Public Works

Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel Dredge Project

Background

The Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel Dredging Project will maintain safe navigation for boaters, and as part of this multi-benefit project, will stabilize the shoreline at Peninsula Beach. This effort is essential to maintaining vessel access into Alamitos Bay and supporting the City’s marinas, boating facilities, and waterfront destinations, including Marine Stadium, Spinnaker Bay, Davies Launch Ramp, Naples Island, and the Alamitos Bay Marina.

It has been more than 15 years since the entrance channel was last dredged. Over time, natural coastal processes have caused sand and sediment to build up along the shoreline and within the channel, creating shallow areas that make navigation more difficult and increase safety risks for boaters. The project will restore the federally authorized channel depths which are approved by the regulatory agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Coastal Commission, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

In addition, dredged material will be sustainably reused to nourish the shoreline along Peninsula Beach, between 62nd Place and the Jetty at 72nd Place. This environmentally preferred practice supports coastal resiliency by widening beach areas, preserving recreational space, and improving coastal access for the community. This project represents an important investment in the City’s waterways and coastline, supporting both safe navigation and the long-term health of Peninsula Beach.

Parking at the 72nd Place main public lot will be reduced during the project for contractor staging, but access will be maintained. The overflow lot will remain fully available.

Timeline

Project timeline is set barring weather delays and other unforeseen circumstances.

Objectives

• Provides safer vessel access into Alamitos Bay
• Expands usable beach areas, preserving recreational opportunities and coastal access
• Align with sustainable sediment management practices and regulatory requirements for the Los Angeles region

Project Features

• Sediments deposited in the entrance channel over the past 15 years will be removed to restore safe navigable depths

• Clean sand from the dredging operation will be hydraulically transported to Peninsula Beach, where it will be distributed along the shoreline to widen and stabilize the beach.

Project Funding

Project Updates

October 2025

The City of Long Beach completed regulatory permitting and engineering designs for the subject project and received two contractor bids for the dredging and nourishment work. However, the bids received far exceed the City’s available and approved budget. The Public Works Department is evaluating opportunities to reduce costs based on feedback received from the contractor community during the bidding period. Public Works will work with the authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) to request an extension of work hours for offshore dredging and onshore beach nourishment work to achieve efficiencies and cost savings, while remaining in compliance with the City’s ordinances. In addition, Public Works is in the process of submitting a climate grant pre-application to the State of California for this effort to help bridge the funding gap in the work. Upon receipt of waivers and/or exemptions, the City aims to re-advertise the project for bidding pursuant to the public contract code.