SPECIAL PUBLIC NOTICE
Applicant: Published: June 11, 2026 Commanding Officer Expires: July 11, 2026 Naval Support Activity Annapolis
SPN-26-20
Baltimore District
Permit Application No. NAB-2021-00254-M43
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: In response to a request by the Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA), and pursuant to its authorities in Section 7 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1917 (40 Stat. 266; 33 U.S.C. 1) and Chapter XIX of the Army Appropriations Act of 1919 (40 Stat. 892; 33 U.S.C. 3), the United States Corps of Engineers (Corps) is amending its regulations in 33 CFR Part 334 to establish three danger zones in the waters of Carr Creek and Whitehall Bay, Annapolis, Maryland. The purpose of this special public notice is to notify the public that the action described below has been finalized.
The Corps proposes to amend 33 CFR Part 334 as follows:
- The danger zones.
(1) Danger Zone 1 is designated by waters of Carr Creek located north of the line drawn southeasterly from latitude 38°59'3'', longitude 76°27'35'' to latitude 38°58'53'' longitude 76°27'15'' across the mouth of Carr Creek, located near Annapolis, MD.
(2) Danger Zone 2 is designated by the rectangular area enclosed by a line beginning at latitude 38°58'53'', longitude 76°26'57'', thence to latitude 38°58'37'', longitude 76°26'10'', thence to latitude 38°58'16'', longitude 76°26'28'', thence to latitude 38°58'45'', longitude 76°27'4'', thence along the shoreline to the point of beginning.
(3) Danger Zone 3 is designated by the rectangular area enclosed by a line beginning at latitude 38°58'28'', longitude 76°26'17'', thence to latitude 38°58'14'', longitude 76°25'53'', thence to latitude 38°58'0'', longitude 76°26'9'', thence to latitude 38°58'16'', longitude 76°26'28'', thence to the point of beginning.
(4) All coordinates reference 1983 North American Datum (NAD 83). All danger zones have been charted on NOAA nautical charts.
- The regulations.
(1) All persons, boats, vessels, or other craft are prohibited from entering, transiting, or remaining within the danger zone during range operations.
(2) Before and during range operations, range spotters will be on duty to watch for vessels nearing the Danger Zone(s), and warning lights will be activated on the shoreline. If necessary, the enforcing agency will coordinate with local patrol craft to alert persons or boats of the active danger zone. Prior to and following firing exercises, the Coast Guard Sector Maryland-NCR Command Center must be notified on VHF channel 16 or at 410-576-2525 to deconflict any active search and rescue cases.
(3) In addition to the above precautions, closure of the danger zone will be indicated by the weekly Fifth Coast Guard District’s Local Notice to Mariners (LNM). The enforcing agency must submit a LNM article to Sector Maryland-NCR Waterways Management Division at least one week prior to firing exercises. Sector Maryland’s Waterways Division may be reached at MDNCRWaterways@uscg.mil. The enforcing agency will also post the danger zone closure schedule on its official Navy website, https://ndw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NSA-Annapolis/, and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NSAAnnapolis/.
(4) Consistent with paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the enforcing agency is authorized to prohibit access into the danger zone by anyone, and all willful violations of the enforcing agency's prohibitions are punishable under 33 U.S.C. Section 3.
(5) Closures of Danger Zones 2 and 3 will be limited to 10 times per calendar year.
(c) The Enforcing Agency. The regulations in this section shall be enforced by the Superintendent, United States Naval Academy, or the Commanding Officer of Naval Support Activity Annapolis, and such agencies as they may designate.
EVALUATION: The decision to amend regulations to establish the requested danger zones was based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. The decision reflects the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, were balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal were considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest also included application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.
COMMENTS: Comments were solicited from the public; federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. All comments received were considered by the Corps to determine whether to amend regulations to establish these danger zones. To make this determination, comments were used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments were used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments were also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed regulation.
It is requested that you communicate the foregoing information concerning the action to any persons known by you to be interested and not being known to this office, who did not receive a copy of this notice.
The final rulemaking has also been posted in the Federal Register dated June 11, 2026, Docket Number COE-2022-0009.