Update Report R US Army Corps for New Hampshire of Engineers ® New England District 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742-2751 Current as of ® Public Affairs Office, 978-318-8264/8238 February 28, 2019 BUILDING STRONG Home Page: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/ Mission Index The missions of the New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers include Defense Environmental Restoration 2 Flood Risk Management Dams and flood risk management, emergency preparedness and response to natural di- Recreation/Resource Mgt. 5 sasters and national emergencies, environmental remediation and restoration, Flood Damage Reduction 2 Flood Plain Management 2 natural resource management, stream bank and shoreline protection, navigation Interagency & International Support 4 maintenance and improvement, support to military facilities and installations, Mission 1 Navigation 1 and engineering and construction support to other government agencies. The Other Current Activities 4 six New England states cover 66,000 square miles and have 6,100 miles of Regulatory Program 3 Silver Jackets 5 coastline, 170 federal navigation projects (13 deep draft commercial waterways), Special Studies 4 13 major river basins, and thousands of miles of navigable rivers and streams. Superfund 3 Support to EPA 3 The District operates and maintains 31 dams, three hurricane barriers and the Cape Cod Canal. Through its Regulatory program, the District processes nearly 2,500 applications per year for work in waters and wetlands of the six-state region. We employ about 500 professional civilian employees, with about 300 stationed at our headquarters in Concord, Mass. The other Corps of Engineers employees serve at Corps projects and offices throughout the region.For information on the New England District visit the website at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/; or on Facebook: facebook.com/CorpsNewEngland; or on Twitter: twitter.com/ corpsnewengland; or on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/corpsnewengland. Navigation HAMPTON HARBOR (1st CD) – In response to a request contract award, maintenance dredging of Hampton Harbor from Seabrook, Hampton, and New Hampshire officials, the is anticipated to begin in late fall 2019. New England District is working to complete dredging at Hampton Harbor. Hampton Harbor is located in Seabrook On Oct. 31, 2018, the New Hampshire Port Authority made and Hampton, about 1.5 miles north of the New Hampshire- a request to USACE to initiate further studies of Hampton Massachusetts state line. The entrance to Hampton Harbor Harbor with a view to reducing erosion of the northern end of separates Seabrook and Hampton beaches and forms the the Middle Ground Bar in Seabrook and the resulting rapid mouth of the Hampton River. A small lobstering fleet, charter shoaling of the Seabrook Anchorage and Channel. Funds fishing boats, and numerous recreational craft are based in have not yet been received to initiate this study. the harbor. Maintenance dredging of Hampton Harbor FNP is needed to restore the project to authorized dimensions PORTSMOUTH HARBOR AND PISCATAQUA RIVER, and alleviate shoal conditions impacting safe navigation NEW HAMPSHIRE (1st CD) AND MAINE (1st CD) – This through the channels and access to anchorages. study of Portsmouth Harbor and the Piscataqua River, New Hampshire and Maine was directed by Section 437 of The District completed sampling of the project in 2018 and WRDA 2000. The non-federal sponsor is the state of New environmental coordination with Federal and state agencies Hampshire, Pease Development Authority, Division of Ports began in November 2018. A Public Notice on the project and Harbors (PDA). The study’s purpose is to determine was issued Dec. 11, 2018. Funding was provided in the the navigation related needs of the area and is focusing on FY18 work plan in the amount of $275,000 to complete the upper turning basin in the river near Newington, N.H. environmental coordination/permitting and start plans The current 800-foot width of the turning basin causes and specifications documents leading to a solicitation. major safety concerns for shippers and limits the efficiency Additionally, the Corps’ work plan for 2019 was approved of shipping operations, particularly for large LPG tankers. on Nov. 20, 2018 and includes $4,600,000 for Hampton The §905(B) reconnaissance report was completed and Harbor dredging. Pending completion of environmental approved by North Atlantic Division in September 2004. A coordination and permits, real estate agreements and feasibility cost-sharing agreement for the PDA and Corps New or changed items are shown in italics. to share the cost of the feasibility study was executed on and design phase work is 95 percent complete. The project June 21, 2006. The feasibility study was initiated in 2006 is