The San Francisco District recently completed preliminary assessments for the six deep-draft navigation projects of Oakland Harbor, Redwood City, Richmond, San Francisco Main Ship Channel, San Pablo Bay and Suisun Bay. Preliminary assessments for the additional authorized channels -- Larkspur Ferry Channel, San Rafael Creek, Petaluma River, Napa River, Suisun Slough Channel, Jack D. Maltester Channel (San Leandro Marina) and Mare Island Strait will be completed in the next year.
Preliminary assessments consist of a cursory revalidation of continued federal interest and of sufficient material placement capacity for, at a minimum, the next 20 years. The assessments identify the interdependence of these projects given the current portfolio of shared placement locations. Because of this, the San Francisco District is pursuing a single Regional Dredged Material Management Plan (RDMMP). Currently, there are two active upland placement sites, four in-Bay sites, two sites just outside the Bay and the San Francisco deep ocean disposal site, 50 miles from the Bay. Through these preliminary assessments and with the current regulations covering dredged material disposal, the District has concluded that a DMMP is necessary to address future placement capacities at these sites.
The District believes that future dredged material management will play an integral role in developing coordinated efforts that will allow for continued safe use of the federal channels and support ecosystem restoration and enhancement activities led by other agencies.