Report — Abandoned and Derelict Vessels
I hope the following information, reflecting our efforts on abandoned and derelict vessels in Newport Harbor, is helpful.
Since I assumed my role as Harbormaster, the City has taken decisive action to remove numerous abandoned or voluntarily surrendered vessels from Newport Harbor. These removals are vital for safety, navigation, and environmental protection. However, the process to secure legal authority for the removal and destruction of a privately owned vessel is necessarily lengthy and complex. To protect the City’s interests, we strictly adhere to all established legal procedures. In one recent example, the process required over two years, the formal arrest of a vessel, the engagement of outside maritime legal counsel, and two Federal Court actions.
Here’s a summary of all the abandoned or surrendered boats removed from Newport Harbor since I became Harbormaster:
Although the removal numbers demonstrate that we have made meaningful progress—often at significant cost to taxpayers—we continue to see vessels enter Newport Harbor that are likely to be abandoned or surrendered in the future. The good news is that Newport Beach has the laws and resources in place to address these situations before they become major hazards. By contrast, I recently observed six sunken vessels left languishing on the breakwater at the entrance to San Diego Harbor, where the lack of adequate legal tools and resources has allowed serious safety and water-quality risks to persist and worsen.
The Harbor Department has effectively leveraged the State of California’s Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) Grant to remove unsafe, unsightly, and environmentally hazardous vessels from Newport Harbor. In each of the last two grant cycles, the City received $175,000 and fully expended those funds.
Based on this strong performance, the Department was encouraged to apply for $250,000 in the upcoming grant cycle. However, statewide budget reductions reduced the overall SAVE program allocation to $1 million and capped individual awards at 10 percent of that total. As a result, the City received the maximum available award of $100,000 for the grant cycle beginning January 1, 2026, and running through September 30, 2027.
At present, six known abandoned vessels require destruction at a cost exceeding $100,000, which will fully consume the grant funds at the outset of the cycle. Accordingly, through the City’s Program Enhancement Request process, I have requested $150,000 in additional City funding specifically to address the shortfall for vessel destruction. If approved, these funds would become available on July 1, 2026.
Given the reduced availability of state funding and the ongoing need to protect public safety, navigation, and water quality in the harbor, supplemental City funding is essential to sustain this critical public-service program. Without it, vessels that are inevitably abandoned or surrendered may remain in the harbor longer than is acceptable, creating avoidable risks and environmental impacts. If the City’s funding request is not approved, or if demand increases significantly, I will continue to seek alternative funding sources to close any gaps.
I appreciate your interest in Newport Harbor’s health and safety.
Warm regards,
Paul Blank
Harbormaster
Harbor Department
City of Newport Beach
The California Coastal Commission is preparing to consider permitting plans for an important Newport Harbor dredging project. The City of Newport Beach would like to remind residents about the critical need for this project and clarify key topics, including the rigorous environmental analysis that supports the proposal.
Dredging Newport Harbor is critical to maintain safe navigation and a well-functioning harbor. Over the past several decades, sediment has washed down into Newport Bay and accumulated at the bottom of Newport Harbor, which reduces water depths, impedes navigation and diminishes natural tidal flushing. Periodic dredging of Newport Harbor is essential to maintain safe, navigable waterways for recreational, commercial and public safety vessels; increase necessary ocean water flushing to support good water quality and habit and support the economic vitality of the harbor. In total, the project will dredge and remove about 1.2 million cubic yards of accumulated sediment, therefore returning the waterways to their original depths of -10 to -20 feet. Without dredging, sediment will continue to build up, making navigation more difficult and dangerous and decrease tidal flushing, leading to more stagnant water conditions.
To Residents, Yachtsmen and Newport Harbor Users:
The City of Newport Beach has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers for several years on a significant dredging project that will bring Newport Harbor to its authorized design depth which will enhance water quality, allow the bay to properly flush thus eliminating the need to dredge again for many years, remove some unsuitable materials that are lying on the floor of the bay today, and provide for the long term navigability of our harbor.
The Newport Beach City Council certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in May 2021 and directed staff to proceed with securing permits for the project. The EIR is posted on the City’s website here.
The Newport Harbor Foundation has learned that there are a few in the community that are spreading spurious misinformation about the project and the Newport Harbor Foundation believes that it is important that presenting those interested in the dredging project be provided with the facts.
Chairman Murray and Members of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board:
My name is Dennis Durgan and I serve as Chairman of the Newport Harbor Foundation. The Foundation was founded in 2019 for the purpose of preserving, protecting and enhancing Newport Harbor for the benefit of the City of Newport Beach, the homeowners on or near the bay, the commercial operators in the bay, and the recreational users of the bay. The Foundation’s founders, contributors, and members are made up of individuals and business who have a long history of using and enjoying the harbor and a vested interest in its enhancement and preservation for use by current and future generations. On behalf the Foundation and its Board of Directors, I am reaching out to you to express our support for the currently pending project for dredging of Newport Harbor and construction of the confined aquatic disposal (CAD) site.
Share this entry