Santa Barbara Harbor Dredging Funds Restored After Federal Cut

Two months after a federal budget proposal left Santa Barbara Harbor facing a $4 million dredging shortfall, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal announced this week that $6.15 million in federal funding has been secured to restore the work for this year. 

In February, city officials warned that the loss of federal support — which had funded routine dredging for nearly three decades — could jeopardize maritime access, emergency response operations, and a wide swath of the local economy. Without regular maintenance, sand buildup at the harbor entrance restricts navigation and can force closures.

The earlier exclusion followed a broader federal funding pullback directed by the Office of Management and Budget in late 2025, which paused or reduced support for a range of Army Corps projects, many of them in blue state. Waterfront Director Mike Wiltshire described the pattern at the time as “more political than practical.” 

But that initial pullback was a proposal not the final word. In response, Carbajal raised the issue with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard leadership during congressional hearings and submitted a formal letter in late January formally requesting $4 million for dredging.

“Federal support is necessary for regular maintenance dredging to keep the federal channel and harbor basin at authorized depths so that commercial vessels, recreational users, and emergency response assets can operate safely and efficiently,” Carbajal wrote in the letter.

According to Carbajal’s communications director, Eduardo Carrizosa, the funding ultimately came through Congress’s Energy and Water appropriations bill and will be allocated through the Fiscal Year 2026 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan, covering this year’s dredging needs.

City officials have described dredging as preventative infrastructure which ensures that Santa Barbara harbor remains as a safe harbor, the only one of its kind between Ventura and Morro Bay. On top of that, S.B. Harbor supports a commercial fishing industry valued between $30 million and $50 million annually and serves as a base for Coast Guard operations along the Central Coast. It also underpins a tourism sector that includes seasonal cruise ship visits.

Those ships began returning this week. The Royal Princess, with a capacity of 3,560 passengers, arrived Wednesday morning, followed by the Brilliant Lady on Thursday, carrying up to 2,770 passengers. Together, the first two ships of the season brought thousands of visitors through the harbor — a reminder of the economic activity tied to a navigable channel.

Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse called the restored dredging funds “an essential step toward ensuring that the harbor remains safe and navigable for everyone who depends on it.”

“Without regular federal maintenance dredging, the consequences for public safety, our local economy, and our way of life are severe,” Rowse said in a statement.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not respond to requests for comment.