TO: HARBOR COMMISSION
FROM: STEPHEN PROUD, WATERFRONT & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
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DISCUSSION REGARDING THE DREDGING OF KING HARBOR
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RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file staff presentation on dredging process for King Harbor.
BACKGROUND
Over the past 30 years, King Harbor has been dredged on two occasions. The first dredging was done by the City in 1989 to address significant shoaling that occurred in the aftermath of the 1988 storm; and the second dredging was conducted by the City in the Winter/Spring of 2005 (January - March). The primary reason the Harbor requires dredging is the natural flow of beach sand is from north to south and as the sand moves southward it migrates through the breakwater and into the Harbor. The breakwater, designed by the Army Corps of Engineers to absorb wave action, is porous and allows significant amounts of sand into the Harbor where it builds up at various locations.
The Harbor is currently experiencing significant shoaling that requires maintenance dredging to maintain navigability and to ensure boater safety. The shoaling is most evident along the inside length of the main breakwater for the Harbor and some additional shoaling is occurring at the entrance to Basin III.
The City hired Noble Consultants to assist with the evaluation, planning, and permit acquisition for the King Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project. Initially, the City was looking to partner with the Army Corps of Engineers ("ACOE") on portions of the harbor dredging, as the ACOE may need to dredge portions of the harbor to conduct repairs to the main breakwater. While we remain optimistic that the City may be able to partner with the ACOE on their breakwater repair project, no firm commitments have been made by the ACOE at this time and the timeline for the breakwater repairs are uncertain. Consequently, the City is moving the King Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project forward as a stand-alone pro...
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