Posted on June 30, 2025
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Alaska District, commenced dredging operations this month at the Unalaska-Dutch Harbor Channels Project in the Aleutian Islands. The project aims to improve navigation to the port facility.
The work will involve dredging approximately 172,000 cubic yards (131,503 cubic metres) of sediment to remove a shallow bar at the entrance to Iliuliuk Bay. This will create a 600-by-600-foot (182-by-182-metre) channel with a depth of 58 feet (17.7 metres), improving access to Dutch Harbor.
The dredging operation follows a final feasibility report completed by the district in February 2019. The USACE and the City of Unalaska signed a project partnership agreement in March 2024, and the dredging contract was awarded in July 2024.
The total project was awarded at $9.2 million and is cost-shared with the City of Unalaska. The federal government is providing 75 per cent of the overall cost, with the city responsible for the remaining 25 per cent.
