Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument will begin repairing park moorings on April 22. The work is expected to last about three weeks with minimal disruption to the visiting public.
The National Park Service (NPS) collects fees for overnight use of park mooring buoys. These recreational fees are being used to pay a contractor to repair mooring buoy systems throughout the park.
National Park Service scuba divers based at Virgin Islands National Park routinely inspect and service mooring and other buoys in the park. However, a competitive contract was awarded this year to replace about 80 moorings systems, excluding the embedded anchor system. In addition, each of the 14 large-boat moorings will also be replaced. Large-boat moorings accommodate vessels up to 100 feet in length, while the other size is for vessels up to 60 feet in length.
Vessel moorings provide an easy way for mariners to visit areas near and often within coral reefs or seagrass meadows and enjoy these resources without dropping an anchor. Even when an anchor is placed in sand, it can get dragged into nearby coral reef or seagrass beds and cause damage.
Contact Thomas Kelley at 690-2440 for more information.
