Kent and Sussex Counties Delaware propose hydraulic dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District has posted three new Public Notices:

• 2021-00576-85: the applicant, Patricia Schuchman, Town of Fenwick Island, proposes to hydraulically dredge two channels identified as the North Channel and South Channel within the Little Assawoman Bay. Approximately 19,000 cubic yards of material will be pumped into geotextile dewatering bags located west of the dredging areas at 38876 Bennett Avenue in Selbyville, Sussex County, Delaware. The dewatering area will be surrounded by super silt fence, with the excess water collected via sumps or earthen berms and pumped back into the bay. Once dewatered, the dredged material will remain on site for use on the property. Public comments are requested by July 11, 2023. More details are available in the “Public Notice & Plan Details” attachment available at: https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/ (second entry)

• 2023-00326-85: the Murderkill River entrance to the Delaware Bay is maintained by concrete filled geotextile bags serving as jetties along the northern bank and the southern bank, extending east into the Delaware Bay. The Murderkill River has a federally authorized navigation channel of 60 feet width at -7 feet MLW. The adjacent jetty structures are not included as part of the federal project. The concrete filled bags that make up the jetties are deteriorating and require replacement. The south jetty is overtopped by wave action and the tides, resulting in shoaling of the navigation channel. The 300 feet section of the north jetty is currently losing sediment through gaps in the concrete bags causing additional shoaling of the inlet channel. Both jetty reconstructions will reduce the loss of sand and sediment into the Murderkill River, reducing the need for dredging of the entrance channel. The concrete bags making up the south jetty will be excavated, removed and hauled to a recycler off-site in roughly 20 feet sections. Sand excavated to achieve proper elevations for the jetty will be placed along the beach south of the south jetty and graded to meet the existing profile. Geotextiles, foundation stone, bedding stone and armor stone will then be placed to form the new jetty. Public comments are requested by July 26, 2023. More details are available in the “Public Notice & Plan Details” attachment available at: https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/ (top entry)

• Section 408, 2023-00326-95 – this Public Notice is related to a request from the State of Delaware to rehabilitate the Murderkill River’s North and South Jetties at Delaware Bay, proximate to the Murderkill River Federal Navigation Channel, in the Town of Frederica and the City of Milford, Kent County, Delaware. Public comments are requested by July 26, 2023. More details are available in the Public Notice & Plan details document available at: https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/408/ (top entry)