The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the Chief of Engineer’s Report has been approved and signed for the Jacksonville Harbor (Mile Point) Navigational Study. This approval is a critical step towards moving the project forward to Congress for authorization and appropriation of funding.
“This is a tremendous milestone for this project, ” said Jerry Scarborough, chief of the Water Resources Branch . “ This significant step allows us to officially submit the report to Congress for authorization.”
Mile Point consists of 5,000 feet of shoreline located along the north shore of the St. Johns River and east of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW). Great Marsh Island and the Mile Point Training Wall divide Chicopit Bay. The confluence of the St. Johns River with the IWW is known as Mile Point, an area that experiences difficult crosscurrents on the ebb tide. Due to these crosscurrents there is navigational restriction on the ebb tide that affects all vessels that have a transit draft greater than 33 feet inbound and 36 feet outbound, inhibiting the free movement of vessel traffic.
The recommended plan combines relocation/reconfiguration of the existing training wall, restoration of Great Marsh Island, and the creation of a flow improvement channel in Chicopit Bay. The estimated total cost for the Recommended Plan is $36.5 million, which is cost shared 65% Federal and 35% non-Federal.
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Dredging Today Staff, May 7, 2012;