Jacksonville, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2021) – The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will begin dredging sections of the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW) in the vicinity of Jensen Beach and Stuart (Reach 3) and Palm City (Reach 4) 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 42,000 cubic yards of material from Reach 3, and 30,000 cubic yards of material from Reach 4. Dredge material will be placed in a newly constructed Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA-07), located at the southern end of Reach 4, upland from the St. Lucie Canal Locks just south of the Florida Turnpike Bridge. 

Reach 3 begins near Jensen Beach and travels west-southwest to just north of the Palm City Veterans Memorial Bridge. Reach 4 continues southward through Palm City and terminates at the St. Lucie Lock. See the attached map for details.

Dredging operations will be undertaken in 12-hour shifts, seven days per week until completion. Unforeseeable delays in the schedule could result in dredging operations being re-scheduled to a 24-hours per day, seven days per week timeline to meet completion target. 

The Jacksonville District requests that all boaters and residents exercise caution in the work areas and to steer clear of the marked floating pipeline within the OWW. Boaters and residents should also exercise caution for the dredge and transport barge while dredging operations are under way. Additionally, the public should anticipate project related activities in the vicinity of the St. Lucie Lock as the pipeline corridor runs along federal property near the park and campground leading to DMMA 07.

The OWW maintenance dredging is being executed under a contract awarded to Cavache Inc., of Pompano Beach, Fla., in the amount of $3,082,230. 

For more information about Corps projects, please visit www.saj.usace.army.mil.

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