed for environmental impacts in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.
Information provided in the required Environmental Assessment and preliminary 404(b)(1) evaluation suggests that no significant environmental impacts are expected from this rehab and dredging project. Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted. Any construction at the existing placement site will be conducted in a manner consistent with the approved Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program. The project will comply with the Endangered Species Act and provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended, and will not have any adverse effect on endangered species or essential fish habitat for federally managed species. -2- In accordance with the NEPA, we request that you submit comments within your agency's area of expertise to assist in the preparation of the environmental documentation for our project.
Information concerning the proposed project and comments are requested by June 21, 2021. This work is being coorrindating work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Navy; Maryland Department of the Environment; Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Maryland Geologic Survey; Maryland Historical Trust; and the Town of Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland. If there are any questions, please contact Ms. Danielle Szimanski, Navigation Branch, at Danielle.m.szimanski@usace.army.mil. Notice generated by: William P. Seib Chief, Operations Division.
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