About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2019)
March 11,2019, The Islander, Page 5 Jekyll Creek dredging project to begin March 18 Staging starts Monday, March 11 A contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is set to begin dredging Jekyll Creek north of Down ing Musgrove Causeway to the St. Si mons Sound on March 18. Cottrell Contracting, of Chesa peake, Va., will remove about 200,000 cubic yards of sediment from the east ern 75 feet of the channel, which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Wa terway. Crews are slated to arrive on scene March 11. The Corps and other groups have had long-standing navigational con cerns over the Jekyll Creek portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It is the shallowest point in more than 160 miles of Georgia’s portion of the waterway. Jekyll Creek has not been dredged since 1998, and its sediments are fine-grain with very low sand con tent, often called “pluff mud.” The aim of this pilot project is to develop economically efficient and en vironmentally acceptable methods of managing dredge material. This $6 million, federally funded project will bring the channel’s depth to 10 feet and is expected to be complete April 27. The removed sediment will be placed in two locations using new methods meant to keep Georgia’s sedi ments in the coastal system and help keep marshes healthy. The first sediment-placement loca tion is north of Jekyll Creek in the St. Simons Sound, about 800 feet south of the St. Simons Pier. This location, commonly called the “Deep Hole,” is naturally deeper than surrounding areas in the sound and is between 60 and 80 feet deep. For comparison, oth er areas in the channel are dredged to about 38 feet deep. About 97 per cent of the dredged sediment will be placed in the Deep Hole, where tides naturally spread materials. This sedi ment will be deposited by pipe near the bottom of the Deep Hole, about five feet from the sea floor. Commer cial and recreational traffic through the sound will not be impacted by this sediment placement. Scientists with the Jacksonville, Fla.-based firm LG2 Environmental Solutions will monitor the movement of the placed sediment for up to two years. The remaining dredge sediments will be placed on nearby marsh us ing a spray technique new to Georgia known as “rainbowing.” About 5,000 cubic yards of sediment is scheduled to be pumped onto the marsh north of the Jekyll Island Airport from April 20 to April 25. This area of marsh has a lower elevation, which makes it susceptible to saltwater inundation as sea level rises. The sediments will be sprayed into the marsh onto a five- acre area in a thin layer surrounded by coconut-fiber containment logs. The goal of spraying dredge sediments into this area is to raise the elevation one to two inches in some places and up to one foot in others, allowing new marsh grass to grow atop it at higher elevations. Another five-acre location to the north will act as a control area for the project. Scientists from Geor gia Southern University and the Uni versity of South Carolina will monitor the placement and control areas for a two-year period to see how the thin- layer placement of sediments affected the marsh. The Corps has had previ ous successes with thin-layer place ment in New Jersey, Maryland and Cinema Gourmet presents City Lights Cinema Gourmet, Golden Isles Arts and Humanities’ popular series pairing delicious food with classic films, contin ues on Thursday, March 14 with per haps the most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin, City Lights. The film’s screening and discussion are paired with the culinary delights of Chef Judah Lynch and Indigo Coastal Shanty. The evening’s events begin with delicious food at 6:30 p.m. City Lights was made in 1931 and tells a story of love, tragedy and hope as a homeless tramp meets and instantly falls in love with a beautiful, albeit blind, flower seller. Roger Ebert noted that this film comes the closest to repre senting all die different notes of Charlie Chaplin’s genius. It contains the slapstick, the pa thos, the pantomime, the effortless physical coordination, the melodra ma, the bawdiness, the grace, and, of course, the Little Tramp-the charac ter said, at one time, to be the most famous image on earth. Though made after the advent of sound, City Lights is the epitome of the silent comedy. Tickets are $18 and can be pur chased by phone with a credit card or in person at the Ritz Theatre, Tues days through Fridays 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased securely online at goldenislesarts.org. Tick ets for the talk and movie only may be purchased at the door the night of the screening for $7. The Ritz Theatre is located at 1530 Newcastle St., in downtown Brunswick. For more information, go to www.goldenislesarts.org or call (912) 262-6934. Louisiana. These techniques are part of a “ben eficial use of sediments” pilot project and have never been performed in Georgia. The primary goal of the proj ect partners is to proactively explore whether these techniques can be used in the future to build a more resilient Georgia coast. In designing this pilot strategy, the Corps’ Jacksonville and Savan nah districts worked with the Corps’ Regional Sediment Management Center of Expertise, as well as other federal, state and nonprofit agencies. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Divi sion (CRD), the Jekyll Island Author ity (JIA), the environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy, the Nation al Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. En vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) were all involved in developing the pi lot strategy. Planning began in 2016 with a visit to the site by the Corps’ South Atlantic Division commander. In subsequent months, the Corps held stakeholder meetings and public hear ings while coordinating with CRD and JIA. CRD conducted side-scan sonar and water quality surveys of the deep hole site in June 2017 with additional sur veys at both material placement sites in October through December of 2017. CRD also helped coordinate imagery and elevation data at the thin-layer placement site. JIA and The Nature Conservancy purchased an elevated monitoring camera system to provide imagery of the project as it progresses. The pub lic will be able to access this camera’s feed by clicking here. For more infor mation, please call CRD at 912-262- 3140.Cinema Gourmet: City Lights hartridgeJlrealty Connecting with Community Give where you live We Donate 25% of our Commission to a Charity of Our Clients’ Choice A full service local real estate company founded on honesty & integrity 912-258-1004 Call/Text terri@hartridgerealty.com Terri Hartridge Owner/Broker Trace Hartridge Owner/Agent 912-223-3740 Call/Text trace@hartridgerealty.com What A Transformation! What Poseidon Consulting & Renovations did • Designed a new living space to best suit homeowner’s needs • Created open, yet divided spaces with some columns • Updated fireplace with faux stone • Added bar / kitchen for entertaining • Designed, built & installed bookcases to accommodate entire family’s electronics • Added a dramatic ceiling detail to entertaining area • Added a wine cellar for family’s collection The End Result One very satisfied customer who has recommended us to others! POSEIDON CONSULTING & RENOVATIONS Start YOUR home’s transformation 912.268.4858 with a free consultation today! www.poseidoncr.net
