Current Project Status - updated regularly 

Project Description:

The City will be dredging the Balboa Yacht Basin located at 829 Harbor Island Drive, in December 2025 to maintain access channel depth for safe navigation.

During the project planning phase, the City tested the sediment and found that it was unsuitable to be disposed in the usual manner offshore. Therefore, an alternative disposal solution was required, and fortunately, the Port of Long Beach had capacity at their Pier G Slip Fill Project to accept the Balboa Yacht Basin material, representing a unique and regionally beneficial solution. However, the Port of Long Beach disposal window is very limited and requires the City to react quickly. To that end, the City has secured all regulatory permits, awarded the contract, and is ready to commence dredging as soon as possible.

Project Details:

• Dredging will commence on December 3, 2025.

   

• The project will last approximately eight weeks. Work will occur Monday through Friday unless otherwise approved by the City.

   

• Large dredge equipment will occupy each fairway (access channel) continuously for 24 hours starting every Monday morning until Friday evening at which time the dredge equipment will move from the fairway to their laydown area within the adjacent mooring field.

   

• The contractor will dredge in phases beginning with the fairway between A & B Docks first, then move to the fairway between B & C and so on. Dredging each fairway is expected to take between 7-10 days.

   

• Ingress and egress within each of the fairways during dredging (Monday to Friday, day and night) will be extremely limited or impossible. See below for details.

   

• Dredging will primarily focus within the fairways. However, to maximize the efficiency of our dredging effort, the contractor will also dredge within any slips that are not occupied by vessels. See below for details.

   

• Christmas Boat Parade: On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (December 17-19), the contractor will remove the barge from the fairway at the end of each shift to allow vessel access during the parade. The barge will be stationed in the mooring field on Saturdays and Sundays and will not occupy the fairways.

Dredging within each of the fairways will be extremely space constrained and will require delicate work. BYB slip tenants are encouraged to vacate their slips while the dredger is working in their respective fairway. Available BYB side-ties and vacant slips may be used as needed. In addition, the City will offer temporary, no-charge moorage/berthing within any of the City’s mooring fields or at Marina Park, pending availability. We also encourage tenants to proactively explore other temporary berthing options for their vessels such as friends’ docks or yacht clubs etc. Early planning will help minimize inconvenience once the dredging begins.

It is especially important for vessels which extend significantly beyond the end of the slips and into the fairway, to either (1) Reposition your vessel bow-in to the maximum extent possible, or (2) Relocate your vessel (as described above) to accommodate the dredger and to protect your vessel to the greatest extent possible.

Chris Miller

Public Works Project Manager

cmiller@newportbeachca.gov

(949) 644-3043