awaiting federal funding. using funds provided by the PDA and the FY06 E&WDA Act. PORTSMOUTH HARBOR AND PISCATAQUA RIVER, A draft Feasibility Report/draft Environmental Assessment NEW HAMPSHIRE (1st CD) AND MAINE (1st CD) – was released for public review on March 31, 2014. The final Maintenance dredging of the back channels portion of the Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment were Portsmouth Harbor and Piscataqua River FNP (commonly approved by the Civil Works Review Board on Aug. 21, 2014. called “Sagamore Creek”) was needed to restore the State and Agency review of the proposed Chief of Engineers project to authorized dimensions and alleviate shoal Report closed on Nov. 24, 2014. The final Chief of Engineers conditions impacting safe navigation through the channels. Report was signed on Feb. 8, 2015 and the reports were A solicitation including contract plans and specifications to submitted to Congress on June 15, 2015. remove approximately 4,300 cubic yards of shoal at the confluence of the Portsmouth Harbor back channels has Congress authorized the project in the WIIN Act of December been issued. A $542,970 contract was awarded on Nov. 18, 2016. The Design Phase Cost Sharing Agreement between 2016. Dredging was completed in April 2017. Disposal of the the USACE and the sponsor for the Preconstruction, dredged sand was used as a beneficial use at a nearshore Engineering, and Design (PED) effort was executed Nov. site off of Wallice Sands Beach. 13, 2015. Federal and sponsor funds have been received Flood Plain Management Services NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS/NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW HAMPSHIRE SILVER JACKETS (NH-SJ) – Team HURRICANE EVACUATION STUDY (2nd CD) – This Meeting and Projects: A quarterly meeting was held on study is being conducted under a federally funded program Feb. 15, 2019 at the NHDES Offices to discuss ongoing cosponsored by the Corps of Engineers and the Federal flooding issues in New Hampshire and updates on various Emergency Management Agency. studies and projects by the various team members from Federal agencies and state agencies. The objective of the program is to provide a technical data report and coastal flood mapping from which the state and Recently completed New Hampshire Silver Jackets local communities can develop/update preparedness plans projects are the FY17 New Hampshire Ice Jams Outreach for coastal storms. It also will allow state and local officials to and Education and FY18 Building out New Hampshire identify evacuation areas and routes of evacuation for various Silver Jackets' Role in the State Disaster Recovery Plan. coastal events. Inundation maps have been delivered to the More information is located at: https://silverjackets.nfrmp. state and affected communities. Final census figures have us/State-Teams/New-Hampshire. been compiled and delivered to New Hampshire state and local Emergency Management officials. Emergency Streambank Protection This program is used to assist communities in the ContinuingAuthoritiesProgram/Section14.aspx. stabilization of streambank/shoreline emergency erosion conditions which threaten important publicly used facilities. CONNECTICUT RIVER, LYME (2nd CD) – The New The Section 14 authority allows the Corps of Engineers to England District has been working with the town of Lyme participate in the planning and construction of stream bank to develop a Section 14 protection project for 500 feet of erosion control projects in situations where public facilities eroding riverbank along River Road in Lyme. The feasibility are threatened, in partnership with a local sponsor. study is currently going through Corps and public review. It recommends the use of stone rip-rap to protect the bank For more information on the Section 14 Emergency from further erosion. The feasibility study is scheduled to be Streambank Protection program visit the website completed by the summer of 2019. Final design efforts would at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicServices/ be initiated soon after, subject to the availability of funding. Flood Damage Reduction This program is used to assist communities in identifying to contribute 35 percent of the cost of plans, specifications flooding problems and to formulate and construct projects and project construction. For more information on for flood damage reduction. The local sponsor is required Section 205 Flood Damage Reduction visit the website to cost-share equally in those feasibility investigations at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicServices/ that exceed $100,000. The Federal expenditure per ContinuingAuthoritiesProgram/Section205.aspx. project limit is $7,000,000. The local sponsor is required Page 2 Update Report for New Hampshire Defense Environmental Restoration Program This Congressionally directed