The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District is seeking public input on a Virginia Beach City Government proposal to mechanically dredge a Saw Pen Point neighborhood tributary to provide residents with navigation access.
The Schilling Point SSD project is located in a tributary to the Lynnhaven River’s Western Branch, adjacent to the Saw Pen Point neighborhood surrounded by homes along Saw Pen Point Trail, Bridgehampton Lane, Witch Point Trail and Schilling Point in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A 692-foot-long city spur channel with a 25-foot bottom width is proposed to be dredged to a maximum depth of -4.5 feet mean low water (MLW) and would connect to the existing channel in the Lynnhaven River’s Western Branch.
A main 490-foot-long Special Service District channel would run from the city channel to SSD North Spur and SSD South Spur channels. The main SSD channel would have a maximum bottom width of 25 feet, reducing to a 20-foot bottom width as it approaches the neighborhood, and would be dredged to a maximum depth of -4.5 feet MLW.
The SSD North Spur would be 470 feet long with a 15-foot bottom width, and the SSD South Spur would be 286 feet long with a 15-foot bottom – individual access basins will be dredged as part of this proposal. These SSD channels would be dredged to a maximum -4.5-foot depth and MLW.
The proposal also includes dredging nine individual access basins for homeowners to access the dredged channels. These areas are proposed to be dredged to a maximum depth of -4.5 feet MLW.
The applicant has proposed to dredge 9,583 cubic yards of material from 88,383 square feet of impact area.