Posted on August 12, 2026
MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District is correcting recent misleading claims about Mobile Harbor dredging and the District’s decision not to hold a formal public hearing.
The Mobile Harbor deepening and widening project is complete. The Corps is now in the yearly operations and maintenance phase. That means the District must keep the federal shipping channel at its authorized depth so ships can move safely and the Port of Alabama can continue to support jobs, trade, and national security.
Recent claims suggest the Corps refused to hear from the public. That is simply not true.
The Corps reviewed the public hearing requests, written comments, and the existing record. After that review, the District determined the requests did not raise new facts, new information, or unresolved issues that required a formal public hearing. The District made that decision in writing under 33 C.F.R. § 327.4.
“Public input matters, but repeating the same claim does not make it new information,” said Col. Kelcey R. Shaw, Mobile District commander. “The Corps reviewed the record, followed the law, and made the decision based on facts.”
A formal public hearing is not the only way the public can be heard. The Corps also offered to meet with Mobile Baykeeper through Planning and Environmental Division staff.
Another claim is that Mobile Baykeeper submitted a new technical report and the Corps ignored it. That also leaves out key facts.
The technical paper was not new to the District. It was provided to the Corps in October 2025. The District reviewed it then, reviewed it again when it was resubmitted, and discussed the same issues with Mobile Baykeeper in previous meetings.
The District’s decision was not based on how many pages were submitted. It was based on whether the requests raised new facts or unresolved issues that required a formal public hearing.
The Corps also rejects the claim that dredged material management is a simple choice between “mud dumping” and “proper disposal.”
That is not how this works.
Dredging is needed to keep the federal shipping channel safe and open. Where dredged material goes depends on many factors, including the type of sediment, water conditions, permits, available sites, environmental requirements, cost, and whether a site has enough capacity.
“This is not a choice between the Port and the Bay,” Shaw said. “Our job is to keep the federal channel safe while making science-based decisions that protect Mobile Bay.”
Thin-layer placement is not currently proposed for the present maintenance dredging cycle. However, the Corps is not removing any legally available and environmentally reviewed option from future use.
In Mobile Harbor, thin-layer placement has been evaluated and identified as beneficial use of dredged material. It is not the opposite of beneficial use. It is one of the tools used to manage suitable sediment in a controlled way.
Thin-layer placement was not created by the Corps alone. It was developed through a multi-agency working group that included federal and state agencies, scientists, and environmental stakeholders, including Mobile Baykeeper. That process identified thin-layer placement as an acceptable beneficial use practice for Mobile Bay.
“Sediment is not automatically waste,” Shaw said. “In the right place, with the right material and proper controls, sediment can be a resource. It can help support wetlands, shorelines, habitat, and the long-term health of the Bay.”
The Corps is also continuing to study Mobile Bay. In June 2026, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center published a 271-page report on water quality and sediment movement from dredged material placement in Mobile Bay. That report is public and available through ERDC.
The District understands concerns about water quality, oysters, seagrass, fisheries, and coastal communities. Those concerns are why dredged material decisions are based on science, permits, environmental review, agency coordination, and site-specific conditions.
The Corps remains committed to increasing beneficial use where it is practical, permitted, funded, and environmentally sound. Beneficial use may include marsh creation, shoreline protection, habitat restoration, upland placement, confined placement, and thin-layer placement when appropriate.
Recent funding for dredged material management is important. But funding alone does not instantly create a fully designed, permitted, built, and ready-to-use placement site.
To provide more public access to the facts, the Mobile District is also considering a public information open house. This would not be a formal public hearing. It would be an added chance for residents, local leaders, media, and stakeholders to speak one-on-one with Corps experts, review maps and science, and ask questions about Mobile Harbor operations and maintenance.
The Mobile District will continue to maintain the federal shipping channel while protecting the long-term health of Mobile Bay.
Additional public documents and resources include:
- July 30, 2026, Mobile District response letter to Mobile Baykeeper
- 33 C.F.R. Part 327 — Public Hearing
- ERDC TR-26-17: Water Quality and Sediment Dispersal from Placement of Dredged Material over Former Shell Mining Beds in Mobile Bay, Alabama
- Mobile Harbor Operations and Maintenance project page
- Mobile District article: Mobile District’s Thin Layer Placement provides sustainable management in Mobile Bay
- Mobile District open letter: An Open Letter on Mobile Bay, Science, and Stewardship
- ERDC TR-24-6: A Beneficial Placement Decision Support Framework for Wetlands: Case Study for Mobile Harbor, USA
