BOEM, USACE and Maryland DNR enter agreement for sand resources

BOEM, the USACE’s Baltimore District and the State of Maryland DNR have entered into an agreement allowing USACE to use sand from the Outer Continental Shelf for scheduled beach nourishment as part of its Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Project.

The agreement gives the state, working in partnership with USACE, access to 1.3 million cubic yards of sand for the nourishment of 8.3 miles of beach including 7 miles of sand dunes in Ocean City, Maryland.

The beach is a significant economic driver for Ocean City, which boasts more than 8 million visitors annually, BOEM said.

“We are proud to partner with the Army Corps and the state of Maryland to support the nourishment of the beaches of Ocean City to improve their ability to withstand severe storms,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.

“This project demonstrates the value of state and federal partnerships to utilize Outer Continental Shelf resources to help reduce risk to communities from climate change by improving the resiliency of the coast.”

Sand for this project will come from Weaver Shoal located more than 3 miles offshore of Ocean City.

USACE plans to award a contract for the work in July with construction anticipated to start around Labor Day and to finish prior to Memorial Day 2022.