Army Corps, State to host public meeting on Ocean City Inlet projects

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District (USACE), in coordination with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Worcester County, is hosting a hybrid public meeting Aug. 17, 2021, at the Worcester County Library – Berlin Branch at 13 Harrison Ave., from 7 – 8:30 p.m. This public meeting provides an opportunity to discuss two concurrent efforts: a navigation improvement project to address sediment accumulation in the Ocean City Inlet and a study on the scour hole near Homer Gudelsky Park.

For in-person attendees, from 6:30 – 7 p.m., there will be an open house where participants can view informational posters, provide feedback and speak with project personnel. From 7 – 8 p.m., there will be a formal presentation to provide an overview of the projects and open the floor for questions. The meeting will wrap up at 8:30 p.m., allowing in-person attendees to again view materials, and speak with USACE and State employees about specific concerns following the presentation.

The library is adhering to COVID-19 safety restrictions, including mandatory masking, regardless of vaccination status. The meeting room will also be capped to 50 attendees. Social distancing to the extent possible is also requested.

Virtual Public Meeting Details:

WebEx

• WebEx can be accessed at the following link: https://usace1.webex.com/meet/amber.c.metallo

  • From Webex, you can choose the "call me" option, and enter your phone number.

Phone

• If you are calling in on the phone only (and not using Webex), please use the following call-in information:

  • Toll free: 844-800-2712; Access Code: 1998594423; Security Code: 1234

The Ocean City Inlet navigation channel is regularly used by commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, the U.S. Coast Guard, and others. USACE removes material from the inlet through dredging two or more times per year to maintain the channel's authorized depth of 10 feet. However, it continues to fill in with material, creating concerns for navigation.

USACE signed a project partnership agreement in 2019 with Maryland DNR and Worcester County for the Ocean City Harbor and Inlet navigation improvement project. In this 90 percent federally funded project, USACE evaluated sediment transport in the inlet and will recommend options to manage the shoaling, including channel realignment and extension of breakwaters on northwestern Assateague Island.

The study on the approximately 50-foot-deep scour hole is 100 percent federally funded. Field investigation has concluded on this effort, and the team has used modeling to evaluate sediment movement. The team is currently evaluating options for filling in or capping the scour hole.

For more info, visit the Ocean City Inlet project web page.