129-16 Minor Mod 11/2022 Dare County Inlet Dredging

Permit Class
MODIFICATIONIMINOR
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Environmental Quality
and
Coastal Resources Commission
Vern't
for
X Major Development in an Area of Environmental Concern
pursuant to NCGS 113A-118
X Excavation and/or filling pursuant to NCGS 113-229
Permit Number
129-16
Issued to Dare County, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive Manteo NC 27954
Authorizing development in Hyde/Dare County at Pamlico Sound and Hatteras Inlet complex
adi, to the NE tip of Ocracoke Island, as requested in the permittee's letter dated 9/2 2�/ 2, including
workplan drawings (6)all dated 9/8/22
This permit, issued on November 2, 2022 is subject to compliance with the application (where consistent
with the permit), all applicable regulations, special conditions and notes set forth below. Any violation of these terms may
or civil
1) Unless specifically altered herein, this Minor Modification authorizes the one-time dredging event of
the authorized channel via sidecast and/or special purpose hopper dredging, all as expressly and
specifically set forth in the attached modification request and workplan drawings.
Excavation
2) All excavation activities shall take place entirely within the areas indicated the workplan drawings
and within the previously authorized channel dimensions.
3) In no case shall excavation exceed —12' Mean Low Water.
(See attached sheet for Additional Conditions)
This permit action may be appealed by the pertnittee or
other qualified persons within twenty (20) days of the issuing
date.
This permit must be accessible on -site to Department
personnel when the project is inspected for compliance.
Any maintenance work or project modification not covered
hereunder requires further Division approval.
All work must cease when the permit expires on
December 31, 2024
In issuing this permit, the State of North Carolina agrees
that your project is consistent with the North Carolina Coastal
Management Program.
Signed by the authority of the Secretary of DEQ and the Chair
of the Coastal Resource Commission.
F,Q Braxton C. Davis, Director
ivision of Coastal Management
This permit and its conditions are hereby accepted.
Signature of Permittee

Dare County Permit No. 129-16
Page 2 of 2
ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS
General
4) This Minor Modification shall be attached to the original of Permit No. 129-16, which was issued on
12/20/16, as well as all subsequent modifications and renewals, and copies of all documents shall be
readily available on site when a Division representative inspects the project for compliance.
5) All conditions and stipulations of the active permit remain in force under this Minor Modification
unless specifically altered herein.
NOTE: This permit does not eliminate the need to obtain any additional state, federal or local permits,
approvals or authorizations that may be required.
NOTE: A permit renewal application processing fee of $100 was received by DCM for this project.
NOTE: The N.C. Division of Water Resources has previously assigned the proposed project under DWR
Project No. 13-1279.
NOTE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assigned the proposed project COE Action Id. No. SAW-
2016-02140.

From:Pelletier, Josh R CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
To:Ken Willson; Coats, Heather; Wojoski, Paul A
Cc:Grover, Barton B; Bodnar, Gregg; Howell, Jonathan; Brad Rosov; Horton, James Todd CIV USARMY CESAW
(USA); Cordeiro, Coley H CIV USARMY CESAW (USA); Fennel, Tommy E CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
Subject:[External] RE: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Request for minor modification to CAMA Major Permit #129-16
Date:Monday, October 24, 2022 3:32:06 PM
Attachments:image001.png
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an
attachment to Report Spam.
Ken,
Thanks for the information. I will have the loop closed on my coordination for the Merritt if need
be depending on the timeline of the FONSI finalization. It would be similar to the letter of extension
we have issued in the past. I have copied others to keep them in the loop due to the time-sensitive
nature of the issue just in case I am out of the office. If any other information becomes available
that would manipulate that timeline, just let us know!

Josh

From: Ken Willson <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2022 3:14 PM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Barton Grover ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg
<[e-mail]>; Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Brad Rosov
<[e-mail]>; Horton, James Todd CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>; Cordeiro, Coley H CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Request for minor modification to CAMA Major Permit #129-16

Heather/Josh/Paul,

Just following up on this correspondence. I spoke with Heather on Friday and explained that the
USACE Wilmington District expects to have the FONSI completed soon for the realignment of
Rollinson Channel. The relevance of this action is that once the FONSI is signed, this request for a
minor modification, which would allow the Dredge Merritt to perform up to 7 days of dredging in
the area outside the existed permitted corridor would not be needed as the USACE would conduct
the dredging under it’s FONSI.

