The Norfolk District’s Operations Branch oversees more than 70 federal navigation dredging projects in Virginia. Tasks include planning, designing, budgeting, scheduling and executing operations and maintenance in both deep-draft and shallow-draft channels. They serve as the District’s principal point of contact with local sponsor, project users, maritime, dredging industry and technical interests, local and state governments and other Federal agencies for all matters pertaining to the operation and maintenance of Federal navigation channels for both commercial and recreational users.

Recent navigation dredging projects include both Lynnhaven Inlet and Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach.

Click here for a list of the District’s federal navigation dredging projects and points of contact for each waterway. (POCs for Federal Project Channels as of 1 May 2007.pdf).

Regular dredging of federal navigation channels not only maintains their depth and controls shoaling but the material dredged from the channels can often have beneficial use elsewhere. For example, material from the Lynnhaven Inlet project was used to replenish sand on the beach at Ocean Park. The district also operates and maintains the Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area, which has received more than 200 million cubic yards of dredged material from federal navigation channels in Hampton Roads since it was constructed in 1957.

The Norfolk District’s Regulatory Branch issues permits for private recreational and commercial dredging projects throughout Virginia. For more information on obtaining a permit for a dredging project, call the Regulatory Branch at (757) 201-7652 or click here to read information specifically related to dredging permits (link to http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/technical%20services/Regulatory%20branch/LOP-02_2003.pdf)