May 11, 2026 – Final Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment is approved by North Atlantic Division and signed by Colonel Avichal, Commander of Norfolk District. The Finding of No Significant Impact was signed on May 22, 2026. The Recommended Plan identifies the following actions:
- Creation of a 5.0-acre seabird nesting habitat at Hampton Bar with a 9.7-acre horseshoe footprint on submerged lands with partial stabilization of up to 518,100 yd3 of dredged material using geotubes, armor stone, riprap, and bedding stone.
- Adaptive management and monitoring of the habitat for up to ten years to meet biological requirements of the seabird colony, ecological benefits for fishery species, and to maintain habitat features.
The construction of the Norfolk Harbor and Channels navigation element, Anchorage F, is the proposed source of dredged material for construction as the project schedules are aligning for implementation. Dredged material used to construct the project is subject to Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), Section 103 sediment testing and concurrence by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), as appropriate, for composition and grain size. Design and construction of the beneficial use habitat should be complete 2027-2028. Following construction, the habitat would be adaptively managed and monitored for ten years from 2028 until 2037.
The Final Report and all appendices can be found below in the Project Documents.
Nov. 13, 2024 - Release of the Draft Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment (DPR/EA)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announce the release of the Draft Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment (DPR/EA) for the Hampton Roads Beneficial Use of Dredged Material project located in the Hampton Roads Harbor waterway in Virginia. The Draft DPR/EA evaluates potential solutions to create safe, permanent, and biologically suitable habitat for a displaced seabird colony using dredged material from federal navigation channels. This potential habitat would also provide ecological benefits to additional fish and wildlife species.
Nov. 14, 2024 - Open House Public Meeting
The public is invited to participate in an Open House public meeting to learn more about the study and proposed project. The public meeting will be held on Nov. 14, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Fort Monroe Community Center located at 100 Stilwell Drive, Hampton, VA 23651. The deadline for comment submissions is Dec. 13, 2024.