That said, this morning we are hearing that the FONSI could be delayed until next week. The last we
heard was that the Merritt could be in Hatteras Inlet by October 27. I have copied Todd Horton and
Coley Cordeiro on this email to try to get an update on that schedule. That said, if the USACE dredge
is still looking to arrive on October 27, we would need this minor modification to be issued to allow
the dredging until either the 7 days of maintenance work are completed or the USACE FONSI is
signed.

Heather/Josh/Paul, could you all provide an update on the status of this minor modification? Josh,
I’m not sure how you were planning to handle this (granting of relief, minor modification, or
something else).

I realize that there are a lot of moving pieces to this, but please note that this minor modification is
separate from the Major Modification that was requested to expand the extent of the channel
corridor.

Kind Regards,

Ken Willson
Senior Project/Program Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From: Ken Willson
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 9:35 AM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Barton Grover ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg
<[e-mail]>; Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Brad Rosov
<[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: Request for
Importance: High

Josh/Heather/Paul,

I wanted to follow up on the original request submitted September 15 and following our discussions
earlier this week on the pre-con call for the Hatteras Inlet Connector Channel Maintenance. As I
understand it, you are all waiting to receive comments back from a few agencies before a decision
can be made to grant the requested relief. On behalf of Dare County, I ask that you please reach
back out to these agencies and again request any comments so that a decision can be made soon.
As most are aware, the shallow draft channel that runs between the southern end of Sloop Channel
and the Hatteras Inlet gorge has been plagued with high shoaling rates that require frequent
dredging to maintain the channel. This channel is critical for both the fishing industry in Hatteras
and the US Coast Guard Station Hatteras.

The establishment of the northern route last April/May has provided much more reliable navigation
than the “South Ferry Channel” route had provided over the previous year. However, in order to
maintain the channel to a depth where dredges like the Merritt and the Miss Katie can operate,
routine maintenance is required. Reports from early September indicated that shoaling is starting to
fill in the Alternate Route and the concern is that if the USACE cannot get the dredge Merritt in the
channel in the next couple weeks, the channel could shoal to a point where dredging can’t be
conducted.

I also want to stress that the requested action 1) Would occur within the dredge window allowed by
the permit (Oct. 1 – March 31); 2) would take place in the same area dredged in April/May 2022
under the permit modification that allowed a one-time event; 3) would occur in an area that DNCR
has now stated is cleared for cultural resources; and 4) is in an area that was originally included in
the proposed corridor that was reviewed by the agencies during the initial permitting in 2016.

Please let us know if there is any additional information we can provide to facilitate a timely
decision.

Sincere Regards,

Ken Willson
Senior Project/Program Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From: Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:10 PM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Barton Grover ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg
<[e-mail]>; Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Ken Willson
<[e-mail]>
Subject: Request for

Good afternoon Josh, Heather, and Paul,
I believe that my colleague Ken Willson has been in touch with you over the past few days in regards
to the dynamic situation at Hatteras Inlet. As you know, the inlet complex is prone to rapid
shoaling. In an attempt to maintain navigation between Sloop Channel and the inlet gorge, the
County has been working in cooperation with the USACE to ensure that all efforts are made to keep
the passage safe for mariners. As you will see in the attached letter and supporting documents, the
County is seeking permission to respond to the latest shoaling within several discrete areas within
the channel that now connects Sloop Channel to the inlet gorge. Specifically, this entails the use of
the USACE sidecaster dredge Merritt for up to 7 days of operation between the dates of Oct. 7 and
Oct. 31.

Please feel free to reach out directly to myself of Ken any time should you have any questions or
require any additional information.

Regards,

Brad Rosov
Senior Marine Biologist/Project Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

COASTAL PROTECTION ENGINEERING OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC
4038 MASONBORO LOOP ROAD
WILMINGTON, NC 28409
910-399-1905

September 22, 2022

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
127 Cardinal Drive
Wilmington, NC 28405

Subject: Hatteras Inlet Channel Maintenance Project – Written Notice of Project
Initiation

Dear Ms. Coats:

The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) issued a CAMA Major Permit for the Hatteras Inlet
Channel Maintenance Project on December 22, 2016 (#129-16). This permit was subsequently
renewed on January 22, 2020 and has an expiration date of December 31, 2024. This letter serves
as written notice of project initiation as required in Condition 7 of the permit. Please find
attached to this letter revised permit drawings dated September 8, 2022, which provide the
location of the proposed channel for the upcoming event.

