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Fact Sheet-New York Harbor, NY-Maintenance and Stewardship

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Published Dec. 20, 2023

DESCRIPTION:  Manage and monitor ocean placement of dredged material at Atlantic Ocean’s Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) and man-made reef sites that accept dredged material from navigation projects within the New York Harbor; as well as, oversee all sampling, testing, and evaluation of testing data for all proposed ocean disposal projects.  Operate and Maintain the Caven Point Marine Terminal and the 31 miles of navigation channels and anchorage areas within the Upper and Lower New York and New Jersey Harbor to include preliminary engineering and design, with ocean placement testing scheduled for future maintenance dredging of various channels that comprise the Harbor.  

AUTHORIZATION:  The New York Harbor Federal Navigation project consists of the 53 ft. Ambrose Channel, southerly entrance, Bayside (a.k.a. 35 ft. Sandy Hook Channel) and 35 ft. Main Ship Channels (a.k.a. Chappell Hill) adopted in 1884, modified 1933, 1937, 1958, 1965, 1982, Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 1990. Also, the Anchorage Channel adopted in 1930 and modified in 1937, and Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 1990; the removal of Craven Shoal to a depth of 30 feet, and a channel between Staten Island and Hoffman and Swinburne Islands to a depth of 16 feet.   Anchorage Areas and Channel along New Jersey Pierhead Line adopted in 1935. Additionally, Anchorage Areas (Gravesend Bay and Red Hook Flats) adopted in 1965 and modified in 1982.

COMMERCE:  New York Harbor contains five interconnected but separate channels and two adjacent anchorages all of which are used by international vessels, harbor pilots and the U.S. Coast Guard and supports 107 million tons of commerce per year (2021 Waterborne Commerce Data).

BACKGROUND:  Channels and anchorages are maintained alternating years.  Over the past few years, shoaling has resulted in a yearly maintenance cycle of the Sandy Hook Channel.  The last maintenance dredging cycle within NY Harbor included the critically shoaled areas in the Sandy Hook Channel Reach and Red Hook Flats Anchorages performed in 2023

The previous maintenance dredging cycles occurring in 2021, 2020, and 2018 have all occurred within the Sandy Hook Channel Reach.  The dredged sand was removed and reused beneficially in various ways.

STATUS:  In FY2024, funding will provide for the continued management and monitoring of ocean placement site (i.e. HARS) for dredged material that have been agreed to between the New York District and EPA Region 2.  These plans require extensive chemical, biological and physical surveys of select areas within the site.  Commonly performed Operations & Maintenance (O&M) work including monitoring of the channel shoaling conditions; coordination with the users and stakeholders; close-out of the FY2023 contract for Sandy Hook Channel & Red Hook Flats Anchorages; and completion of the Plans and Specs for future year dredging.  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 FY2024.

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: NY # 5, 8, 10, 11 and NJ # 6, 8, 10