Posted on June 11, 2026
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is launching a process to change the way dredging is done in the Charleston Harbor to make it more efficient and environmentally sound.
The process to change operations and maintenance practices in the harbor is just underway, but project leaders say it could go a long way towards maximizing the efficiency and safety of dredging work in the area.
The ports in the Charleston Harbor are essential for South Carolina’s economy, but it can become dangerous and inconvenient for large cargo ships to enter the waterway if the seabed is not routinely maintained.
“It’s been a while since we’ve looked at those,” USACE operations division chief Scott Hyatt said. “We’ve learned a lot, and if we make modifications to those constraints, it will make it so we can be more efficient in our operations and also not cause harm.”
As dredging has at times been a point of controversy for some people over protecting sea wildlife, project leaders say they take the concerns seriously. Throughout a Wednesday evening public input session, many people came to James Island to speak with project representatives.
As part of this process, the corps is creating an Environmental Impact Statement for the public and supervising agencies to review and comment on.
“We’re seeking input from the public, their thoughts and all the different boaters, harbor captains, fishermen,” USACE environmental engineer Alan Shirey said. “Just to get their thoughts and comments on views they have with our maintenance dredging program so we can analyze them.”
The corps isn’t planning any dredging work at the moment, but is creating a plan and gathering this input to potentially shape future operations.
There are two more virtual public input sessions on Tuesday, June 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday, June 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Click here for Tuesday’s virtual meeting, and click here for Wednesday’s. Both are on Microsoft Teams.