The project includes maintenance dredging within a portion of the Hatteras Inlet Connector
Channel, which runs between the inlet gorge and the ferry channel in proximity to Ocracoke
Island. This channel is locally referred to as the “Hatteras Connector Channel”. The attached
plan view drawing shows the locations along the Hatteras Connector Channel in which
maintenance dredging is proposed for this event. Three (3) separate channel segments were
identified in which maintenance dredging is required, namely North, Middle, and South
Connector Channels. The attached plans also include the disposal area, avoidance areas
identified through cultural resource surveys, submarine cables, and previously mapped
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) resources in the vicinity.

Also included on the drawings is the “Expanded Dredge Corridor”, which is an area the County
has requested be added to the existing Major CAMA Permit through the permit modification
process. That request was submitted in August and deemed complete by DCM on August 22.
The request is still under review.

In a letter dated September 15, 2022, Dare County also requested relief to allow for the USACE
sidecast dredge “Merritt” to perform maintenance dredging for up to (7) days between October

COASTAL PROTECTION ENGINEERING OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC.
Page | 2

7 and October 31, 2022. This maintenance dredging was proposed to occur within a portion of
the “Proposed Middle Connector Channel” and the “Proposed North Connector Channel”, as
depicted on Sheets 2 and 3 in the attached drawings. However, the request specifically included
dredging of only a portion of the “Proposed Middle Connector Channel” limited to 1) the ~700 ft
southern portion of this area that is situated within the permitted Connector Channel Corridor
and 2) the ~500 ft segment that extends into the Expanded Dredge Corridor, that was previously
dredged during the April and May 2022 maintenance event (Figure 1). In addition, much of the
~700 ft “Proposed Northern Connector Channel” has also been dredged in the recent past under
NCDOT permits. Dare County is still waiting for a response to this request for relief.

At present, the proposed maintenance event would include a 7-day event that would be limited
to portions of the North and Middle Connector Channels as well as a 14 to 20-day event
anticipated to occur after November 1. This assumes that both the permit modification request
to expand the dredge corridor is approved by November 1 and that relief is granted for a 7-day
event to occur as described in the letter dated September 15, 2022. The 7-day event is proposed
to utilize the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) side cast Dredge Merritt. Material dredged
from the channel will be sidecasted to either side of the proposed channel. The longer
maintenance event, anticipated to be conducted after November 1, is planned to be conducted
using the Dredge Miss Katie. Material dredged from the channel by the Miss Katie will be placed
in the nearshore disposal location shown on the attached drawings.

As you are aware, the Major CAMA Permit (#129-16) allows for maintenance of a 200 ft. wide
channel to a depth of -12 ft. MLW. Based on the availability of funds, dredge availability, and
conditional surveys conducted August 12, 2022, the proposed channel dimensions for this
upcoming dredging event are to establish a 200-foot wide channel at elevation -8 ft MLW. Again,
the dredge event includes both the 7-day event in October and a 14 to 20 day event after
November 1. Based on the conditional survey from August 12, 2022, the establishment of the
proposed channel will require the dredging of approximately 23,000 cy of material. Please note
that these channel dimensions and configurations are what is anticipated, but Dare County
reserves the authorization to increase the depth up to the permitted -12 ft. MLW depth,
depending on production rates and dredge availability. The proposed channel is shown on the
attached drawings, including both plan view and cross-sectional view.

COASTAL PROTECTION ENGINEERING OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC
4038 MASONBORO LOOP ROAD
WILMINGTON, NC 28409
910-399-1905

