Posted on February 24, 2025
Jacksonville, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2025) — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (USACE) will begin maintenance dredging of the federal navigation channels of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) and Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County, sometime in early April. Mobilization of construction equipment will start the week of March 10, 2025.
The project was awarded in the amount of $15.2 million to Gator Dredging of Clearwater, Florida. Dredging anticipated to start in April and continue through December of 2025. The project calls for the dredging of approximately 913,000 cubic yards of shoaling from IWW Cuts V-22 through V-41 and Ponce de Leon Cut-1A to Cut-13N and Cut-3S to a required depths of 12 feet and 7th feet, plus 2 feet of allowable over-depth.
All dredge material will be dispersed on the beach north of Ponce Inlet between Beach Street and Oceanview Avenue. In coordination with Volusia County, vehicular and pedestrian beach access on Beach Street near Ponce Inlet will be closed for one week starting March 10.
The dredge pipe will be weighted and submerged, and its underwater route marked with orange poly balls and lighted danger diamond buoys. Dredge pipeline will also be placed along the shoreline within the Lighthouse Point Park. Dredging and placement will be continuous, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until the project is complete.
Ponce de Leon Inlet and IWW maintenance dredge project progress map.
Local Notice to Mariners will be issued 30 days prior to commencing dredging. USACE also requests that boaters refrain from anchoring and swimming in clearly delineated sections along the shoreline. Beachgoers should avoid wading on the beach shoreline adjacent to the discharge areas.
The USACE team will conduct protective turtle monitoring throughout the duration of the project. USACE may relocate turtle nests and requests the public respect markers and barriers that may be erected along the beach to mark nests being protected on site.
