Port Hueneme to Dredge Harbor for Large Ships

OXNARD — To officials at the Oxnard Harbor District, the future is looking big. Big as in bigger ships, with larger holds and deeper drafts. So big, in fact, that the newest generation of cargo vessels won’t be able to negotiate the Port of Hueneme’s 35-foot-deep harbor.

Officials worry that could nudge the niche port into obsolescence and force clients to use other ports, such as the one in Long Beach, which can accommodate ships with deeper drafts.

However, a project is underway to deepen the harbor within the next two years. “It’s very important to stay ahead of the curve on this,” said port marketing director Kam Quarles. “The ships of the future aren’t going to wait, and if they can’t dock here they’ll just go somewhere else.”

Working with the Army Corps of Engineers, port officials plan to dredge the harbor to a depth of 40 feet, which would put the Port of Hueneme in the same league as major ports such as those in Boston, New York and Houston.