Figure 1. Map indicating the portion of the proposed middle connector channel (orange polygon) previously dredged during the April/May 2022 event.
COASTAL PROTECTION ENGINEERING OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC
4038 MASONBORO LOOP ROAD
WILMINGTON, NC 28409
910-399-1905
As required by Condition #7D in CAMA Major Permit #129-16, DCM must be notified of the
location of any known SAV beds at least two (2) weeks in advance of dredging. On June 14-15,
2019, and June 1, 2020, the Albemarle Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) acquired
high-resolution aerial imagery from within Pamlico Sound from the Hwy 64 bridge at Roanoke
Sound south to Ocracoke Inlet. These images were then used to digitally delineate the
boundaries of visible SAV beds. The resultant SAV maps were then made available to the public
in August 2022. The closest SAV bed, as delineated from the 2019/2020 assessment, are found
within 2,107 ft from the dredging footprint within the Proposed Middle Connector Channel and
938 ft from the Proposed North Connector Channel.
Regarding contact information during dredge activities, Coley Cordeiro of the USACE will be the
point of contact for the USACE (Merritt) dredging operations. Coley’s phone number is (910) 530-
0228 and her email is [e-mail]. Jordan Hennessy will be the EJE
Dredging point of contact for the Miss Katie dredging operations. Jordan’s phone number is (252)
619-3606 and his email is [e-mail]. I will be the County’s agent and can be
contacted via cell phone at [phone] or via email at [e-mail].
Please feel free to contact me anytime for further clarification or explanation of the project.
Sincerely,
Ken Willson
Senior Program Manager
Coastal Protection Engineering of North Carolina, Inc.
Office: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]
CC: Barton Grover, Dare County
Jonathan Howell, NC DCM
Paul Wojoski, NC DWR
Brad Rosov, CPE
From:Coats, Heather
To:Dunn, Maria T.; Harrison, James A; Pelletier, Josh R SAW; Wojoski, Paul A
Cc:Renaldi, Ronald; Spivey, Kelly; Daisey, Greg; Brittingham, Cathy
Subject:FW: [External] Request for
Date:Friday, September 23, 2022 11:04:00 AM
Attachments:image001.png
DCM Written Notice 2022_09_22.pdf
Hello everyone,

I know a major modification request just went out this week for your review to permanently allow an
expanded dredge corridor for the South Ferry Channel project, but due to recent shoaling and
shallow water depths, Dare Co is also requesting expedited consideration to allow them to dredge
with the Merritt and Miss Katie in October. Note that I have updated the attachments to include the
most recent request (rather than just use of the Merritt as Brad describes in his email below).

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this proposed October work as
soon as you are able and/or by September 30, if at all possible.

Thanks in advance and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Heather

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

910 796 7302 office
[e-mail]

127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

From: Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:10 PM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Grover, Barton B <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg <[e-mail]>;
Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Ken Willson
<[e-mail]>
Subject: [External] Request for

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an
attachment to Report Spam.

Good afternoon Josh, Heather, and Paul,
I believe that my colleague Ken Willson has been in touch with you over the past few days in regards
to the dynamic situation at Hatteras Inlet. As you know, the inlet complex is prone to rapid
shoaling. In an attempt to maintain navigation between Sloop Channel and the inlet gorge, the
County has been working in cooperation with the USACE to ensure that all efforts are made to keep
the passage safe for mariners. As you will see in the attached letter and supporting documents, the
County is seeking permission to respond to the latest shoaling within several discrete areas within
the channel that now connects Sloop Channel to the inlet gorge. Specifically, this entails the use of
the USACE sidecaster dredge Merritt for up to 7 days of operation between the dates of Oct. 7 and
Oct. 31.

Please feel free to reach out directly to myself of Ken any time should you have any questions or
require any additional information.

Regards,

Brad Rosov
Senior Marine Biologist/Project Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From:Harrison, James A
To:Coats, Heather
Subject:Re: [External] RE: Request for
Date:Tuesday, October 18, 2022 1:23:08 PM
Attachments:image001.png
image002.png
image003.png
Outlook-hyiwzcvp.png
Heather,
Thanks again for calling to discuss this. I went back and looked and what was throwing me off
regarding distance from SAV is that this monitoring letter was only in regards to the small
dredging footprint, not the entire connector channel. Also, the SAV shown in Figure 1 is from
2014. The 2020 APNEP mapping basically shows the 2 patches closest to the bird island to be
gone, moving the closest SAV further away than what this letter shows. With that in mind,
accepting this should be suitable for the current efforts, particularly considering that we're
getting to the end of the growing season for most areas.
I think that what we (DMF, NMFS, WRC, etc.) are hoping for regarding imagery to be
provided is aerial imagery that shows SAV delineation. My hope for this is to show what
immediate impact, if any, the dredging operations are having on SAV habitat.
The proposed approach - determining if SAV exists within 1,000' of the dredge area(s) - is fine
on my end. I will note that CPE should change the language from "...utilize the existing 2013
APNEP SAV data..." should be changed to something along the lines of "...utilize the most
recent available SAV mapping data..."
Thanks Heather!
Jimmy
Jimmy Harrison
Habitat and Enhancement Section
NC Division of Marine Fisheries
[e-mail]
252-948-3835 (Office)
757-272-3230 (Mobile)
"Every pizza can be a personal pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself"
Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
From: Coats, Heather <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2022 15:49
To: Harrison, James A <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] RE: Request for

Hi again Jimmy,

Hope you had a nice weekend! Just following up on your last email, I also want to make sure you saw
this that Ken submitted at the end of last month for the spring dredging event they did in the area.
I’ve attached it again here for your reference.

