DESCRIPTION: A channel 10 feet deep at Mean Low Water and generally 150 feet wide from Long Island Sound through East Chester Bay to a point 700 feet wide extending to a point where the creek divides into a Y, thence approximately 1,000 feet into the east branch of the Y and approximately 500 feet into the west branch of the Y; a passing basin south of the Boston Post Road Bridge; widening of the channel at the Boston Post Road Bridge; and for construction of a check dam at the head of navigation. The length is about 5 miles.
No work has been done under the project modification adopted in 1950. Maintenance dredging has been performed under the previous project adopted in 1930 which provided for a channel 8 feet deep at Mean Low Water and generally 150 feet wide from Long Island Sound through East Chester Bay to a point 700 feet below the Boston Post Road Bridge, and thence 70 feet wide to the northern terminus of the project, about 300 feet above the Fulton Street Bridge, work was completed in 1941.
AUTHORIZATION: The existing project was adopted in 1930 and modified in 1950.
The 1950 project has not been constructed because the local interests (City of New York, City of Mount Vernon and Village of Pelham) failed to furnish a suitable disposal site for the construction and subsequent maintenance of the project. The Y portion of the project has been de-authorized by the provision of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 codified as 33 U.S.C 2211.
COMMERCE: 254 thousand short tons of cargo is transported through this channel annually (2023 Waterborne Commerce of the U.S. report). Sand and gravel, and scrap metal are transported to thirteen docks located on the channel. Eastchester Creek supports petroleum storage facilities and storage tanks found along the channel.
BACKGROUND: Maintenance dredging of the creek with upland placement was last completed in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 per to the 1930 authorization depth of 8 feet. In FY2010 approximately 21,000 cubic yards (CYs) of sediment was removed from the Federal Channel with upland placement. Prior to this cycle, the project was last dredged to 8 feet in 1989 with the removal of approximately 36,000 CYs of sediment. In 1989, the dredged material was disposed of at the Mud Dump Site in the Atlantic Ocean and the Central Long Island Sound Disposal Site.
STATUS: During FY2026, funding will provide for commonly performed Operations & Maintenance (O&M) work including monitoring of the channel shoaling conditions and coordination with the users and stakeholders. The production of an annual hydrographic condition survey and publication of the Controlling Depth Report on the District’s website below, are 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 # 18 & 7