SWG-2007-01222 - S & G Marina LLC - Nueces County

Full Public Notice          Project Plans

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  This review is for an amendment to Standard Permit SWG-2007-01222, originally issued 2 July 2009 and expired 31 December 2014.  None of the work or mitigation authorized under the previous permit authorization was conducted.  The applicant has amended his permit request to construct new marina facilities and maintenance dredge an existing marina basin and entrance channel located on the Laguna Madre.  Project site facilities will include a 79,000-square-foot boat dry stack storage facility, a 3,200-square-foot office/retail/restroom building, a 2,500-square-foot maintenance building, a 3,000-square-foot caretaker residence, a fish cleaning station, parking areas, and an entrance gate structure, all to be constructed within uplands on the property.  The existing marina basin covers approximately 1.1 acres and both the marina basin and channel will be mechanically dredged to a depth of -4 feet mean lowest low water (MLLW).  The marina entrance and channel will be improved to a width of 30 feet along the entire channel length of approximately 1,800 feet.  Existing water depths within the channel range from approximately -3 to greater than -5 feet MLLW.  The primary area of dredging is located between the beginning of the channel at the basin and out to 900 feet from the basin.  Between 900 and 1,600 feet from the basin, the depth is greater than -4 feet MLLW except in small, isolated areas that may require a small amount of dredging.  Between 1,600 and 1,800 feet from the basin, the depth is slightly less than -4 feet MLLW and may require more extensive dredging.  Approximately 3,300 cubic yards of material will be removed from the basin and 1,000 cubic yards from the entrance channel.  Seagrass beds are located adjacent to the existing channel but no seagrasses were noted in the marina basin or channel based on a survey performed by the agent.  Turbidity curtains will be used during dredging operations to protect adjacent seagrass beds.  Dredging is planned to be conducted between October and January to coincide with seagrass dormancy.  All dredged material will be placed in an onsite dredge material placement area (DMPA) located on the east end of the project site.  Future maintenance of the marina will require the removal of 2,000 cubic yards of material from the marina basin every 4 years and the removal of approximately 3,700 cubic yards of material from the channel every 8 years.  An existing bulkhead along the marina's west shoreline will be replaced with a new bulkhead.  Portions of the northern and southern shorelines of the marina will also be bulkheaded and a concrete boat ramp will be installed at the northwest corner of the marina basin.  The 53-foot-long by 24-foot-wide ramp will serve two purposes:  seagrass wrack will stack up in this area and the marina personnel will be able to collect the wrack in this area for disposal, and the ramp will be used by marina personnel to launch and retrieve boats that will be stored in the dry stack storage facility.  Temporary timber matting will be installed between the wetlands at the north end of the marina and the proposed new bulkhead during construction and dredging operations.  Construction of the boat storage facility and associated structures will require that the project site grade be raised 1 to 2 feet above existing elevation.  Approximately 2.5 acres of the site (uplands) will be covered with a 6-inch base material and 8 inches of concrete, the remaining 2 acres of the site (uplands) will be covered with gravel for parking lots.