Santa Cruz Harbor said that their 2025-26 dredging season concluded on April 29, 2026.
The Santa Cruz Port District dredges the harbor channel between November 1 and May 1 of each year. This has occurred each year since the harbor was first constructed in 1964.
Sand, which moves downcoast through the process of littoral drift, becomes trapped in the harbor entrance channel. The dredging operation picks up the sand deposited in the entrance and places it downcoast, bypassing the east jetty, so it can continue to provide replenishment and protection downcoast of the harbor.
The dredge crew utilizes three types of disposal methodologies, including surf-line disposal.
In accordance with regulatory permits issued and reviewed by various agencies, including the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Coastal Commission, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and USACE in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Port District performs all required physical, chemical, and biological analyses on material proposed to be dredged on an annual basis.