Machicomoco State Park, consisting of 645 acres overlooking the York River in Gloucester County, is the first state park celebrating and honoring the history and legacy of the Native Tribes of Virginia.
The Middle Peninsula unit at Machicomoco State Park is located in Gloucester County off Route 632. The 431-acre property has 2,260 linear feet of York River shoreline where the river is approximately two miles wide. The park also includes approximately 3,776 linear feet of frontage along Aberdeen Creek.
In September 2020, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation requested assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a Living Shoreline project at the Middle Peninsula Unit of Machicomoco State Park. Citing erosion of shoreline and marsh habitat due to wind and wave action, Virginia DCR requested assistance under Section 510 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996.
Authority
Section 510 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1996 (Public Law 104-303), as amended, authorizes USACE to design and construct water-related resource protection and restoration projects within the Chesapeake Bay watershed for non-Federal interests.
The Norfolk District completed a scoping report detailing the proposed project, which was submitted to North Atlantic Division (NAD) for approval Feb. 4, 2021. NAD approved the project for inclusion in the Section 510 program Nov. 11, 2021.
Scope
The scope of work for the feasibility phase of the project includes the development of project alternatives by the Norfolk District as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, an examination of the impacts and benefits of each alternative, and the recommendation of an alternative for design and construction. This process will be documented in an Environmental Assessment (EA), and, if appropriate, will result in the signing of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
The Tentatively Selected Plan includes the removal of the existing dilapidated structures and implementation of a living shoreline consisting of sand fill, native vegetation, sills, breakwaters, and offshore reef habitat. Removal of the existing structures allows for the natural, dynamic shoreline processes to be restored, while the proposed breakwater and sill system provides protection from wave energy. Removal of the structures also improves public safety and opportunities to access both the shoreline and the York River. On either end of the study area, along the existing marsh habitat, the plan proposes restoration and enhancement of the marsh fringe, including the addition of sand fill, native vegetation, and toe protection in the form of a sill. Subtidal, offshore reef structures are also proposed in front of the marsh areas. Artificial oyster reefs provide habitat not only for oysters, but other Bay fauna and promote nutrient mixing within the water column, in addition to many other ecological benefits.
This phase of the project includes the following activities:
- Preparation of an EA.
- Review of the EA and FONSI.
- Closeout of the feasibility phase.