Dredging: Seattle
Army Corps of Engineers Releases Seattle Harbor Draft Feasibility Report & Environmental Assessment
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on the newly released Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment.
As the non-federal project sponsor, the Port of Seattle is working with the Corps to complete this feasibility study. The Corps and the port have agreed on a tentatively selected plan of 57 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) for both the East and West Waterways. This depth will accommodate current and future generations of ultra-large container ships.
"The Port of Seattle, part of The Northwest Seaport Alliance, is a strategic gateway for goods entering the U.S. and vital for Northwest exports," said John Creighton, president of the Port of Seattle Commission and co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
"Large ships with deep drafts are being deployed globally and on the West Coast. Authorization of a depth of 57 feet will preserve our gateway’s ability to provide sufficient depth for the future fleet of ships," said Tacoma Port Commission President and Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-chair Connie Bacon.
The study developed alternatives for deepening the East and West Waterways. It performed economic, technical and environmental analysis and modeling to evaluate the alternatives. The environmental assessment identifies and analyzes the environmental effects of the alternatives for deepening, incorporates environmental concerns into the decision-making process and determines whether further environmental analysis is necessary.