Thanks again!

H.

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

910 796 7302 office
[e-mail]

127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

From: Coats, Heather
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 3:01 PM
To: Harrison, James A <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [External] RE: Request for

Thanks Jimmy. It looks like they’ve relied on 2013 APNET mapping data thus far to establish their
100’ SAV dredge buffer (including in both this request and the major mod request). So if they need
to provide more than that for dredging outside of the moratorium (for this currently proposed
work), what kind of high quality imagery do you have in mind (and how recent does it need to be)?

Thanks again,
Heather

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

910 796 7302 office
[e-mail]

127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

From: Harrison, James A <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 2:20 PM
To: Coats, Heather <[e-mail]>; Dunn, Maria T. <[e-mail]>;
Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Pelletier, Josh R SAW <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [External] RE: Request for

Good afternoon Heather,

As long as Dare County is operating under and adhering to the same restrictions/limitations,
DMF is amenable to allowing the requested/proposed work to occur. Specifically, for DMF
concerns, Dare should adhere to measures meant to protect SAV from impacts that may result
from the proposed dredging. A buffer should be maintained around SAV as follows: 300' if
dredging 1 April -30 September, 100' if dredging 1 October to 31 March. Also, high quality
aerial imagery identifying locations of SAV should be provided to resource agencies before
and after dredging events. Finally, the County should coordinate with the resource agencies
any time the SAV buffer and/or environmental windows are unable to be adhered to.

To touch base regarding the permit mod request, will that be impacted at all by the USACE's
agreement to lead the development of a Hatteras Inlet Management Plan, as recommended by
NMFS?

Jimmy

Jimmy Harrison
Habitat and Enhancement Section
NC Division of Marine Fisheries
[e-mail]
252-948-3835 (Office)
757-272-3230 (Mobile)
"Every pizza can be a personal pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself"

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
From: Coats, Heather <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 10:35
To: Harrison, James A <[e-mail]>; Dunn, Maria T. <[e-mail]>;
Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Pelletier, Josh R SAW <[e-mail]>
Subject: FW: [External] RE: Request for

Hi everyone,

Ken has sent this plea for a response on behalf of Dare County regarding their previously submitted
request for dredging this month at Hatteras Inlet- South Ferry Channel. Please see my previous
emails sent 9/23 and 9/29.
As detailed below, they have expressed concerns that failure to dredge the channel in the coming
weeks will result in shoaling to the point that the dredge plants will not be able to access the channel
to work.

Also as noted below, we are currently within the permitted dredge window and they are proposing
to work in the channel location that was authorized for a one time dredge event in the spring. (In
case that info helps speed your consideration of the request.)

Please submit comments, either regarding their one-time authorization request for dredging in
October and/or their more comprehensive corridor major modification request, or let me know if
you have any questions or need additional info or time to make your determination, this week if at
all possible. Please note the requested comment deadline for the major modification was Oct 16, so
we are also nearing that date.

Thanks!

Heather

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

910 796 7302 office
[e-mail]

127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

From: Ken Willson <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 9:35 AM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Grover, Barton B <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg <[e-mail]>;
Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Subject: [External] RE: Request for
Importance: High

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an
attachment to Report Spam.

Josh/Heather/Paul,

I wanted to follow up on the original request submitted September 15 and following our discussions
earlier this week on the pre-con call for the Hatteras Inlet Connector Channel Maintenance. As I
understand it, you are all waiting to receive comments back from a few agencies before a decision
can be made to grant the requested relief. On behalf of Dare County, I ask that you please reach
back out to these agencies and again request any comments so that a decision can be made soon.
As most are aware, the shallow draft channel that runs between the southern end of Sloop Channel
and the Hatteras Inlet gorge has been plagued with high shoaling rates that require frequent
dredging to maintain the channel. This channel is critical for both the fishing industry in Hatteras
and the US Coast Guard Station Hatteras.

