California has secured approximately $164.5 million in federal assistance to inject into the state’s ports, critical ecosystems, community resilience and navigation channels.
The allocation will directly go toward the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fiscal Year 2026 work plan. The plan highlights significant resource allocations through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) to support donor and energy transfer ports.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will receive the largest portion of federal funding, totaling a combined $118.4 million. Both ports will focus on efforts to reinforce supply chain hubs essential to maintaining effective trade and transport. Initiatives bolstered by the funding will primarily consist of making seismic upgrades and dredging and stabilizing in-water berths.
Critical dredging and navigation investments compose an essential portion of the planned funding allocation. These initiatives will provide ports with the means to maintain safe harbor operations year-round.
The port of Hueneme will receive $23.3 million, enabling it to relocate water lines, improve utility docks and maintain harbor infrastructure. The port will also dredge, upgrade infrastructure and advance expanded-use activities. These upgrades will allow the port to continue handling automobile and refrigerated cargo among other goods, tallying more than $18 billion annually.
The port of Redwood City will spend $7.4 million to increase the channel depth through dredging and related maintenance measures. By dredging the channel, the port ensures that cargo vessels have the depth needed to offload cargo without traveling to a different port to accommodate their needs.
Santa Barbara Harbor will allocate $6.2 million to restore safe navigational depths threatened by cumulative sediment buildup that has reduced some sections of the harbor to 40 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Through operations and maintenance dredging, the harbor will continue supporting more than $80 million in economic activity alongside commercial fishing and emergency response efforts.
Portions of the work plan will also be dedicated to restoring critical environments and increasing resilience in the face of increasing flood risks.
Approximately $4.4 million will advance the second phase of the Hamilton Wetlands Restoration Project. The initiative will expand restoration measures to roughly 2,600 acres, restoring depreciated wetlands and providing a sustainable location for reusing dredged materials.
The Copper Cove Wastewater Treatment and Water Recycling Facility in Calaveras County will receive $3.1 million. The project will use the financial aid to improve wastewater treatment capacity and support regional long-term water sustainability.
The Lower San Joaquin River Flood Control Project will move into the feasibility study phase with a $1.3 million investment. The project will work toward completing critical analysis and planning to reduce flood risk for communities in the Stockton region.
An additional $50,000 will support the Mid-Coastside Water Treatment Plant Flood Control Project. Currently in the early planning stage, the initiative will help reduce flood risk to essential water infrastructure and nearby communities along the coast.
Photograph by D Ramey Logan, Port of Long Beach aerial by Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 4.0
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