Dredging project at Lahaina Small Boat Harbor to start Monday, parking impacted

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) has scheduled dredging at Lahaina Small Boat Harbor to start Monday, June 1.

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Department of Land and Natural Resources says that, over time, sediment is making the water near the entrance points too shallow and is impacting safe navigation.

Routine dredging is necessary to ensure safe access for recreational, commercial, and emergency vessels.

The targets for this project are the original design depths of -13 feet for the harbor entrance and -10 feet for the harbor basin. All dredged material will be disposed of at the landfill due to the potential presence of debris from the 2023 wildfires in the sediment.

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“The permitted commercial operations will continue without interruption during the dredging work,” said DOBOR Administrator Meghan Statts. “We have continued to engage with the operators and everyone is aware of the plans for the dredging. We appreciate the cooperation from the operators as well as the contractor to ensure that both operations can take place simultaneously.”

No facility closures are expected, however, the parking area adjacent to the King Kamehameha III Elementary School lot, currently accommodating commercial operator vehicles, will be used for stockpiling dredged material.

DOBOR staff is working with the commercial operators and the county to determine alternative parking arrangements during the construction period.

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Construction completion is estimated for December 2026.