The President’s proposed fiscal 2020 Civil Works Budget released March 12 includes $4.827 billion in gross discretionary funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program.
The overall Civil Works Budget includes $2.308 billion for commercial navigation; $1.011 billion for flood and storm risk management; $249 million for recreation; $187 million for aquatic ecosystem restoration; $82 million for investigations; $200 million for the Regulatory Program; and $32 million for emergency management, including $27 million to assist in responding to floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
“The funding Baltimore District is anticipated to receive is critical to ensuring safe and efficient navigation, which helps drive the economy, not only at the community level but nationally, and provides for necessary operation and maintenance of major flood risk management projects that reduce risk to communities and infrastructure,” said Col. John Litz, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District commander.
Baltimore District projects slated to receive funding through the proposed fiscal 2020 Civil Works Budget are outlined below:
Poplar Island – $17.3 million in construction funding to continue aquatic ecosystem expansion efforts on Poplar Island, Maryland, where dredged material from the approach channels to the Port of Baltimore is beneficially reused, providing critical habitat to Chesapeake Bay wildlife.
Baltimore and District of Columbia Drift Removal – $1.075 million to remove drift from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, keeping waterways clear of potential navigation hazards. There is also a proposed $565,000 to remove drift from the Baltimore Harbor. Collection efforts intensify after storms, high-tide events and during high river flows. Operations concentrate on the open waters of the main federal channels and in the vicinity of major terminal facilities.
Southern New York Flood Control Projects – $884,000 for operation and maintenance of federally constructed channels, levees, floodwalls, drainage structures, etc. as part of 11 projects located on a number of tributaries of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in Oxford, Avoca, Binghamton, Canisteo, Corning, Elmira, Hornell, Lisle, Whitney Point Village and Addison.
Washington Harbor, District of Columbia – $25,000 for ongoing operation and maintenance on inlet and outlet tidal gates to the tidal basin to allow fresh water flow and to prevent water from stagnating. The gates are designed to operate with the rise and fall of tides.
Wicomico River, Somerset and Wicomico counties, Maryland – $4.025 million for regular maintenance dredging to ensure safe shipping to and from Eastern Shore communities.
Ocean City Harbor and Inlet and Sinepuxent Bay – $1.1 million for operation and maintenance, including $500,000 for maintenance dredging of sand in and around the inlet navigation channel and $600,000 for Assateague Island bypass operations, in which the dredged sand is beneficially placed immediately south of the inlet along Assateague Island to mitigate the impacts of sediment transport and erosion caused by the Ocean City Inlet and its jetties.
Baltimore Harbor and Channels, Maryland and Virginia (50-foot project) – $20.4 million for maintenance dredging.