Feds drop plan for emergency dredge at Oceanside Harbor

An emergency dredging is not needed to clear a hazardous shoal that’s developed at the Oceanside harbor entrance, though the annual dredging could be scheduled earlier than usual next spring, a federal official said Tuesday.

“Following our December 2025 hydrographic survey of the Oceanside Harbor entrance, we confirmed that the channel remains navigable and does not warrant an emergency dredge at this time,” said Brian Kim, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation project manager in Los Angeles, in an emailed response to questions.

The survey showed the southern half of the harbor’s main channel had a depth of about 8 feet at its lowest levels, while the northern half was 13 feet at its lowest, he said.

The annual spring dredging usually deepens the channel to 25 feet or more just before the Memorial Day weekend. Ocean currents constantly push sand into the harbor, though the rate varies with the seasons and weather.

“The LA District (of the Corps of Engineers) will continue monitoring the harbor entrance in coordination with the city of Oceanside and has another entrance survey scheduled in January 2026,” Kim said.

The Corps is accelerating the schedule for the next maintenance dredging contract as much as possible, he said. It plans to advertise the contract by the end of January and award it in early March to address the harbor’s needs sooner than usual.

Oceanside officials plan to meet with the Corps of Engineers in mid-Januar...