New Smyrna Beach, FL - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin dredging in Ponce de Leon Inlet following large sand deposits from Hurricane Matthew.
The dredging will begin on April 11 and the channel's maintenance will allow for safer transport throughout the coming summer. The dredging will move about 130,000 cubic yards of sediment around the U.S. Coast Guards Buoy R8B in the inlet. It is set to be completed by May 15 of this year.
Along with the inlet, the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) in the area is set to be dredged later in the year. The Corps will allow small businesses to dredge this winter and in spring of next year with a solicitation set to be issued in September.
The sand removed by the Corps of Engineer's Dredge Currituck will be deposited south of the inlet, of the coast of New Smyrna Beach. The Regional Sediment Management (RSM) is using the opportunity to use the dredged materials as protection on the shoreline and to revamp the beaches.
According to a news release from the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the projects are "expected to result in a cost savings of $1 million to $1.5 million." The Corps is intervening in the area due to the great economic and environmental interest of the channel to the country.
(Image courtesy Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
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