The Army Corps’ Jacksonville District is opening public comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the operation and maintenance dredging of the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW).
“Maintaining safe navigation on federal waterways is one of the Corps’ key missions,” said Ashleigh Fountain , Project Manager. “Accumulation of sediment has limited the navigable capacity in the project channel. Removal of the shoaled material to the authorized and previously constructed depths would improve the navigable capacity of the project channel and be safer for boaters.”
The project has two components: operation and maintenance (O&M) dredging and placement of dredged material into a constructed dredged material management area (DMMA).
The Preferred Alternative consists of dredging and placement of dredged material into the previously constructed dredged material management area (DMMA) O-7 or the O-23, pending construction, depending upon the dredge locations and availability of the DMMA.
Material from the dredged locations will be pumped, via pipeline, to the DMMA, dewatered, and water returned to the waterway.
The Corps will accept written comments through July 15, 2020.
For additional information, visit the Okeechobee Waterway Dredging – Crossroads to St. Lucie page .