Comments invited on Salem River dredging plan

USACE is inviting the comments on the Salem River Maintenance Dredging Plan.

Under the project, USACE will utilize small split hull, shallow draft hopper dredges to remove spot shoals of predominantly sand grain sized sediment annually, or as equipment availability allows, from a segment of the Salem River navigational channel in Delaware jurisdictional waters over a period of 10 years.

The sediment would be beneficially used to provide a supplemental source of material through littoral transport to the nearshore area of Oakwood Beach, New Jersey.

According to USACE, hopper dredges can quickly dredge spot shoals that pose hazards to vessels and provide sediment to eroding beaches via natural longshore transport over the course of a few days per job with minimal environmental impact.

Dredging and placement activities would occur outside the recommended seasonal restricted period of March 1 to June 30 for the protection of diadromous fish. The first beneficial use activity is set to occur in February 2022.

The deadline for submitting the comments for this project is November 29, 2021.