Posted on July 18, 2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District (USACE), in partnership with the City of Galveston, has prepared a Draft Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment (DDPR-EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Galveston Island Coastal Erosion, Galveston, Texas, continuing authorities study as authorized by Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. The USACE prepared the DDPR-EA to determine the feasibility of employing Beneficial Use of Dredged Material measures for coastal storm risk management on Galveston beaches to benefit coastal communities and public infrastructure.
The maintenance dredging planned entails about 530,000 cubic yards of beach sand to be removed from the Galveston Ship Channel for beach nourishment placement on the beach from the Sands of Kahala Beach Subdivision to just past Bermuda Beach Subdivision seaward of the vegetation line on Galveston Island. The project would slow coastal erosion processes and benefit private properties and public infrastructure along the Galveston shoreline for approximately 24 years. The analysis indicates the project is feasible, environmentally acceptable, and economically justified.
A 30-day public comment period begins on Friday, July 15, 2022, and ends on Monday, August 15, 2022. The DDPR-EA will be available for download on the Galveston District website at:
http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs/PlanningEnvironmentalBranch/DocumentsforPublicReview/.
Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Raven Blakeway, Biologist, Environmental Branch, Regional Planning and Environmental Center, 2000 Fort Point Rd, Galveston, TX 77550, or by e-mail at: Raven.Blakeway@usace.army.mil.
This public notice is also issued to advise all known interested parties that a decision on water quality certification is pending before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Any comments concerning this application may be submitted to Texas Commission on Environment, Water Quality Assessment Section, MSC-150, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.
A copy of the public notice, with a description of the work, has been made available for review in the TCEQ’s Austin Office.
