A Federal Consistency Determination has been submitted to the DNREC Coastal Management Program (DCMP) for the following: MOD USACE L&R Canal Maintenance Dredging (2026.0010)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposes to modify a previous Federal Consistency Determination for the maintenance dredging of the Lewes and Rehoboth (L&R) Canal federal navigation channel. The proposed maintenance dredging project has been updated to include two beneficial-use of dredged material (BUDM) placement areas. The first proposed BUDM placement area includes adding dredged sediments into an empty sewage treatment lagoon at the Wolfe Neck Regional Wastewater Facility for a future construction project within the lagoon. The second BUDM placement area consists of placing clean sandy sediment along the southern and eastern shorelines of Thompson Island. The proposed maintenance dredging work is expected to commence in October 2026 and will be conducted between approximately 300 feet southeast of the Theo C. Freeman Memorial Highway (Route 9) bridge (Station 23+000) to the canal terminus in Rehoboth Bay (Station 59+082) for a total project length of 8.24-miles. Approximately 90,000 cubic yards of material will be removed as part of the proposed maintenance dredging within the 50-foot-wide L&R Canal navigation channel. The proposed activity is subject to review for consistency under the policies of the DNREC DCMP.

Comments concerning this Federal Consistency Determination will be accepted from January 28, 2026, through February 17, 2026. Comments may be sent to: DNREC Coastal Programs, Jesse Hayden, Administrator, 100 W. Water Street, Suite 7B, Dover, DE, 19904, or electronically to DNREC_DCP_PublicComment@delaware.gov. (Please note that there are underscores between DNREC, DCP, and Public). For submission materials and additional information please visit https://de.gov/dnrecnotices or call (302) 739-9283.

Related Topics:  climate coastal energy, coastal programs, dcmp, federal consistency, federal consistency determination, modification, permitting and regulation, public notice