Corps of Engineers MVD Holds Gulf Dredging Meeting

P.J. Hahn of Plaquemines Parish talks on coastal and barrier islands restoration.

Tommy Hoke introduces LTC Handura.

The Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) held a dredging meeting at the New Orleans District (MVN) on November 5. The meeting replaced the traditional presentation of area dredging schedules at the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) Gulf Coast Chapter meeting.

Representatives from all areas of the industry including regulatory resource agencies contracting and manufacturing attended to discuss dredging economics benefits technologies and current issues KC Clark chief of dredging at MVN said.

Clark who is president of the Gulf Chapter of the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) informed members in October that one of the reasons the Corps participated in the chapter meeting was to present the next fiscal year’s dredging schedules from Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) dredging districts and the Galveston and Mobile Districts respectively in the Southwest and South Atlantic Divisions. Because of Corps policy that does not provide expenses for Corps employees to travel off-site the FY 2014 schedules were presented at a separate meeting at the District a decision that was also made with regard to the other WEDA chapters and their corresponding Corps divisions.

Jeff Corbino describes the Atchafalaya River Horseshoe Bend project.

Donald Mayer gives the MVD dredging schedule.

The WEDA Gulf Coast Chapter held its meeting at the Westin Hotel in New Orleans on Monday November 4 and many attendees from that event also attended the November 5 meeting at the MVN.

The meeting began at 8:30 in the district assembly room (DARM) as Tommy Hoke of MVN welcomed the group and introduced Deputy District Commander LTC James Handura. Following LTC Handura’s address P.J. Hahn Plaquemines Parish director of Coastal Zone Management spoke on coastal restoration and barrier islands restoration and enhancement.

A panel on contrasts between restoration projects at the Cameron Shoreline Caminada headland and Scofield Island was presented by Corey Lawton of MVN Rudy Simoneaux and Brad Miller of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and Steve Dartez of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Tim Osborn of NOAA then spoke on coastal changes as a result of subsidence and sea level rise.

Chris Frabotta presents the Galveston District 2014 dredging schedule.

LTC James Handura MVN deputy district commander welcomes the group.

FY 14 dredging schedules were then presented by Chris Frabotta of the Galveston District (SWG) George Rush of the Mobile District (SAM) Donald Mayer of the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) and Michelle Kornick Mike Lowe Tracy Falk and Don Schneider of the New Orleans District (MVN).

Ed Creef of MVN Steve Auernhamer of GLDD Maury Chatellier of CPRA and Brad Inman of MVN presented a panel on long distance pipeline and its implications for environmental dredging projects. Bill Hanson of GLDD gave Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund updates and Jeff Corbino of MVN wound up the presentations with a talk on the Atchafalaya River Horseshoe Bend – an engineering with nature case study. The meeting adjourned at 3 p.m.