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Wilmington Harbor O&M Dredging EIS

The Wilmington District is leading the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the operation and maintenance of Wilmington Harbor. This effort supports the 2020 South Atlantic Regional Biological Opinion (SARBO) and covers key activities such as dredging, relocation trawling, bed leveling, surveying, and dredged material management—ensuring navigation safety and environmental compliance.

The Wilmington Harbor EIS is authorized under the authority of federal navigation and environmental compliance laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and associated Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations. It will evaluate the environmental impacts of long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) activities and guide future decision-making to support commercial navigation, local industry, and ecological stewardship.

Though focused on Wilmington Harbor, this EIS is part of a regional initiative across the South Atlantic Division. Shared regional content will promote consistency and efficiency, while Wilmington-specific analysis will address local environmental conditions. Wilmington District’s work ensures both regional alignment and local accountability.

The Wilmington District will host public meetings to discuss the development of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Wilmington Harbor. The recently published Notice of Intent can be found here: Notice of Intent

The primary purpose of these meetings is to engage with the community regarding the long-term strategy for maintaining safe, efficient navigation in Wilmington Harbor’s federal navigation channel. The EIS will evaluate the reasonably foreseeable impacts to the environment related to proposed updates to operation and maintenance (O&M) dredging and associated activities. Updates to O&M activities are expected to improve operational flexibility by updating avoidance and minimization measures, including adjusting the timing of dredging operations. This EIS will not consider or assess any changes in channel dimensions, dredged material volumes, or dredged material placement options.

Public Meeting Schedule

Wilmington Harbor Meetings

• In-Person: Tuesday, June 9 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Location: Edwin A. Alderman Elementary School, Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Room (2025 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington, NC 28403)

• Virtual (Session 1): Monday, June 15 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
• Platform: Microsoft Teams – Click here for link

• Virtual (Session 2): Tuesday, June 16 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
• Platform: Microsoft Teams – Click here for link

How to Submit Comments

The scoping comment period ends June 29, 2026. There are four options available for the public to submit formal comments:

  1. By email to: CESAW-WHOMEIS@usace.army.mil
  2. Online at: https://sardn-eis-sardn.hub.arcgis.com/
  3. At the public meetings
  4. By U.S. Mail:

Attention: Teresa Young
Environmental Resources Section
USACE Wilmington District
69 Darlington Avenue

Wilmington, NC 28403t "Edit Content" from the Edit (Pencil Icon) Action Menu.

Wilmington Regional Harbor Operations and Maintenance Dredging Environmental Impact Statement

Wilmington District is leading the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the operation and maintenance of Wilmington Harbor. This effort supports the 2020 South Atlantic Regional Biological Opinion (SARBO) and covers key activities such as dredging, relocation trawling, bed leveling, surveying, and dredged material management—ensuring navigation safety and environmental compliance.

Wilmington Harbor’s EIS is authorized under the authority of federal navigation and environmental compliance laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and associated Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations. It will evaluate the environmental impacts of long-term O&M activities and guide future decision-making to support commercial navigation, local industry, and ecological stewardship.

Though focused on Wilmington Harbor, this EIS is part of a regional initiative across the South Atlantic Division. Shared regional content will promote consistency and efficiency, while Wilmington Harbor-specific analysis will address local environmental conditions. Wilmington District’s work ensures both regional alignment and local accountability.

 

 

Helpful Links

Operation and Maintenance National Environmental Policy Act Assessment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is completing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of Wilmington Harbor navigation projects to evaluate effects associated with changing the timing of dredging from current environmental windows to timing based on risk assessment and adaptive project management. This is related to the implementation of the 2020 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) South Atlantic Regional Biological Opinion (SARBO) that removed the previous windows to balance risk to multiple threatened and endangered species. The EIS will provide a robust, quantitative analysis of the interactions between dredging and affected resources. During the development of the reports, we will provide several opportunities to learn more about the projects and engage with the development of the documents through webinars, public meetings, and a public comment period. To get the latest information on the EIS development process and opportunities to review and provide comments, please go to the following page:

Click to visit our interactive Wilmington Regional Harbor Operations and Maintenance Dredging EIS website to learn about our next public engagements and how you can stay informed and get involved.