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SWG-2019-00251 - Sabine Neches Navigation District - Bairds Bayou - Orange County, Texas

Published Dec. 3, 2019
Expiration date: 1/6/2020

Full Public Notice            Project Plans

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  The applicant proposes to discharge approximately 6 million cubic yards of dredge material into five existing ponds that were once sand and gravel mining pits, to facilitate the construction of a proposed Dredge Material Placement Area (DMPA).  The proposed project will be developed within five existing ponds/mining pits on a 277-acre property east of the Neches River.  The total proposed impact is 118 acres of open waters of the United States.  The applicant states that the emergent and forested wetlands within the project area will be avoided. 

The proposed DPMA (“Stephenson Tract”) will include the following:

•             Construction of containment dikes around the five existing ponds

•             Dredging of the five existing ponds for the construction of the containment dikes

•             Installation of a temporary pipe and culvert during construction for draining the ponds and transporting dredge material.

The proposed DMPA containment dikes around the existing ponds will allow a filling capacity up to 15 feet.  The proposed containment dikes will be constructed in two phases to raise the elevation of existing embankments to an initial elevation of 10 feet and then a final elevation of 18 feet.  The proposed dike dimensions will be 2:1 side slope, 2.5:1 exterior slope and 10-foot top width.  The applicant is requesting that the borrow material for the containment dikes would be obtained through mechanical dredging of clay material inside the existing ponds (sand and gravel mining pits) and will be placed along the shorelines of the ponds.

The proposed dredge material will be transported to the DPMA via installation of a pipe with decant structures between the existing ponds and an outfall connecting the existing site drainage for excess water to leave the DPMA.  Table 1 shown on sheet 7 identifies the different types fill material proposed to be discharged into waters of the United States and the type of impacts and activities associated with the construction of the DPMA. 

The purpose of the construction of the DPMA on the Stephenson Tract is to serve as a future dredge material placement site for the Sabine-Neches Waterway.  The applicant states that the proposed DPMA will be available for both federal and private users.  The applicant also states that the Stephenson Tract DPMA is anticipated to be a long-term project that could be active over the next 10-20 years depending on dredging disposal needs within the area.