Ponce de Leon Inlet Dredging About to Begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District said in their latest announcement that the maintenance dredging operations at Ponce de Leon Inlet and the surrounding intra-coastal waterway channels are set to start during the next month.

The project, set to be conducted by Cavache, Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida, will dredge approximately 450,000 cubic yards of beach compatible sand from the inlet and the intra-coastal waterway in the vicinity of Ponce de Leon Inlet.

The dredged sand will be pumped through a floating pipeline located along the intra-coastal waterway south towards New Smyrna Beach.

The pipeline will cross the barrier island through an underground sleeve located along Sapphire Road in New Smyrna Beach and then cross the beach into the surf zone where the dredged sand will be placed on the seafloor approximately 1,000’ to 2,500’ offshore.