20200443 Ver 2_Request for US ACE IP Modification_Sloop Channel_20211216

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RoY COOPER
GOVERNOR
December 13, 2021
Kyle Barnes
Regulatory Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District
Washington Field Office
Mr. Barnes,
J. ERrc BoYErFE
SECRETARY
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Ferry Division is requesting an
Individual Permit modification for dredging Sloop Channel. The modification would be to alter and
expand upon the dredging methodology approved in Individual Permit SAW-2020-00462. We are
requesting that, in addition to the state-owned pipeline dredge and US ACE sidecast dredges, the
permit allows the use of bucket and barge dredging in Sloop Channel.
The original permit application stated that the type of dredge used for any necessary dredging
events would be dictated by the location of the shoaling. The state-owned pipeline dredge, Manteo,
would be used if the location of the shoaling was less than 2 miles from the Southdock spoil site.
The "dog -leg" section of Sloop Channel is where the most significant shoaling is occurring, and it
is located over 2 miles from the spoil site. In order to excavate transport material in that location
NCDOT Ferry proposed either utilizing a US ACE sidecast dredge or a privately contracted
pipeline dredge large enough to pump the material to the spoil site.
During the first week of November 2021 a strong nor'easter impacted the coast of North Carolina.
Ocracoke Island experienced some of the worst coastal erosion as a result of the storm and lost
approximately 65,000 cubic yards of dune line along a 2.5-mile stretch of Highway 12. On
November 16 Governor Cooper declared a state of emergency for Dare and Hyde counties to assist
with repairs along NC Highway 12. NC DOT Highway Division 1 was tasked with rebuilding the
dune line, but the Southdock spoil site does not currently contain nearly enough sufficient material
and transporting that much material from Dare County via ferries is not logistically feasible. This,
combined with the fact that none of the Corp's special purpose dredges are available to address the
shoaling issues in Sloop Channel, compelled NCDOT to pursue alternate dredging methods.
Therefore, rather than using a sidecast dredge to address the shoaling in the "dog -leg" section of
Sloop, NC DOT is proposing the use of a bucket and barge to excavate the channel and provide
material for re -building the dunes along 12. A privately contracted pipeline dredge was the
preferred alternative, but after speaking to potential contractors it was determined that their lack of
availability would prevent NC DOT from completing the work before the dredging moratorium
went into effect on April 1, 2022. Furthermore, a lengthy delay in the project would necessitate
Mailing Address:
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NCDOT FERRY DIVISION
159 LUcnNDA LANE
POWELLS POINT, NC 27966
TELEPHONE: [phone]
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1-877-368-4968
WERS/TE: NCDOT.GOV

work taking place along Highway 12 during the busy, tourist season which would create issues for
the travelling public.
The bucket and barge dredging methodology was selected because McLean Contracting Co was
able to provide NC DOT with an acceptable work plan that was revised to meet our specific
environment and timeline. They would utilize a 200-ton crane, with a 6 cubic yard bucket to
excavate the material to the approved depth within the permitted dog -leg section of Sloop Channel.
The excavation crane would be situated on a 120'x55'x8' spud barge that would remain in the
channel. The material would be loaded into two 195'x35'xl 1' hopper barges until they contained
approximately 800-1000 cubic yards of material. The total amount would stay within that range to
keep the barge drafts within acceptable limits. Once a hopper barge was loaded it would be
transported by one of the tugboats to the south side of the Southdock Ferry Basin. From there, a
separate 120-ton crane located on a 120'x50'x8' spud barge would remove the material from the
hopper barge and place it on the spud barge where it would be pumped through 10" HDPE pipe to
the Southdock spoil site. The unloading crane/crane barge would remain anchored within the basin
for the duration of the project. Total pipe length is estimated to be approximately 1500'. Two
hopper barges would be utilized so that one could be loaded while the other was being transported
and unloaded. One 2400hp tugboat and two 600hp tugboats would be used to maneuver the barges
to their proper positions.
The proposed work would be tentatively scheduled to commence on January 15, 2022 and be
completed in approximately 2.5 months or 75 days.
All of the channel specifications sent to the resource agencies during the original Individual Permit
application process would remain exactly the same. The disposal site for the material is also
unchanged.
The equipment used for these dredging activities would include the cranes, barges and tugboats
mentioned in the work description, Other equipment will include, air compressors, welding
machines, generators, pickup trucks and water pumps.
if you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact me.
Sincerely,
eAv
Brian Doliber
Environmental Program Supervisor
Ferry Division
252 232 8025 mobile
252 621 6251 office
[e-mail]
159 Lucinda Lane
Powells Point, NC 27966