The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, announced yesterday that maintenance operations on Palm Beach Harbor (Lake Worth Inlet) will start early next week and continue through mid-April.
The work includes placing all dredged materials on the beach immediately south of the southern jetty, extending the beach (between monuments R76-R79) seaward approximately 60 feet.
Beneficially using dredged materials on the shoreline helps to reduce risk and promotes coastal resilience. The additional beach area also has inherent benefits in restoring critical habitat for shorebirds and marine turtles.
The maintenance work includes dredging the entrance channel, south turning basin and all the settling basins, and placing all materials onto the beach. The Town of Palm Beach will conduct escarpment removal and monitoring activities following the placement.
The maintenance dredging will remove approximately 200,000 cubic yards of shoal material from harbor. The work entails dredging the entrance channel to depths varying from 37 to 39 feet plus 2 feet of allowable over-depth; the settling basin to depths varying from 33 to 35 feet plus 2 feet of allowable over-depth; and, the southern turning basin to 33 feet plus 2 feet of allowable over-depth.
The Corps awarded the contract on January 14, 2016 to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC, of Oak Brook, Illinois for approximately $5.35 million.
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