FEDERAL PUBLIC NOTICE – NOTICE TO NAVIGATION INTERESTS
Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area: Impacts on Future Deposits Due to Limited Capacity
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District’s Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area (CIDMMA) provides a cost-effective placement option for suitable navigation-related dredged material from the Norfolk Harbor and adjacent waterways. Due to these cost advantages, many in the dredging industry have come to regularly utilize the CIDMMA for the placement of dredged material. This Notice to Navigation Interests is targeted at dredging industry providers to inform their planning options for future dredging projects.
On January 24, 2023, a public notice was issued by this office indicating that the CIDMMA is experiencing limited capacity, and that the Norfolk District anticipates that acceptance of future deposits of dredged material into the CIDMMA, including deposits into the rehandling basin, will need to be deferred indefinitely until completion of the Norfolk Harbor Navigation Improvements Project, Inner Harbor Channels, and Anchorage F, and sufficient capacity is constructed to resume normal operations and dredged material inflows.
Due to the extraordinary inflows from the completion of the Norfolk Harbor Navigation Improvements Project that have stressed the Craney Island infrastructure along with engineering challenges in the dike raising efforts, the CIDMMA is still experiencing insufficient capacity to resume normal operations and dredged material inflows.
To accommodate infrastructure maintenance and engineering improvements to maximize dike raising efforts and future dredged material capacity, resumption of normal dredged material deposits into the upland cells and the rehandling basin of the CIDMMA are expected to be deferred through calendar year 2029 at a minimum. Those wishing to deposit dredged material at CIDMMA are urged to begin coordination with the Norfolk District well in advance of planned dredging to determine likely timeframes for future acceptance of material. In addition, potential users are urged to plan for alternative placement options for their projects.
All inquiries pertaining to the use of the CIDMMA should be directed to the Norfolk District Operations Branch, at DLL-CENAO-WRO-CRANEYDEPOSITS@usace.army.mil.
All inquiries pertaining to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory permits for dredging and associated alternative placement of dredged material should be directed to the Norfolk District Regulatory Branch project manager listed on the permit or, if no permit has been obtained, to the Regulator of the Day at cenao.reg_rod@usace.army.mil or at (757) 201-7652.