11 Dec 2024

NAO-2024-02581 (Cedar Island Resiliency Project, Accomack County, Virginia)

Expiration date: 1/10/2025

The applicant is seeking authorization to elevate and extend the natural marsh and intertidal flat behind the southern end of Cedar Island, at the site of a former ephemeral tidal inlet known as the ‘The Breach.’ The project plan consists of increasing the elevation of the western half of the site to expand and enhance marsh habitat. Graded areas and areas with no existing marsh will be planted with native marsh plants to increase ground stabilization. In order to stabilize the area of an historic breach, much of the low marsh will be raised and converted to vegetated high marsh through the addition of dredged materials and plantings. The project will result in the construction of approximately 5.90 ac of non-vegetated intertidal, 7.58 ac of vegetated low marsh, 21.26 ac of vegetated high marsh, and 3.93 ac of non-vegetated high marsh. Of the total marsh constructed, 4.69 acres will be new marsh converted from submerged lands. The project will also hydraulically dredge approximately 87.8 acres of subaqueous bottom to obtain 89,500 cy of material that will be used to construct the marsh portion of the project. Comments should be received by the close of business on January 10, 2025.