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Oceanside Harbor, California



General Information

The Oceanside Harbor/Camp Pendleton Harbor complex is located north of the City of Oceanside and just south of Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, 35 miles north of San Diego, in San Diego County, California. The harbor's breakwater and south jetty form an entrance channel. The entrance channel splits to form the Oceanside Channel, which leads to a small craft harbor, and the Del Mar Channel, which leads to Camp Pendleton's Del Mar Boat Basin. Camp Pendleton is a large U.S. Marine Corps facility that dominates the surrounding area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District dredges this entrance channel on annual basis in order to maintain the federally authorized depth necessary to accommodate the military, commercial and private vessels that use the harbors. The Corps works with Camp Pendleton and the project's local sponsor, the City of Oceanside, to identify the most efficient and cost-effective way to complete the project.

Material dredged from the entrance channel is typically beach-quality sand that is used to re-nourish Oceanside's shoreline from south of the San Luis Rey River discharge to points south to the Oceanside pier and beyond, depending on the quantity dredged each year. This beneficial re-use improves the project's cost effectiveness and provides an economically acceptable way for the City of Oceanside to widen its beach, increasing its recreational value and adding protection for business and residences adjacent to the beach.

FAQ

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 Why is the Corps involved in navigation?

The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1937, 1945 authorizes the Corps' navigation mission to provide safe, reliable, efficient, effective, and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems (i.e. channels, harbors, and waterways) for movement of commerce, national security needs and recreation. Responsibilities include planning and constructing new navigation channels, ports, and harbors, and maintaining channel depths along coastal channels, ports, and harbors.

 What value does the Corps' navigation mission provide?

The navigation program is vital to the nation’s economy. Our nation’s coastal transportation system encompasses a network of navigable channels, ports, harbors, and infrastructure maintained by the Corps, as well as publicly and privately owned vessels, terminals, inter-modal connections, shipyards, and repair facilities. Coastal navigation is a key element of state and local government economic development and job-creation efforts, and is essential in maintaining economic competitiveness and national security.

 What is the cost of maintenance dredging at Oceanside Harbor?

The cost of maintaining the harbor is split 50% with the U.S. Marine Corps to support their activities at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The estimated cost of annual dredging is approximately $2.5 million.