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Restore safe, navigable waterways and barrier island access for visitors at Cape Lookout NS
Cape Lookout National Seashore » Restore safe, navigable waterways and barrier island access for visitors at Cape Lookout NS » Document List
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Wilmington District, Wilmington, North
Carolina has prepared the Channel from Back Sound to Lookout Bight, Maintenance of
US Army Corps of Engineers and US National Park Service Navigation Channels, Draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) dated April 2023. This Draft EA was completed in
partnership with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS).
An electronic version of the Draft EA is available on the Corps website at:
https://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Dredging/
The proposed action includes dredging of Corps and NPS Federal navigation channels located within Back Sound and Lookout Bight using Government-owned shallow draft plant and contracted hydraulic cutterhead pipeline dredges and subsequent dredged material placement in Carteret County, North Carolina.
The proposed maintenance dredging is divided into two sections. The northern section includes the fixed Corps Federal channel through Back Sound toward Barden Inlet. The southern section includes a corridor encompassing Barden Inlet and Lookout Bight, where the Corps and NPS channels follow natural deep waters and include two NPS channels that provide access to two existing NPS boat docks. The proposed dredging would use Government-owned shallow draft plant and contracted hydraulic cutterhead pipeline dredges. Pipeline dredging would be used for initial dredging, then every 3 to 5 years depending on shoaling rates and available funding. Pipeline dredged material would be placed on Sandbag Island bird island or on nearby NPS soundside or oceanside beaches. Between pipeline dredging events, Government-owned shallow draft plant dredges (i.e., special purpose hopper dredge or sidecast dredge) would remove any shoals impeding navigation. Special purpose hopper dredged material would be placed in naturally occurring scour holes within the Barden Inlet and Lookout Bight channel. Sidecast dredging is also proposed to be used to maintain the Corps and NPS channels when other dredge plants are not available and would sidecast material 80-feet from the vessel's starboard or port side.
All Government plant dredging would occur within the recommended October 1 through March 31 environmental window. Placement of dredged material on Sandbag Island would occur from September 1 through March 31, to protect nesting birds. Sandbag Island dredged material placement via control-of-effluent would utilize methodologies to avoid impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation to the maximum extent practicable. Placement of dredged material on NPS oceanside beach would occur from November 16 through April 30, to protect nesting sea turtles.
The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality and Corps and NPS requirements for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (33 CFR 230), as amended.
Based on the information in the Draft EA, we expect the proposed Federal action will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment; therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. If this opinion is upheld following circulation of this Draft EA, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) pursuant to NEPA will be completed by the Corps and NPS.
Comments on the Draft EA should include sufficient detail to support statements in favor of or opposed to the proposed action. All correspondence should refer to the title and date of this Public Notice. We would appreciate receiving comments no later than 30 days from the date of this notice. If we have not received your comments by then, we will assume you have none.
Written comments may be submitted to Mr. John Policarpo, U.S. Army Engineer District,
Wilmington, CESAW-ECP-PE, 69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403.
Comments or questions may also be emailed to Mr. Policarpo at:
John.N.Policarpo@usace.army.mil.
Superintendent
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Office Phone: (252) 838-8890
Carolina has prepared the Channel from Back Sound to Lookout Bight, Maintenance of
US Army Corps of Engineers and US National Park Service Navigation Channels, Draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) dated April 2023. This Draft EA was completed in
partnership with the U.S. National Park Service (NPS).
An electronic version of the Draft EA is available on the Corps website at:
https://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Dredging/
The proposed action includes dredging of Corps and NPS Federal navigation channels located within Back Sound and Lookout Bight using Government-owned shallow draft plant and contracted hydraulic cutterhead pipeline dredges and subsequent dredged material placement in Carteret County, North Carolina.
The proposed maintenance dredging is divided into two sections. The northern section includes the fixed Corps Federal channel through Back Sound toward Barden Inlet. The southern section includes a corridor encompassing Barden Inlet and Lookout Bight, where the Corps and NPS channels follow natural deep waters and include two NPS channels that provide access to two existing NPS boat docks. The proposed dredging would use Government-owned shallow draft plant and contracted hydraulic cutterhead pipeline dredges. Pipeline dredging would be used for initial dredging, then every 3 to 5 years depending on shoaling rates and available funding. Pipeline dredged material would be placed on Sandbag Island bird island or on nearby NPS soundside or oceanside beaches. Between pipeline dredging events, Government-owned shallow draft plant dredges (i.e., special purpose hopper dredge or sidecast dredge) would remove any shoals impeding navigation. Special purpose hopper dredged material would be placed in naturally occurring scour holes within the Barden Inlet and Lookout Bight channel. Sidecast dredging is also proposed to be used to maintain the Corps and NPS channels when other dredge plants are not available and would sidecast material 80-feet from the vessel's starboard or port side.
All Government plant dredging would occur within the recommended October 1 through March 31 environmental window. Placement of dredged material on Sandbag Island would occur from September 1 through March 31, to protect nesting birds. Sandbag Island dredged material placement via control-of-effluent would utilize methodologies to avoid impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation to the maximum extent practicable. Placement of dredged material on NPS oceanside beach would occur from November 16 through April 30, to protect nesting sea turtles.
The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality and Corps and NPS requirements for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (33 CFR 230), as amended.
Based on the information in the Draft EA, we expect the proposed Federal action will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment; therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. If this opinion is upheld following circulation of this Draft EA, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) pursuant to NEPA will be completed by the Corps and NPS.
Comments on the Draft EA should include sufficient detail to support statements in favor of or opposed to the proposed action. All correspondence should refer to the title and date of this Public Notice. We would appreciate receiving comments no later than 30 days from the date of this notice. If we have not received your comments by then, we will assume you have none.
Written comments may be submitted to Mr. John Policarpo, U.S. Army Engineer District,
Wilmington, CESAW-ECP-PE, 69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403.
Comments or questions may also be emailed to Mr. Policarpo at:
John.N.Policarpo@usace.army.mil.
Contact Information
Jeff WestSuperintendent
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Office Phone: (252) 838-8890