USACE Charleston: Georgetown Little River MPRSA Section 404

USACE Charleston District is responsible for conducting periodic maintenance dredging in Georgetown Harbor. SC. The current planned dredging depth in the harbor is -12 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) with 2 feet of allowable overdepth dredging. Future maintenance dredging could require deeper areas in certain parts of the channel. Therefore, sediment testing for this project targeted depths suitable for characterization of disturbance zones for potential future dredging efforts.

ANAMAR, on behalf of USACE, conducted field sampling and prepared a sediment evaluation report in order to determine compliance with the Evaluation of Dredged Material for Discharge in Waters of the U.S. – Testing Manual (ITM) (EPA and USACE 1998) and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCES) quality control requirements. ANAMAR prepared a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP), conducted field sampling in order to collect the required sediment samples, preformed sediment and elutriate analyses, and provided a Sediment Sampling and Analysis report to USACE.Field sampling, conducted by ANAMAR staff along with partnering firm Athena Technologies, took place from January 27 through 30^th, 2025. There were no issues associated with field sample collection or compositing activities. The project area was divided into 6 dredging units (DUs) with 20 samples stations collected on Athena’s R/V Artemis using a vibracore sampler. Sediment samples were composited and homogenized before being shipped to the appropriate laboratory for physical and chemical analyses.