Saturday, September 15, 2012

Environmental Degradation caused by bicycle bridge construction

UPDATE! Photos made in late October PROVING this bridge project is still WAAAYYYYY out of compliance with the Corps of Engineers Permit. It's both a boating hazard and an Environmental Hazard which is accelerating the silting in of the Harbor by impeding the flow causing silt and sediment to be dropped in front of the boat ramp     ... Unfortunately the Corps got scammed by the contractor who OBVIOUSLY Cherry Picked where they were putting the measuring stick. For cripes sakes don't any of these so-called Engineers owned a freaking Depth Finder?  Any fool with a $100 Depth Finder can see it's not correct in just a couple of passes ...

THIRD muffed removal of causeway

October 24 2012



Once again for comparison pre-construction Summer 2011:

October 24 2012 3D maps




Pre-construction 3D Summer 2011










The Army Corp of Engineers Nationwide Permit #14 permits the construction of bridge and associated causeway across the slough. It reads in part as follows:

Linear Transportation Projects. Activities required for the construction, expansion, modification, or improvement of linear transportation projects (e.g., roads, highways, railways, trails, airport runways, and taxiways) in waters of the United States. For linear transportation projects in non-tidal waters, the discharge cannot cause the loss of greater than 1/2-acre of waters of the United States. For linear transportation projects in tidal waters, the discharge cannot cause the loss of greater than 1/3-acre of waters of the United States. Any stream channel modification, including bank stabilization, is limited to the minimum necessary to construct or protect the linear transportation project; such modifications must be in the immediate vicinity of the project.

This NWP also authorizes temporary structures, fills, and work necessary to construct the linear transportation project. Appropriate measures must be taken to maintain normal downstream flows and minimize flooding to the maximum extent practicable, when temporary structures, work, and discharges, including cofferdams, are necessary for construction activities, access fills, or dewatering of construction sites. Temporary fills must consist of materials, and be placed in a manner, that will not be eroded by expected high flows. Temporary fills must be removed in their entirety and the affected areas returned to pre-construction elevations. The areas affected by temporary fills must be revegetated, as appropriate.

Obviously the City of Davenport and General Constructors, Inc. are still WAAYYYYY out of compliance with the Law .......



Just some maps for now ....

July 2012  (1st attempted removal of causeway)










Summer 2011 (Pre-construction)








 USACE docs









August 2012 (2nd attempted removal of causeway and current state)