Draft EA Lower Newport Bay available

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Los Angeles District has conducted an environmental analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.

The draft Environmental Assessment, for the Lower Newport Bay Maintenance Dredging Project addresses the need to remove shoals in the entrance channel and main channel Balboa Reach of the Lower Newport Bay federal navigation channels.

The removal of shoals will provide continued safe and reliable commercial and recreational navigation.

The Final EA, incorporated herein by reference, evaluates three alternatives:

The No Action Alternative, under which no maintenance dredging or nearshore placement would occur;

Alternative 1 (Proposed Action), in which dredging would occur using a either clamshell and scow or barge-mounted excavator and scow with nearshore placement of all dredged materials from the Entrance Channel in the Newport Beach Nearshore Placement Site and ocean disposal for all dredged materials from the Main Channel Balboa Reach at the LA-3 Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS);

Alternative 2, in which dredging would occur using either a clamshell and scow or barge-mounted excavator and scow with ocean disposal of all dredged materials at the LA-3 ODMDS. Alternative 1 is the recommended plan and includes:

• Mechanically dredge (clamshell and scow or barge-mounted excavator and scow) approximately 70,000 cubic yards from the Entrance Channel with nearshore placement at Newport Beach Nearshore Placement Site;

• Mechanically dredge (clamshell and scow or barge-mounted excavator and scow) approximately 90,000 cubic yards from the Main Channel Balboa Reach with ocean disposal at the LA-3 ODMDS.