DESCRIPTION: Newark Bay is a high-use, deep draft, navigation asset consisting of the following federal navigation channels.
New York and New Jersey Harbor 50-foot Channels
- Newark Bay Main Channel: extending north from the junction with the Kill Van Kull Channel, 50 ft deep and 1,650 feet wide and 2.4 miles long.
- Elizabeth Channel: a branch channel from the Newark Bay Main Channel, 50 ft deep, 500 ft wide and 1.4 miles long.
- South Elizabeth Channel: a branch channel from the Newark Bay Main Channel, 50 ft deep leading to inshore reach of South Elizabeth Channel which is 45 ft deep, 290 ft wide and 0.6 miles long.
Newark Bay, Hackensack and Passaic Rivers 40-foot channels
- Newark Bay 40-foot channel: starting from the junction with the Newark Bay Main channel and extending to the junction with Port Newark Branch Channel, 40 ft deep, 800 ft wide and 4.7 miles long.
- Port Newark Channel: a branch channel, 40 ft deep, 800 ft wide and 1.6 miles long.
- Port Newark Pierhead Channel: a branch channel between the Port Newark Channel and Elizabeth Channels, 40 ft deep, 200 ft wide, and 4,100 ft long.
AUTHORIZATION: The 40 ft Newark Bay Channels were authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Acts of 1922 and subsequently modified on 1943, 1954, 1964, 1966, 1975, 1985 and Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 1990. The 50-foot Newark Bay Channels, part of New York and New Jersey Harbor, was authorized by Public Law 99-662 to a depth of -41 feet MLW datum as amended by Section 337 of Water Resources Development Act of 1999, Public Law 106-53, and modified in 2004 to authorize the project to -50 feet MLW datum.
COMMERCE: This asset supports deep-draft commercial navigation in the Port of New York and New Jersey, including over 100 million tons of freight traffic transported through these waterways on an annual basis (based on waterborne commerce data reported for 2022), consisting primarily of petroleum products, chemicals, crude materials, manufactured goods, and food & farm products.
BACKGROUND: The most recent maintenance dredging of this asset was last completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in December 2024, when approximately 250,000 cubic yards (CY) of dredged material was removed from the Newark Bay Channel, with dredged material beneficially used at upland sites in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Previous maintenance dredging cycles included dredging of critically shoaled areas in the Newark Bay channels, conducted in 2022 & 2023, with dredged materials beneficially used at upland sites.
STATUS: In FY2025, funds will be used for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) work including the upcoming solicitation and award of a maintenance dredging contract in the 40-foot and 50-foot areas of Newark Bay Channels. Funds are also being used to close out the contract awarded in FY2024; 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 FY2025.
https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Controlling-Depth-Reports/
CONTACT:
Jun Yan, P.E.
Asset / Project Manager
P: (917) 790-8437
Email: jun.yan@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil
District Area: NJ # 8, 10