USACE to begin dredging Florida’s Okeechobee Waterway

The US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Jacksonville District will begin dredging sections of the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW) in the vicinity of Jensen Beach and Stuart (reach three) and Palm City (reach four) in Florida by the end of February 2021.

Maintenance dredging along the OWW is expected to start by the end of February 2021 and be completed no later than the first week of July 2021.

The project will include dredging approximately 32,000 cubic metres of material from reach three and 22,000 cubic metres of material from reach four. Dredge material will be placed in a newly constructed dredge material management area located at the southern end of reach four, upland from the St Lucie Canal Locks just south of the Florida Turnpike Bridge.

Reach three begins near Jensen Beach and travels west-southwest to just north of the Palm City Veterans Memorial Bridge. Reach four continues southward through Palm City and terminates at the St Lucie Lock.

The OWW maintenance dredging is being executed under a contract awarded to marine contractor Cavache in the amount of US$3,082,230.