The Army Corps’ Wilmington District has received an application from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Ferry Division seeking authorization to dredge a 2.5-mile segment of the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route identified as Sloop Channel.
According to the applicant, the purpose of this project is to allow for the safe passage to and from Ocracoke and Hatteras for both private and commercial vessels.
The proposed project will involve the use of a sidecast dredge or a pipeline dredge to maintain Sloop Channel, which is the southern segment of the Hatteras to Ocracoke ferry route.
NCDOT obtained a permit to perform maintenance dredging on the entrance channel to Sloop Channel at the Southdock Ferry Terminal for a 10-year period.
The permit allows for the channel to be maintained at a width of 225’ and 12’ deep at Mean-Low-Low-Water (MLLW). This project requests to maintain the 2.5-mile segment of Sloop Channel at the same width and depth of the adjoining permit area of the ferry terminal with 3:1 side slopes.
Based on the most recent survey, the dredging project (if approved) will remove approximately 126,423 cubic yards of material from the Sloop Channel.
The deadline for sending written comments on the proposed work is April 24, 2020.