The establishment of the northern route last April/May has provided much more reliable navigation
than the “South Ferry Channel” route had provided over the previous year. However, in order to
maintain the channel to a depth where dredges like the Merritt and the Miss Katie can operate,
routine maintenance is required. Reports from early September indicated that shoaling is starting to
fill in the Alternate Route and the concern is that if the USACE cannot get the dredge Merritt in the
channel in the next couple weeks, the channel could shoal to a point where dredging can’t be
conducted.

I also want to stress that the requested action 1) Would occur within the dredge window allowed by
the permit (Oct. 1 – March 31); 2) would take place in the same area dredged in April/May 2022
under the permit modification that allowed a one-time event; 3) would occur in an area that DNCR
has now stated is cleared for cultural resources; and 4) is in an area that was originally included in
the proposed corridor that was reviewed by the agencies during the initial permitting in 2016.

Please let us know if there is any additional information we can provide to facilitate a timely
decision.

Sincere Regards,

Ken Willson
Senior Project/Program Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From: Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:10 PM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Barton Grover ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg
<[e-mail]>; Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Ken Willson
<[e-mail]>
Subject: Request for

Good afternoon Josh, Heather, and Paul,
I believe that my colleague Ken Willson has been in touch with you over the past few days in regards
to the dynamic situation at Hatteras Inlet. As you know, the inlet complex is prone to rapid
shoaling. In an attempt to maintain navigation between Sloop Channel and the inlet gorge, the
County has been working in cooperation with the USACE to ensure that all efforts are made to keep
the passage safe for mariners. As you will see in the attached letter and supporting documents, the
County is seeking permission to respond to the latest shoaling within several discrete areas within
the channel that now connects Sloop Channel to the inlet gorge. Specifically, this entails the use of
the USACE sidecaster dredge Merritt for up to 7 days of operation between the dates of Oct. 7 and
Oct. 31.

Please feel free to reach out directly to myself of Ken any time should you have any questions or
require any additional information.

Regards,

Brad Rosov
Senior Marine Biologist/Project Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From:Dunn, Maria T.
To:Coats, Heather
Subject:RE: [External] RE: Request for (Hatteras Inlet South Ferry Channel)
Date:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 10:33:03 AM
Attachments:image002.png
image003.png
Heather,

NCWRC has reviewed the request for Dare County’s October one-time dredge request. Specifically,

…a 7-day event that would be limited to portions of the North and Middle Connector Channels as well
as a 14 to 20-day event anticipated to occur after November 1. This assumes that both the permit
modification request to expand the dredge corridor is approved by November 1 and that relief is
granted for a 7-day event to occur as described in the letter dated September 15, 2022. The 7-day
event is proposed to utilize the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) side cast Dredge Merritt.
Material dredged from the channel will be sidecasted to either side of the proposed channel. The
longer maintenance event, anticipated to be conducted after November 1, is planned to be
conducted using the Dredge Miss Katie. Material dredged from the channel by the Miss Katie will be
placed in the nearshore disposal location shown on the attached drawings.

Major CAMA Permit (#129-16) allows for maintenance of a 200 ft. wide channel to a depth of -12 ft.
MLW. Based on the availability of funds, dredge availability, and
conditional surveys conducted August 12, 2022, the proposed channel dimensions for this upcoming
dredging event are to establish a 200-foot wide channel at elevation -8 ft MLW. Again,
the dredge event includes both the 7-day event in October and a 14 to 20 day event after November
1. Based on the conditional survey from August 12, 2022, the establishment of the proposed channel
will require the dredging of approximately 23,000 cy of material. Please note that these channel
dimensions and configurations are what is anticipated, but Dare County reserves the authorization to
increase the depth up to the permitted -12 ft. MLW depth, depending on production rates and dredge
availability.

Our agency does not object to the one-time dredge allowance in October as described above as long
as all other existing permit conditions are upheld. This includes a 100’ buffer from SAV since
dredging is proposed during the month of October.

Thank you for the opportunity to review and provide comment on this one-time October dredge
request for Dare County in the Hatters Inlet South Ferry Channel. I will provide comments on the
modification request for South Ferry Channel at another time.

Please don’t hesitate to call or email if there is anything additional.

