USACE invites public comment on Anchorage dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, has prepared a new environmental assessment for maintenance dredging at the Anchorage Harbor.

USACE proposes to continue its annual maintenance dredging operations of the Anchorage Harbor basin to minus 35 feet and dispose of the dredged material in the open water disposal area located about 3,000 feet from the Port of Alaska’s main terminals.

Dredging would be conducted between April and November.

Maintenance dredging quantities are highly variable in the harbor, ranging from about 450,000 cubic yards to 2.5 million cubic yards per year due to natural occurrences.

The dredging operations occur within the Cook Inlet beluga whale critical habitat exclusion area.

As a federal navigation project, maintenance dredging has been conducted by USACE at the Port of Alaska for many decades. This environmental assessment is a continuation of the organization’s commitment to ensure all its projects meet current regulatory standards.

The last environmental assessment aligned with the 2017-2022 Endangered Species Act consultation for Cook Inlet beluga whales.

The draft report is available for review until June 17.