There
are over 170 Federal navigation projects maintained by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. Most of these are
coastal harbors; there are also several river channels The projects
include 11 deep draft commercial waterways with authorized depths
of 35' or more, and a diverse array of channels and harbors which
support the navigation needs of national defense, petroleum and
other commercial goods shippers, commercial fishing vessels, and
recreational boating. Federal waterways in New England carry about
80 million tons of commercial goods annually and facilitate substantial
ancillary economic activity associated with both commercial shipping
and recreational pursuits. Federal navigation projects are authorized,
constructed and maintained on the premise that they will be accessible
and available to all on equal terms. Our work includes ensuring
that the communities we rely on to manage these projects meet this
objective. Our mission is to assure that Federal navigation projects
are adequate for the vessels which use them. We monitor projects
periodically through hydrographic surveys and contact with users.
The Corps of Engineers is a strong proponent for safe navigation,
but not an advocate for dredging any specific harbor. We work with
the states and communities as partners to identify objectives, resolve
concerns, and guide needed work through the regulatory process.
Once the need for dredging is established through evaluation of
existing navigation conditions and the requirements of users, several
critical steps follow before dredging occurs: Sampling and testing
of the shoal material, search and identification of a suitable disposal
site for the material, coordination with State and Federal Resource
Agencies, and coordination with the public. Once we develop a dredging
and disposal plan and complete coordination the project funding
is requested from Congress. When the work is eventually funded,
we develop plans and specification and advertise the work. The vast
majority of our work is done by private contractor under Corps supervision.
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