The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, has received more than $13 million in additional funding to continue various critical missions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
These projects involve Mid-Bay Island design, the Chesapeake Bay Comprehensive Plan, Fishing Creek jetty repairs, Ocean City Inlet dredging, and operation and maintenance activities at dams, including construction of a new water treatment plant at Raystown Lake.
This funding is through the 2019 Work Plan for the Army Civil Works Program, which is Congressionally authorized funding specifically for the Corps in addition to the $80.8 million in funding outlined in the 2019 Administration’s Budget for Baltimore District.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Headquarters is required to submit a Work Plan to Congress annually after release of the appropriations bill. Headquarters (USACE), working with the Office of Management and Budget, determines the allocation of these funds.
Work eligible for consideration for the additional funding generally includes projects, programs and activities funded in the three previous fiscal years with emphasis on ongoing work that can attain a significant milestone or produce significant outputs in the fiscal year, according to USACE’s release.
“This additional funding is vital for us to carry out the important missions and programs we deliver for the benefit of the Bay region, ” said Col. John Litz, Baltimore District commander.
Baltimore District received approximately $4.3 million to continue ongoing pre-construction engineering and design efforts for restoration of James and Barren islands (Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Project) through the placement of dredged material.
Design efforts could be completed in less than four years with continued funding.
Once constructed, these islands would replace Poplar Island as the site for dredge material placement from the approach channels to the Port of Baltimore with the capacity to contain up to 95 million cubic yards of material during the course of approximately 40 plus years.