GRR/EIS for Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Study on display

The USACE Jacksonville District has published a draft of its General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement (GRR/EIS) for the Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Study in Hillsborough County, Florida.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the GRR/EIS and related documents will be available for public review and comment for a period of 45 days. 

The study investigated alternatives to provide efficient and safe navigation and maritime commerce in Tampa Harbor such as deepening and widening the existing federal navigation project.

The proposed project consists of deepening ship channels, turning basins and turn wideners throughout the harbor to allow larger vessels to efficiently access Port Tampa Bay’s terminals.

Also, the proposed improvements will remove approximately 21.3 million cubic yards of limestone rock, sand and silt from existing federal channels.

USACE has identified numerous alternatives for dredged material placement, including:

• open water disposal at an Environmental Protection Agency designated ocean dredged material disposal site;

• hardbottom habitat creation;

• island restoration at Egmont Key and Alafia Banks;

• beach placement at Fort De Soto;

• dredged hole restoration;

• seagrass creation;

• upland placement;

• fill for upland expansion projects.