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This serves as notification from the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources of a request from Glynn County Board of Commissioners for a Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) permit under Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) 12-5-280 et seq., to maintain a stormwater drainage ditch and replace a box culvert within Glynn County, Georgia. The proposed project is under 1/10 of an acre and therefore may be considered a minor alteration of coastal marshlands under O.C.G.A. 12-5-280 et. seq.
The existing drainage ditch and the existing box culvert have been identified as priority areas to ensure adequate stormwater conveyance capacity to prevent upstream flooding within the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) property and along Chapel Crossing Road. The ditch is located perpendicular and to the west of U.S. Highway 17. The drainage ditch flows under the highway and discharges in Troupe Creek. The existing box culvert is located on the upstream end of the project area on FLETC property. Currently, the drainage ditch does not have enough capacity to handle the tidal flow and appropriately covey stormwater downstream. The box culvert is undersized and restricts stormwater flow from nearby Chapel Crossing Road and FLETC. The proposed project is to improve and maintain the existing drainage ditch and to install a larger box culvert.
The marshlands component of the proposed project includes the replacement of an existing box culvert with a new, larger box culvert and dredging of the ditch immediately upstream and downstream of the new culvert. The existing single 8ft. x 4ft. box culvert, headwall, and wing walls (348sq.ft.) will be replaced by a double 7ft. x 4ft. box culvert, headwall, wing walls, and apron (856sq.ft.). First, approximately 217sq.ft. of rip rap will be placed temporarily during construction as erosion control on the upstream and downstream end of the culvert replacement area. After the temporary erosion control is installed, approximately 5.1cu.yds. (822.7sq.ft.) of accumulated sediment will be excavated out of the channel on either side of the proposed culvert. The existing culvert will be removed and replaced resulting in approximately 150sq.ft. of additional impacts. Temporary impacts for the proposed project will total approximately 212.6sq.ft. and permanent impacts as a result of the new culvert installation will total 1,330sq.ft. (0.03 acres) of CMPA jurisdictional area.
The upland component for the proposed project will encompass the 50ft. marshlands buffer for the entire project area. The 50ft. marshlands buffer totals 54,360.9sq.ft. (1.25 acres). The applicant has proposed permanent impacts to the 50ft. marshlands buffer adjacent to the project area landward of CMPA jurisdiction line to include clearing, grading, installing rip rap, and portions of the new headwalls, wingwalls, and aprons. Clearing the northern slope of the tidal ditch is proposed as part of the improvement to the overall functioning of the drainage system and essential for equipment access. Clearing of existing vegetation and trees will result in 15,858sq.ft. of permanent impacts. Cleared areas will be stabilized with natural fiber blanket (a slope stabilization BMP) and revegetated with native coastal vegetation in accordance with the approved erosion, sedimentation, and pollution control plans. Once the slope has been cleared the ditch banks will be regraded to a shallower slope to prevent erosion and allow for ease of maintenance. Grading will permanently impact approximately 918sq.ft., resulting in a total of 2,708.5cu.yds. of material removed from the 50ft. marshlands buffer. Rip rap placement on the slope directly adjacent to the new culvert wing walls will impact approximately 899.3sq.ft. Finally, a portion of the headwalls and wingwalls will be located in the 50ft. marshlands buffer totaling 389.3sq.ft. of impacts. Temporary impacts occurring within the 50ft. marshlands buffer include portions of the rock dams (166.6sq.ft.) and incidental impacts resulting from the construction of the marshlands component. Total proposed permanent impacts to the 50ft. marshlands buffer will be 18,065sq.ft. (0.41 acres).
Existing impervious cover within the upland buffer is limited to the culvert wing walls, which total approximately 32 sq.ft., or <0.01% of the total upland buffer area. Proposed wingwalls will consist of approximately 128 square feet of impervious cover, <0.01% of the total upland buffer area.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the project is not contrary to the public interest and that no feasible alternative sites exist. Impacts to coastal marshlands must be minimal in size. In passing upon the application for permit, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee shall consider the public interest: (1) Whether or not unreasonably harmful obstruction to or alteration of the natural flow of navigational water within the affected area will arise as a result of the proposal; (2) Whether or not unreasonably harmful or increased erosion, shoaling of channels, or stagnant areas of water will be created; and (3) Whether or not the granting of a permit and the completion of the applicants proposal will unreasonably interfere with the conservation of fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, clams, or other marine life, wildlife, or other resources, including but not limited to water and oxygen supply.
A detailed public notice with drawings has been distributed and is available by visiting the Department of Natural Resources website: CoastalGaDNR.org under “Public Notices.”
Please provide this office with substantive, site-specific comments as to why the proposed work should or should not proceed. Comments and questions concerning this proposed project should be submitted in writing and be submitted by the close of business on February 12, 2025 to Paul Tobler, Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, Georgia 31520 or via email at paul.tobler@dnr.ga.gov.
Click here to view application.
