The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a draft environmental assessment and proposed finding of no significant impact for the operation and maintenance dredging and dredged material placement for the Miami Harbor Navigation Project inner harbor, Miami-Dade County.
As USACE reported, the purpose of harbor dredging maintenance is to enable safe and efficient vessel navigation through federal channels.
The accumulation of sediment, commonly referred to as shoaling, in the harbor has reduced depths and widths, hindering safe and efficient navigation.
Periodic dredging is required to remove these sediments and maintain the channel at its federally authorized dimensions.
The Corps surveyed existing conditions and considered the current maintenance needs, if any. Based on survey results, the Corps concludes that only the inner harbor cuts of the Miami Harbor project warrant maintenance dredging at this time.
The Preferred Alternative consists of dredging approximately 100,000 cubic yards of shoaled material from within the inner harbor to maintain authorized dimensions. Dredged material will be placed in the Miami Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site.
Details on the Preferred Alternative can be found in the draft environmental assessment (EA). The draft EA, associated appendices, and proposed finding of no significant impact are available for review here .
The draft information is available for public comment up until August 19, 2019.