The US Department of the Navy is proposing to conduct maintenance dredging of the shoaled portions of the Kennebec River Federal Navigation Project between Phippsburg and Bath, Maine.
The navy plans to dredge approximately 60,500 cubic yards (46,300 cubic metres) of clean sand from shoaled areas at Doubling Point, Popham Beach, and Bath Reach and place it at a previously used in-river placement area north of Bluff Head in about 95 to 100 feet (310 to 330 metres) of water) and at a 500-yard (460-metre) diameter placement area located 0.4 nautical miles south of Jackknife Ledge in about 40 to 50 feet (130 to 160 metres) of water, respectively.
Approximately 35,500 cubic yards (27,000 cubic metres) of material will be removed from the Doubling Point area, approximately 10,000 cubic yards (7,600 cubic metres) of material will be removed from the Popham Beach area mouth, and approximately 15,000 cubic yards (11,000 cubic metres) of material will be removed from the Bath Reach area.
On average, the combined dredging at Doubling Point, Popham Beach, and Bath Reach will take approximately eight to 11 days to complete.
Historically, dredging occurs in two- to three-hour periods separated by a one-hour transit to and from the disposal site. Dredging may occur day or night.
Dredging operations are scheduled to begin in 2026 and are expected to occur periodically over ten years between December 1 and March 1.
The material is proposed to be dredged using either a hydraulic hopper dredger or a mechanical dredger. Material will be transported by scow to either the in-river disposal site or Jackknife Ledge Disposal Site.
