Source: CRS, using USACE Dredging Information Statistics.
The extent of capital and maintenance dredging work is related to the length of a port’s access channel and the level of sedimentation. The district of New Orleans accounts for the most extensive dredging efforts in the United States, with a navigation channel of around 400 km from the Mississippi Delta, including the ports of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. These efforts are justified by the importance of the Mississippi as a gateway to American grain and energy trades. The Galveston district includes the ports of Galveston and Houston, which are important cruise, container, and petrochemical ports. In particular, the Houston Ship Channel is an 83 km waterway granting access to the petrochemical and container terminals of Houston, Barbours Cut, and Bayport. Savannah, Portland, and Jacksonville are river ports requiring regular access channel maintenance. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles district, which includes the Los Angeles / Long Beach port complex, has limited dredging because of its direct maritime access and natural deep drafts.
A challenge, as well as an opportunity, is the deposition of dredging materials. Commonly, materials are released at a defined offshore location, or they can be used for reclamation projects.