Posted on October 19, 2026
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, celebrated the completion of $55.1 million in repairs to the south jetty at Tillamook Bay during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 8.
“Completing the Tillamook South Jetty repairs is another investment in the infrastructure that keeps Oregon’s coastal communities connected to the region and the nation,” said Col. Brendan John “Mac” McEvoy, commander of the Portland District. “Our initiative, ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,’ is about working through challenges efficiently, making good decisions, and delivering for the American people.”
Joining USACE for the ceremony were Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, and Gustavo Guerrero, representing Sen. Jeff Merkley. Other guest speakers included Neil Maunu, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, and Mr. Lee Forsgren, senior official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
Trade West Construction, Inc. completed the repairs in September, placing 6,168 stones weighing a combined 115,000 tons to rebuild damaged sections of the south jetty.
“Our jetties work around the clock, and the Pacific is constantly testing them,” said Colter Bennett, project engineer for the repairs. “The largest stones at the jetty’s ocean-facing tip weigh up to 48 tons, and that’s by design. The type of rock, its size, and how it’s placed all matter when you’re building something that has to stand up to the Pacific year after year.”
The south jetty work follows approximately $9 million in repairs to portions of the north jetty, completed in 2022. Together, the two projects represent approximately $64 million in construction, with crews placing about 150,000 tons of stone.
The north and south jetties work together to stabilize the entrance to Tillamook Bay and improve navigation conditions for commercial fishing vessels, recreational boaters, and U.S. Coast Guard crews.
“Safe and reliable navigation keeps commerce moving and supports jobs on the water and on shore,” Maunu said. “Fishing crews, seafood processors, and local businesses depend on this channel. These repairs show what USACE, the Port of Garibaldi, federal partners, and industry can accomplish together to keep small ports working and protect the livelihoods that depend on them.”
“Our commitment to this nation is not fulfilled by announcing a project,” Forsgren said. “It is fulfilled by delivering its benefits and caring for the infrastructure that provides them.
“The true value of these repairs will be measured in the jetty’s continued service to the mariners who depend on this entrance for their livelihoods and safety.”
BACKGROUND: Navigation is one of USACE’s oldest civil works missions, and Portland District has supported navigation in the Pacific Northwest for more than 150 years. The district maintains 12 shallow-draft harbors and 12 large-scale jetty systems and manages 485 navigable river miles in the Columbia River Basin.
Along with coastal jetties, USACE uses dredging, hydrographic surveying, and navigation locks to maintain federal waterways for the people and communities that depend on them.
