PROJECT NAME AND STATE:  Tybee Island, GA Section 1037

AUTHORIZATION:  Project was authorized by Section 201 of Flood Control Act of 1965, (42 U.S.C 1962d-5.79 STAT 1037-1074) as presented in House Document No. 92-105 and Section 1037 of WRDA 1976, as amended

LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION: Flood Risk Management.  Tybee Island is a 3.5-mile long barrier island, located 18 miles east of the City of Savannah at the mouth of the Savannah River on the Atlantic Ocean.  The mostly developed island is bordered on the north by the South Channel of the Savannah River, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south and west by the Back River and other tidal creeks.  Tybee has an average width of 0.5 miles and the ground elevation varies from 10 to 18 feet above mean low water (MLW) and slopes westward to the salt marshes.  The City of Tybee Island, Georgia, is the non-Federal Sponsor for Construction and responsible for long-term maintenance. The Section 934 Report, approved by the ASA (CW) in 1998, provides for future periodic nourishments, estimated to be every 7 years until the end of the 50-year project life in 2024. 

ACTIVITIES FOR FY 2020  None

ACTIVITIES FOR FY 2020:  None

ISSUES AND OTHER INFORMATION:  The study is approved with a cost share of 50% Federal and 50% non-Federal.  The last scheduled renourishment was completed in 2015 with additional volume placed to make it a 7 year + 2 year renourishment.  In 2018 the project was provided a supplemental renourishment from impacts from Hurricane Matthew and in 2020 the project was provided an additional supplemental renourishment authorized under BBA 2018 from impacts from Hurricane’s Irma and Mariah.  Currently the study does not produce a viable benefit to cost ratio to justify federal participation for an additional 15 years.  Awaiting guidance from HQUSACE.

A separate Feasibility-level study was authorized to evaluate the adverse impacts to the shores of Tybee Island, Georgia from the Savannah Harbor Federal Navigation Project.  The Channel Impact Technical Report concluded that the estimated combined shelf and shoreline impact at Tybee Island is 73.6%, which represents the reduction in sand volume on the Tybee shelf and shoreline due to the navigation project with the remainder of the erosion attributed to the natural processes. 

MILESTONES:

ADMINISTRATION POSITION:  This project is consistent with Administration policy.

ACTION OFFICER:  Margarett (Mackie) McIntosh                                  25 March 2020

                                      CESAS/912-652-5320