USACE releases final EIS for the James Island restoration project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District in partnership with the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) has prepared a FINAL supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (sEIS) for the James Island component of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Project (Mid-Bay Island).

The Mid-Bay Island Project recommends remote island restoration at James Island and Barren Island, both on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in Dorchester County, Maryland, through the beneficial use of dredged material.

The project is aimed to support dredged material placement for the following navigation projects: the Baltimore Harbor and Channels Federal Navigation Project, under the jurisdiction of the USACE-Baltimore District; the Inland Waterway, Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay, Delaware and Maryland, C&D Canal Project under the jurisdiction of USACE-Philadelphia District; and other Federal navigation channels under the jurisdiction of the USACE-Baltimore District that require periodic maintenance dredging.

Implementation of the recommended plan would restore 2,072 acres of remote island habitat, provide for approximately 50 acres of shoreline habitat features (reefs, reefballs or other structures, and/or breakwaters), and provide capacity to place 90 to 95 million cubic yards of clean dredged material from Federal navigation channels to restore upland and wetland habitats over an estimated 32-year period.

The Final sEIS documents are available at the Army Corps website.