Feb 17, 2026
The New England District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has received an application for a permit to construct a commercial scale longline blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) shellfish mariculture facility in federal waters within 20 nautical miles (nm) of Newport Harbor.
Portal users can view the project footprint of the Proposed Newport Mussel Farm in the Data Explorer under Aquaculture and view the USACE Public Notice on the USACE Agency Actions Page.
The deadline for public written comments on the proposed work is March 11, 2026. Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to cenae-rma@usace.army.mil. Alternatively, comments may be submitted in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attention: cenae-rma@usace.army.mil. Please refer to the file number (Permit Application No. NAE-2025-01715) in your comments. View full instructions in the USACE Public Notice.
The proposed project would encompass a total area of 3,806 acres. A total of 240 horizontal longlines would be deployed in 3 units, each consisting of 80 parallel horizontal longlines spaced 100 m apart. The three units would be arranged in ten columns and eight rows, with 200 m wide gear-free corridors separating the three units. The entire project area would be marked by twelve signal buoys with radar reflectors and automatic identification system (AIS) beacons. Surface safety lighting will be installed per U.S. Coast Guard requirements and are not expected to be visible from land. More details about the proposed project, including maps and diagrams, are included in the USACE Public Notice.