30-Day Public Notice Issued for Annisquam River Dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District has issued a 30-day public notice for the proposed maintenance dredging of the Annisquam River Federal navigation project (FNP) in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The city of Gloucester is the local sponsor and requested this dredging. Natural shoaling processes have reduced available depths to as little as one foot in portions of the 8-foot MLLW channel and anchorage

The proposed work involves maintenance dredging to bring the full channel and anchorage to 8-feet plus authorized over depth. A private contractor would be hired to use a mechanical dredge and scows to remove approximately 140,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel from approximately 20 acres.

The Corps has coordinated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Commonwealth of Massachusetts to determine that the material is suitable for disposal at the Ipswich Bay Nearshore Disposal Site and the Gloucester Historic Disposal Site. The Ipswich site is located approximately 1.5 miles north of Farm Point and Wingaersheek and Coffins Beaches, Massachusetts, in 32 feet of water and the Gloucester site lies outside of Gloucester Harbor 0.7 miles south of Eastern Point in approximately 80 to 120 feet of water.

Construction would occur between October 1, 2019 and March 15, 2020.

Public comments on this proposed dredging should be forwarded no later than March 6 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District, Programs/Project Management Division (ATTN: Erika Mark), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751 or by email to nae-pn-nav@usace.army.mil.