DESCRIPTION: A channel 45 feet deep (MLW), suitably widened at bends, from deep water in Upper New York Bay to West 40th Street, Manhattan, and thence 48 feet deep, 2,000 feet wide to 59th Street. This Channel is about 6 miles long.
A channel 40 feet deep for the full width of the river, extending from deep water in Upper New York Bay of Ellis Island to West 59th Street, Manhattan. This channel is about 6 miles long.
A channel 30 feet deep, 750 feet wide, along the Weehawken - Edgewater (NJ) waterfront. This channel is approximately five miles long.
AUTHORIZATION: Authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Acts of 1913 and subsequently modified by the Rivers and Harbors Acts of 1917 and 1937.
COMMERCE: In 2023, the annual commercial freight traffic reported for this navigation asset was approximately 13,873 thousand short tons, and consisted primarily of primarily of petroleum products and manufactured goods (2023 Waterborne Commerce of the U.S. report). In 2023, approximately 13,643,811 tons of through freight traffic was transported through this channel (2023 Waterborne Commerce of the U.S. report). This deep-draft high use channel serves the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, from which several cruise lines served an estimated over 1,000,000 passengers in 2024 (New York City Economic Development Corporation). The cruise industry contributes about hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the New York City economy through direct spending on goods, services, tourism and transportation through passengers while ashore, embarking and disembarking. Aircraft carriers and visiting foreign vessels periodically use the channel.
BACKGROUND: Previously funds were used to prepare the Hudson River Channel and adjacent berthing areas for the return of the museum ship and regional operations center, USS Intrepid from its rehabilitation berth in Staten Island in accordance with 2008 Defense Appropriations Act. On October 2, 2008, this was accomplished.
STATUS: During Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, funding will provide for commonly performed Operations & Maintenance (O&M) work including monitoring of the channel shoaling conditions, coordination with the users and stakeholders and production of an annual hydrographic condition survey, and publication of the Controlling Depth Report on the District’s website below, is also scheduled for FY2026. https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Controlling-Depth-Reports/
CONTACT:
William T. Bruno
Asset / Project Manager
P: (917) 790-8516
Email: William.Bruno@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
District Area: NY #10, 12, 13 and NJ #5, 8