Corps of Engineers awards contract to dredge, rehabilitate jetty at Fishing Creek

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
Published Aug. 9, 2022

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has awarded a $3.17 million contract to White Lake Dock and Dredge, Inc., a Small Business out of North Shores, Michigan, for maintenance dredging and southern jetty rehabilitation for the Fishing Creek Federal navigation channel.

The project, in coordination with the Town of Chesapeake Beach, consists of dredging approximately 10,000 cubic yards of material from the federal channel, as well as an additional allowance of up to 15,000 cubic yards in an access channel near the south jetty to accommodate the contractor’s equipment.

All dredged material will be removed via hydraulic cutterhead dredge and transported via pipeline to an existing nearby upland placement site.

“Maintaining the safe operation of our federal navigation channels is more critical than ever and directly contributes to the vitality of both our region and the nation,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Estee Pinchasin. “We’re proud to partner with the Town of Chesapeake Beach on this effort and look forward to beginning dredging in the near future.”

USACE last dredged the Fishing Creek federal channel in 2013. The Town of Chesapeake Beach completed partial maintenance dredging in 2020.

Additionally, the southern jetty at Fishing Creek will be rehabilitated to a height of 6 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) using a 2.8-ton capstone. Jetty rehabilitation will be segmented into sections with a total length of approximately 1,000 feet. This maintenance effort will restore jetty elevations to 2.7 feet higher than the original construction (NAVD88) and increase the jetty crest width to 16 feet.

Rehabilitation of the south jetty will reduce overtopping and ensure sediment does not pass through the structure.

Crews are expected to mobilize this fall, and the work is anticipated to take approximately 180 days to complete.

This project is part of the Baltimore District’s Navigation program, which includes operation and maintenance of more than 290 miles of federal navigable channels within the Susquehanna River watershed.  This work includes dredging, employing cutting-edge technology to conduct underwater surveys, and applying a fleet of debris removal vessels to clear floating hazards out of the federal channels in the Baltimore Harbor and Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

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PROJECT UPDATE: Following an internal review of project specifics stemming from modifications to the south jetty and subsequent cost negotiations with White Lake Dock & Dredge, Inc., USACE Baltimore District terminated the work under contract W912DR22C0037 effective June 2, 2023, after determining that remaining funding will not accomplish the required specifications for southern jetty rehabilitation of the Fishing Creek Federal navigation channel project.

USACE dredged approximately 28,000 cubic yards of sediment from the federal channel prior to the termination of the contract. Future work is dependent on receipt of additional project funds. USACE will request additional funds to allow for completion of the south jetty rehabilitation in future fiscal years.

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Baltimore District celebrates 175 years of Service to our Nation in 2022

Since the Nation’s fight for independence, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played a vital role in developing our Nation. The Baltimore District has a long and storied history that extends as far back as the early 1800s when USACE constructed Fort McHenry, successfully shielding Baltimore against British attacks in the War of 1812. And when the threat of coastal attack diminished in the 1820s, Baltimore District turned its attention to developing roadways, railways, canals, and more, marking the beginning of the District’s Civil Works mission. Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Baltimore District has an extensive flood risk management program, inspecting nearly 150 miles of levee systems and operating 16 dams, translating to the prevention of more than $16 billion of flood damages to date. The district maintains 290 miles of federal channels, including dredging the Baltimore Harbor, which material is beneficial mainly for restoration missions, such as the expansion of Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The district has vast ecosystem restoration missions that include restoring native oyster populations in the Bay. Baltimore District is the only district to operate a public utility — the Washington Aqueduct — that produces an average of 135 million gallons of drinking water per day at two treatment plants for approximately one million citizens living, working, or visiting the National Capital Region. The district also cleans up formerly used defense sites, decommissions and deactivates former nuclear power plants, and performs cleanup of low-level radioactive waste from the Nation’s early atomic weapons program. Baltimore District executes a robust military construction program and provides real estate services. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.

For more information, please visit www.nab.usace.army.mil/.    

 


Contact
Cynthia Mitchell
443-240-5019 (cell)
Cynthia.M.Mitchell@usace.army.mil

Release no. 22-020