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Assawoman
Canal Dredging Project Receives State Permit
There may be change in the air soon down
at Holts
Landing State Park. The Division
of Parks and Recreation has just received a
state permit to dredge the Assawoman Canal. The 3.9
mile long canal connects Little Assawoman Bay with Indian River
Bay. The canal that was originally constructed by
the U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers in the late 1800s as part
of the Inland Waterway Project. Although shallow today, this
project will once again make the canal useful for boating activity.
 The
project involves dredging a 35 foot wide channel to a depth of
3 feet below mean low water. Approximately 34,000 cubic yards
of material will be removed from the waterway and deposited in
two upland confined disposal facilities. The planning for
re-dredging the canal was initiated in 1984. In 1990
DNREC received a legislative appropriation, and preliminary work
began to bring the project to fruition. The Assawoman Canal
is unique in that although it is man-made it has
not
been re-dredged in over 100 years.
Dredging
of the canal is a concern to organizations like
the Delaware
Chapter of the Sierra Club,
who feel that the site has naturally evolved and that
the dredging and resulting increased activity on the canal
may have adverse environmental impacts. DNREC is taking
measures to minimize the impact on the wildlife in the area; eleven
permit
conditions were contained in the permit approval for wildlife
protection. Dredging has been restricted from January
1 to August 31
to protect
important
fisheries resources.
If dredging occurs between November 1 and April 15, the dredged
material must be examined to determine whether diamondback
terrapins that may be nesting in the area are
being impacted. Any vegetation that is removed will be replaced
to enhance the habitat and stabilize the banks. The state will
monitor the dissolved
oxygen and the bacteria levels to ensure that water quality
isn't adversely affected by the dredging. Turbidity curtains
will be used during work to minimize turbidity.
When
dredging is completed, "No Wake" sings will be posted every
600 yards along the canal to minimize bank erosion and effects
on the aquatic species . A jet ski ban on
the
canal
is also
under consideration. Finally, the state
will not develop any new marinas in the area that
could
encourage additional boating traffic.
A federal permit must be obtained from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers before the dredging can begin. The permit
application was initiated
in 1995 after the state issued its first permit for the project.
However, the permit had a five year time limit and expired
while the Corps was reviewing the plan. The Corps has
once again reactivated the Division of Parks and Recreation
federal application and is working toward making a final permit
decision in the near future.
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