Maria

------------------------------

Maria T. Dunn
Coastal Coordinator

NC Wildlife Resources Commission
943 Washington Sq. Mall
Washington, NC 27889
office: 252-948-3916

www.ncwildlife.org

Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

From: Coats, Heather <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 10:36 AM
To: Harrison, James A <[e-mail]>; Dunn, Maria T. <[e-mail]>;
Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Pelletier, Josh R SAW <[e-mail]>
Subject: FW: [External] RE: Request for
Importance: High

Hi everyone,

Ken has sent this plea for a response on behalf of Dare County regarding their previously submitted
request for dredging this month at Hatteras Inlet- South Ferry Channel. Please see my previous
emails sent 9/23 and 9/29.
As detailed below, they have expressed concerns that failure to dredge the channel in the coming
weeks will result in shoaling to the point that the dredge plants will not be able to access the channel
to work.

Also as noted below, we are currently within the permitted dredge window and they are proposing
to work in the channel location that was authorized for a one time dredge event in the spring. (In
case that info helps speed your consideration of the request.)

Please submit comments, either regarding their one-time authorization request for dredging in
October and/or their more comprehensive corridor major modification request, or let me know if
you have any questions or need additional info or time to make your determination, this week if at
all possible. Please note the requested comment deadline for the major modification was Oct 16, so
we are also nearing that date.

Thanks!

Heather

Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

910 796 7302 office
[e-mail]

127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, NC 28405

From: Ken Willson <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, October 7, 2022 9:35 AM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Grover, Barton B <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg <[e-mail]>;
Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Subject: [External] RE: Request for
Importance: High

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an
attachment to Report Spam.

Josh/Heather/Paul,

I wanted to follow up on the original request submitted September 15 and following our discussions
earlier this week on the pre-con call for the Hatteras Inlet Connector Channel Maintenance. As I
understand it, you are all waiting to receive comments back from a few agencies before a decision
can be made to grant the requested relief. On behalf of Dare County, I ask that you please reach
back out to these agencies and again request any comments so that a decision can be made soon.
As most are aware, the shallow draft channel that runs between the southern end of Sloop Channel
and the Hatteras Inlet gorge has been plagued with high shoaling rates that require frequent
dredging to maintain the channel. This channel is critical for both the fishing industry in Hatteras
and the US Coast Guard Station Hatteras.

The establishment of the northern route last April/May has provided much more reliable navigation
than the “South Ferry Channel” route had provided over the previous year. However, in order to
maintain the channel to a depth where dredges like the Merritt and the Miss Katie can operate,
routine maintenance is required. Reports from early September indicated that shoaling is starting to
fill in the Alternate Route and the concern is that if the USACE cannot get the dredge Merritt in the
channel in the next couple weeks, the channel could shoal to a point where dredging can’t be
conducted.

I also want to stress that the requested action 1) Would occur within the dredge window allowed by
the permit (Oct. 1 – March 31); 2) would take place in the same area dredged in April/May 2022
under the permit modification that allowed a one-time event; 3) would occur in an area that DNCR
has now stated is cleared for cultural resources; and 4) is in an area that was originally included in
the proposed corridor that was reviewed by the agencies during the initial permitting in 2016.

Please let us know if there is any additional information we can provide to facilitate a timely
decision.

Sincere Regards,

Ken Willson
Senior Project/Program Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409

From: Brad Rosov <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:10 PM
To: Pelletier, Josh R CIV CESAW CESAD (US) <[e-mail]>; Coats, Heather
<[e-mail]>; Wojoski, Paul A <[e-mail]>
Cc: Barton Grover ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>; Bodnar, Gregg
<[e-mail]>; Howell, Jonathan <[e-mail]>; Ken Willson
<[e-mail]>
Subject: Request for

Good afternoon Josh, Heather, and Paul,
I believe that my colleague Ken Willson has been in touch with you over the past few days in regards
to the dynamic situation at Hatteras Inlet. As you know, the inlet complex is prone to rapid
shoaling. In an attempt to maintain navigation between Sloop Channel and the inlet gorge, the
County has been working in cooperation with the USACE to ensure that all efforts are made to keep
the passage safe for mariners. As you will see in the attached letter and supporting documents, the
County is seeking permission to respond to the latest shoaling within several discrete areas within
the channel that now connects Sloop Channel to the inlet gorge. Specifically, this entails the use of
the USACE sidecaster dredge Merritt for up to 7 days of operation between the dates of Oct. 7 and
Oct. 31.

Please feel free to reach out directly to myself of Ken any time should you have any questions or
require any additional information.

Regards,

Brad Rosov
Senior Marine Biologist/Project Manager
Main: 910-399-1905
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]

Coastal Protection Engineering
4038 Masonboro Loop Road
Wilmington, NC 28409