Construction of New Reef in Piankatank River Starts

The construction of a new reef in the Piankatank River is set to start this week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, has just announced.

USACE’s crews will be working about a half-mile from shore, Monday through Thursday for 10 hours a day initially, using barges and cranes to place granite rock within the project limits.

For the first time granite rock will be used to construct the Piankatank River reef, previous reef construction projects in the tributary consisted of shell or crushed concrete.

The new reef construction isn’t expected to impact navigation in the waterway, but will be marked with danger signs to avoid any potential issues, USACE said in its release.

Once complete, the Corps will monitor and adaptively manage the reef to ensure its long-term success.

The Piankatank River Project is being constructed in partnership with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and The Nature Conservancy, and includes reef restoration projects in Maryland and Virginia.