Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE, Corps), Honolulu District is proposing discharge of dredged material into navigable waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972 (Section 404, 33 U.S.C. §1344). USACE is undertaking maintenance dredging of the Agat Small Boat Harbor (SBH) and proposes to beneficially use the dredged material, i.e., sand, to reclaim the beach fronting the eroded shoreline of the nearby Nimitz Beach Park in Agat, Guam. USACE is authorized and funded to maintain the authorized project depths of federal navigation projects pursuant to Section 107 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1960 (Section 107). The non-federal sponsor for the harbor is the Government of Guam (GovGuam) Port Authority. USACE seeks input from the public on the proposed discharge described in the public notice.
PROJECT PURPOSE: Shoaling has reduced depths in the entrance channel to –9 ft MLLW (5 ft delta), in the turning basin to –9 ft MLLW (2 ft delta), and in the access channel to –5 ft MLLW (4 ft delta). Maintenance dredging is required to restore authorized depths and ensure safe navigation of the completed Corps project. Due to low shoaling rates, this is the first maintenance dredging cycle since the harbor’s completion in 1989. Based on historical trends, the next cycle is anticipated approximately 35 years from now.
As the project proponent, USACE is responsible for determining, managing, and carrying out the approved disposal or placement of the dredged material. As supported by GovGuam, USACE proposes beneficial use of dredged material (BUDM) at Nimitz Beach Park to preserve native sediment and provide coastal storm risk management benefits. Ongoing shoreline erosion at Nimitz Beach has damaged park infrastructure and caused mortality of coastal trees and vegetation. Placement of dredged material would restore eroded shoreline, protect park facilities, and help stabilize local littoral transport processes.
PROPOSED ACTION: USACE will remove approximately 8,300–9,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment from the federal channel to restore authorized depths at Agat SBH. Dredging will be performed using a barge-mounted excavator equipped with a cutterhead and suction system that pumps a sand-water slurry through a floating pipeline to Nimitz Beach Park for beneficial use. Divers will help maintain safe pipeline alignment and avoid sensitive resources.
At Nimitz Beach, the slurry will be placed within a contained fill area constructed of filter-lined barriers and shaped into a 792-foot-long, 50-foot-wide beach reclamation area (approximately 1.5 acres). Temporary barriers will control turbidity and retain sand until the beach stabilizes. After dredging, equipment and barriers will be removed, and the restored shoreline will naturally adjust to local wave and sediment conditions. The proposed beach reclamation, i.e., discharge of dredged material, will convert 1 acre of intertidal and shallow subtidal nearshore navigable waters to uplands.
USACE will utilize the south parking lot at Nimitz Beach Park for staging of equipment and materials and will construct a single equipment ingress/egress from the parking lot to the shoreline. Prior to dredging and filling, USACE will remove all large debris including concrete slabs and tree stumps from the shoreline for GovGuam.
- Site preparation work will begin April 15, 2026, and maintenance dredging will begin May 3, 2026.
- All work will be completed by May 31, 2026. Work hours are daytime only, Monday through Friday.
- For safety reasons, the beach and park will not be accessible by the public during construction.
- Minimal impact to boaters and harbor users can be expected.
- A robust description of the proposed action is provided in the attached Combined Biological Assessment and Essential Fish Habitat Assessment (Combined BA/EFHA, Attachment 1).
COMMENTS: The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; federal, territory, and local agencies and officials; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed action. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps prior to construction. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
The Honolulu District will receive written comments on the proposed work, as outlined above, until Sunday, April 12, 2026 (ChST). Comments should be submitted electronically by email to CEPOH-Planning@usace.army.mil. Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the address listed on this notice. Written comments must be postmarked prior to the expiration of this notice.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District
Civil and Public Works Branch
230 Otake Street, 3rd Floor
Fort Shafter, Hawaii 96858-5440
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing will be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.