Oak Harbor Marina Dredging Pushed to 2027 Due to Federal Permit Backlog

Oak Harbor Marina Harbormaster Alyce Henry delivered an unwelcome update to the city council Thursday: a federal permitting backlog stretching nearly a year has forced the marina's long-planned dredging project out of the 2026-27 construction window and into 2027-28 at the earliest.

The delay traces to a convergence of federal setbacks. A 45-day government shutdown last fall alone created an approximately 45-week processing backlog at the National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency responsible for issuing the biological opinion the city needs before any dredging can begin. Staffing shortages at NOAA and NMFS have slowed review further, and the city has not yet been assigned the required NMFS biologist to produce that opinion. NOAA advised Oak Harbor to expect "weeks to months" before that assignment is made.

A federal court ruling added another layer of complication. The decision rolled fisheries and endangered species protections back to 2019 standards, stripping the project of its eligibility for an expedited review timeline. The city had submitted its permitting application last year anticipating a faster path; that path no longer exists.

"We are not in a perfect world unfortunately," Henry told the council.

Council members expressed frustration at the cascading setbacks. Councilmember Bryan Stucky questioned whether the project's urgency had been overstated, though staff pushed back on that framing: even once permits are secured, the city still faces contracting and construction timelines that will consume additional months. Staff warned that waiting for the 2027-28 fish window, the narrow seasonal period during which dredging can legally proceed to protect salmonids and other species, will likely produce higher bids driven by inflation and tightening market conditions, along with potentially fewer contractors willing to compete.

Dredging at the Oak Harbor Marina directly affects navigable water depths and the viability of marina slips. Boaters and marine-dependent businesses have been waiting on the project to ensure reliable harbor access, and the delay extends that uncertainty by at least another year.

City staff recommended formally adjusting the project timeline to target the 2027-28 fish window and budgeting for increased costs. The council will continue to receive permit status updates as NMFS and NOAA work through the review queue.