Navigating the Channel Islands Harbor will continue to be safe and downcoast beaches will receive an influx of 1.6 million cubic yards of sand thanks to a dredging project that will soon be underway.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on schedule to start its dredging project at the Channel Islands Harbor on Jan. 1, 2025 – weather permitting. Originally, the dredging was scheduled for Dec. 26, 2024, but weather did not allow all dredging equipment to arrive. Most of the equipment has been staged at the Harbor’s Hobie and Silver Strand beaches. In addition, dredge pipes have been buried at Silver Strand Beach to improve access for residents and visitors.

 

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The hydraulic dredge “H.R. Morris” will stage and conduct maintenance dredging of the Channel Islands Harbor entrance on a 24-hour basis. The dredging activity will be taking place in various locations in and around the harbor entrance and sand trap area. The dredging project will wrap up in February 2025.

The Army Corps typically dredges every two years under legislation that authorized the small craft harbor and sand trap to be built in the early 1960s. The harbor was designed to trap sand to prevent loss to the submarine canyon off Port Hueneme and to provide dredged material for beach replenishment for downcoast beaches. The replenishment provides vital shore protection for downcoast facilities, including the Naval installations at Port Hueneme and Point Mugu, the Port of Hueneme, and City of Port Hueneme.

It is estimated approximately 1.6 million cubic yards of sand will be pumped from the harbor down to the beach at Port Hueneme, which erodes over time due to normal sand migration along the coast. The last time the harbor was dredged was October 2022 to February 2023.

Dredging Project Made Possible with Federal Funds

Congress allocated $16.6 million in federal funding to the Army Corps to complete the dredging project at Channel Islands Harbor.

Ventura County Harbor Department Director Michael Tripp said funding for the dredging projects couldn’t have been made possible without the support of Congresswoman Julia Brownley, whose district includes the Channel Islands Harbor.

“On behalf of the Harbor Department and harbor community, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Congresswoman Julia Brownley for her unwavering support in securing critical funding for the dredging project at the Channel Islands Harbor,” Director Tripp said. “This investment will ensure the continued safety, accessibility, and economic vitality of our harbor, benefiting our local community and boaters for years to come. We are appreciative of her dedication to maintaining and improving our harbor infrastructure.”

Editor’s Note: this story was published on Dec. 30, 2024.