Federal law requires the shipping lanes of New York and New Jersey Harbor to maintain a depth of around 50 feet, necessitating constant dredging. The current dumping site for dredged material is approaching capacity. The Army Corps of Engineers is exploring three potential sites within the New York Bight for new material deposition, while considering existing ocean uses such as shipping, fishing, and cultural resources. The proposed sites must be deeper than 75 feet and within 40 miles of the harbor for economic viability, but fishing holes remain accessible for fishermen.
The Army Corps of Engineers estimated that it will dig up about 50 million cubic yards of seabed over the next 20 years.
The feds are considering three sites for relocating ocean dirt in the New York Bight - a geological region along the Atlantic coast from Cape May, New Jersey to Montauk.
The EPA produced maps showing where the dredged material could be dropped. The sites had to be within 40 miles of the harbor to be economically feasible.
Commercial fishing, offshore wind, shipwrecks, artificial reefs, submarine cables and even a few unexploded ordinance areas near former military bases make managing navigation in the area tricky.
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