Posted on February 15, 2023
A permit request for a temporary dredge pipe about 7,500 feet long has been requested by Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
The requested maintenance dredge pipe and booster station is for maintenance dredging to access a disposal area the Navy originally planned to take offline while a permanent pipe was rerouted.
The Navy changed plans due to capacity concerns at the two other disposal areas on base.
The temporary dredge pipe will be no greater than 24 inches in diameter. The pipe will span 3,101 feet over open tidal water, 3,139 feet of salt marsh, 400 feet of forested uplands and 860 feet of disturbed uplands.
An estimated 6,240 feet of the pipe will be over tidal water bottoms below mean low water. A 75-foot by 54-foot booster station will be located with the waterfront restricted area on base to facilitate dredge material pumping. A temporary 10-foot high, 10-foot long and 10-foot wide ramp will be constructed of soil and rock to support the dredge pipe to prevent disturbance of an identified cultural site.
Contractors will follow all manatee protection measures during in-water work.
All efforts will be taken to avoid gopher tortoise burrows. If the pipe has to be placed over a burrow, it will be scoped and collapses after it has been determined the burrow is not occupied. If occupied, the tortoise will be trapped and relocated to another area on base.
The permanent pipe has been rerouted to allow for the contraction of a new building in the waterfront area of the base.
Officials from Submarine Group 10 on base did not return a call Friday to provide more information about the new building being built on the waterfront.
