Deep Draft Navigation

Dredging in the New York Harbor

About Us

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 Who We Are

The North Atlantic Division Regional Center of Expertise for Deep Draft Navigation is based in the New York District and provides interdisciplinary professionals with expertise in implementing environmentally sustainable Deep Draft Navigation projects. Mission areas supported include Navigation, Operations and Maintenance, Regulatory, Civil Works, Environmental Restoration, IIS Support for Others.

 What We Do

Our Expertise Includes:

  • Plan formulation of channel deepening projects
  • Use of economic models to optimize challenge improvements
  • Design vessel selection/ship simulation modeling
  • Hard bottom channel design/Rock dredging
  • Environmental analysis of dredged material
  • Mitigation of emissions generated by in-water construction activities
  • Dredged material placement site management
  • Beneficial use of dredged material
  • Island restoration using suitable dredged materials
  • Hydrographic surveying
  • Ecosystem restoration economics for dredged material
  • Treatment and utilization of processed dredged material
  • Inter-agency coordination/regional dredging teams
 Why Deepen Ports

Throughout the years, the shipping industry has created higher carrying capacity ships that require deeper drafts to enable them to transport the maximum amount of goods in the most efficient manner. Today, this new generation of ships requires shipping channel depths in excess of 50 feet MLLW. The Army Corps, as authorized by the United States Congress, works with its port authority partners to meet industry demands in a safe and environmentally sustainable way.

In addition to New York District staff, the regional team also includes experts from the Baltimore, Norfolk, New England and Philadelphia Districts. Customers have included USACE divisions and districts, the Panama Canal Commission, and the Kuwaiti Navy.

 Dredged Material Management Practices

The New York District works with its partners in the region to utilize a wide variety of preferred and contingency management options for dredged material. These options include:

  • Contaminant Reduction programs that reduce exposure to contaminated sediments through source track-down, remediation, removal, containment, treatment, and/or capping of contaminated sediments
  • Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) remediation practices that beneficially use dredged material at the HARS open ocean site
  • Habitat Creation/Enhancement/Restoration practices that use dredged material for restoring and creating wetlands, benthic habitat (including borrow pit restoration), fish and shellfish reefs, bird habitats and beach nourishment
  • Land Remediation practices that use treated dredged material to remediate landfills, brownfields, quarry sites and abandoned mines
  • Decontamination Technologies – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has demonstrated, in collaboration with other agencies, several innovative treatment practices that use decontaminated dredged material for construction-grade cement, lightweight aggregate, manufactured soil, and more
 Contact

New York District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
917.790.8209