The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, plans to perform maintenance dredging of the North Cove Federal navigation project in Old Saybrook, Conn.
The town of OId Saybrook requested maintenance dredging of the project to provide safe access to the cove at all tide stages, USACE said.
The authorized project provides for an 11-foot mean lower low water (MLLW) deep, 100-foot wide channel from the Connecticut River to an 11-foot mllw deep 12-acre anchorage within North Cove, and then to a 6-foot mllw deep by 17-acre anchorage.
The proposed work involves maintenance dredging to remove shoals in the 11-foot channel and anchorage and the 6-foot anchorage.
Natural tidal action and riverine flows result in a high rate of deposition within North Cove. These natural shoaling processes have reduced available depths in both the 6-foot and 11-foot deep anchorages to as little as 3.0 feet mllw and the 11-foot channel depths have been reduced to as little as 4.0 feet mllw, USACE said.
The shoals are hindering navigational access and compromising vessel safety.
The proposed work consists of the maintenance dredging of about 290,000 cubic yards of sand and silt/clay material to return the Federal project to its authorized dimensions. The work will be performed by a private contractor, using a mechanical dredge and scows, under contract to the government.
The dredger will remove the material from the bottom of the cove and place it in scows which will be towed by tug to the Central Long Island Sound Disposal Site, about 30 miles away, where the material will be released.
The work will be accomplished over an 8-month period, between October 1 and May 31.
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