Elected officials gathered on a breezy afternoon this week to celebrate the final chapter of a dredging project meant to restore Newport Harbor to its previous depths.
A red ribbon at Marina Park Tuesday symbolized the partnership between Newport Beach and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through which about 900,000 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor floor will be removed.
"This is 13 years in the making, and I can't wait," Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton said. "This is going to be the last comprehensive dredge of our harbor, possibly forever."
A previous major clearing, which wrapped up in 2013, removed 600,000 cubic yards of sediment and left the harbor 10 to 15 feet deep in most areas.
After lobbying to split the $22-million cost with the federal government, Newport Beach officials anticipate one final dredging will allow for safer navigation in the harbor while improving overall water quality.
"This channel in front is supposed to be 15 feet deep," said Public Works Director David Webb. "There is about five or six feet of material in there, which foregoes boats from being able to get in. Our big shipyards are the back of this harbor. Catamarans, big keels or other ships, there are times they can't make it up here."
Newport Beach has committed $10 million to the project.
Once excavated, the sediment will make its way to two dumpsites, including one about six miles offshore, which was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Newport Beach will move another 225,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, which represents 20% of the overall dredging, to the Port of Long Beach, where it will be used for a shipping terminal improvement project.
Mario Cordero, chief executive for the Port of Long Beach, called the partnership a "win-win" for Newport Beach and the port.
City officials believe major dredging of the harbor won't be needed in the future, as the flow of sediment from San Diego Creek has largely been choked off.
"We pretty much control the sediment now coming down with developments, with sedimentation basins [and] with catchment basins," Webb clarified. "Very little sediment comes in."
Earlier this year, a $5.5-million trash interceptor debuted in Newport Beach, with the goal of diverting tons of garbage and debris from entering the harbor via San Diego Creek.
Newport Beach Harbor Commissioner Ira Beer said the final dredging should restore the harbor to its originally designed depth for the first time in 50 years.
"We're going to allow over 370 million additional gallons of ocean water to flow in and out of the harbor every single day," he said. "By restoring that and increasing the tidal flushing, this will enhance water quality and circulation that are essential to maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will oversee federally authorized portions of the project. Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, however, furloughed Army Corps officials did not attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
R.E. Staite Engineering, the contractor for the project, is expected to begin work on Dec. 1, even if the government shutdown continues. City officials estimate crews working around the clock should complete the dredging by fall 2026.