Newport Harbor dredging project finally underway

The City of Newport Beach and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week celebrated the launch of the Newport Harbor Dredging Project — the largest and final major dredge planned for the harbor.

The project will remove about 900,000 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor floor over the next 10-12 months. The work will restore the harbor’s depth to its federally authorized levels for the first time in decades, ensuring safe navigation, improved water quality, and long-term harbor health.

“This is a milestone project for Newport Beach,” said Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton. “It represents years of planning, collaboration and perseverance to protect the future of our harbor — one of the most cherished assets of our city and community.”

About 80 percent of the dredge material is approved for ocean disposal at a federal, EPA-permitted site about six miles offshore.

The remaining 20 percent, which contains elevated contaminants such as mercury, will be transported by barge to the Port of Long Beach, where it will be encapsulated to form new land for a shipping terminal improvement project.

The dredging effort represents the final phase of a multi-decade harbor restoration program that began with earlier dredging projects completed in 2012. Once completed in fall 2026, the Newport Harbor Dredging Project will mark the last comprehensive dredging project anticipated for the harbor.

Sediment control efforts in the Upper Bay and throughout the watershed have significantly reduced the flow of material into the Lower Bay, meaning only small-scale maintenance dredging will be required in the future.