Galveston, TEXAS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Port of Corpus Christi and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are working together to ensure the safety of the boating and sailing communities in the Corpus Christi Bay area during the dredging project of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement project. The electronic and raster navigational charts have been updated to reflect changes in the spoil areas in Corpus Christi Bay. Mariners should use caution when transiting near the spoil area and be advised that some water depths may be as shallow as 3 feet from mean lower low water (MLLW) within the marked spoil areas. Mariners are encouraged to update navigational charts with the latest information contained in the Local Notice to Mariners found at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/local-notices-to-mariners?district=8+0&subdistrict=g. Graphics contained in this MSIB are informational and should not be used for navigation. The southern site which is of most concern is adjacent and outside the federal channel and is actively being utilized for the construction improvement authorized deepening (-47 feet down to -54 feet) and widening (400-feet to 530-feet w/ 200-feet wide barge lanes on both sides) project across the Corpus Christi Bay.
This public advisory is to inform the boating and sailing public to avoid this site as navigating these could be potentially hazardous conditions to boaters. Avoiding the OWPA construction area altogether is the safest scenario to mitigate your risks of an accident or injury. These dredging and marine construction activities in the area are necessary to improve the federal channel and will be occurring until sometime late summer 2023. Until such time Open Water Placement (OWPA) corner boundaries bouys are for temporary warnings that communicate the construction area should not be entered. Never attempt to cut corners or maneuvering inside these OWPA. The interior areas of designated OWPAS construction zones highly dangerous places.
When construction is completed the impacted locations will be “knocked down” to a – 6.0 mean lower low water (mllw). In order to mitigate hazards USCG posted a MSIB (Marine Safety Information Bulletin) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has updated and published recent navigation charts. We will continue to advocate for a placement of material in a manner that supports the sailing and recreational boating community as we work to improve the federal channel project.
Concerned parties with urgent questions can contact the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center at 361-939-0450; or for non-urgent questions and concerns, email CCWaterways@uscg.mil.
For more news and information, follow us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict, Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
For more news and information, follow us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict, Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
Release no. 22-023