Official Word on East Cut Dredging
Alright, here is the official word regarding the dredging of the Port Mansfield East Cut.
Speaking with Joe Hrametz, USACE official in charge of our area, states we have 1.6M earmarked for dredging. Nothing new…this has been the word on the street for awhile.
Moreover, the WCND has recieved 488K from CIAP (Coastal Impact Assistance Program) for issues affecting the area. There are a number of other avenues the WCND can do to stretch those funds through GLO programs and the Corps.. I am working with Mike Wilson to help expedite these funding opportunities.
At present, there are two options to get the Jetties dredged.
The Corps major concern is a possible breaching of the North Jetty. The Corps goal is to shore up the jetty to alleviate the possibility of breaching. With that said, they want to shore the jetty with sands dredged from the Cut. The Corps is shooting for an August 1, or Early September start date, dependent on two things happening:
1. Getting access to a sidecaster dredge. The only one available to the Gulf states is one in the Wilmington NC Corp District. A sidecaster is needed to dredge a small opening to get a hopper dredge in to truly move some sand. A hopper is a dredge that pumps spoil back onto a barge to move it. If the sidecaster is available…lets pray for no summer storms in the Wilmington area…things could be a go ahead
2. The second…we need money and we need it bad. If we can raise, 1.5 to match the Corps, the job can get done. 1.5 sounds like a lot, but with the current state of our jetties, the GLO and other governmental agencies recognize the importance of our plight and the matching funds are out there to be leveraged.
So, thats where we stand right now. I am working on a few things and should have them launched in the next few days to keep people posted more readily.
Thanks for your patience on the answer and look forward to getting this pushed through!
