The Crescent City Harbor will use a $1.38 million Coastal Conservancy Grant to rebuild Citizens Dock. | File photo: Andrew Goff

The Crescent City Harbor District will use $1.38 million California Coastal Conservancy grant dollars to continue its quest to shore up Citizen’s Dock.

That grant will also be used to plan and build a new restroom and shower facility on South Beach.

The Harbor District announced its win Thursday two days after its Board of Commissioners agreed on committing up to $1.94 million as a match for a 2023 Port Infrastructure Development Program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD).

The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors is expected to consider sending a letter of support to MARAD on behalf of the Harbor District on Tuesday.

This new effort comes after the Harbor District received $7.36 million in 2022 Port Infrastructure Development grant dollars to replace the seawall near Citizens Dock.

“They were very excited about continuing this process of armoring the harbor and how that would help build up what the seawall is supposed to do,” Mike Bahr, a consultant with Community Systems Solutions, told harbor commissioners at at its April 4 meeting. “In this project, it would be looking at the construction of a new inner boat basin breakwater, an Anchor Way breakwater and Whaler Island Groin breakwaters — breakwaters the Harbor District is responsible for.”

The total estimated project costs are roughly $9.86 million. While the Harbor District’s current match is expected to be $1.94 million, the agency is asking the Secretary of Transportation to fund more than 80 percent of the project cost. If that request is granted, the cost to the district would be $943,941.

According to Bahr, MARAD representatives visited the harbor after storms brought snow to sea level. He noted that the proposed redesign of the inner boat basin and the other breakwaters are meant to withstand a 100-year storm surge, a 50-year tsunami and a 1.5 foot sea level rise.

Like the stipulations in the previous MARAD grant, the Harbor District can pay out the $1.94 million match over a five year period, Harbormaster Tim Petrick said.

“There’s a lot of money out there and, like Mike said, we’re going to be applying for multiple different grants that apply to this project specifically,” he said. “The fact of the matter is the work needs to be done and if we don’t do it, the money may not be here next year.”

Petrick pointed out that other programs, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, could provide grant dollars for the repair of Anchor Way and Whaler Island Groin. Harbor district officials also want to figure out how to make that infrastructure generate revenue.

“That’s the entire thought process behind the Sea Wall repairs is how do we make money off of it once it’s replaced and improve facilities for fishermen and for the public,” he said.

The letter of support on behalf of the Harbor Districts efforts to obtain a 2023 MARAD grant is on the Board of Supervisors’ consent agenda Tuesday.

As for the California Coastal Conservancy grant-funded project, a new Citizens Dock will provide a home for Del Norte’s commercial fishing fleet, housing hoists, boat tie-ups, loading areas, support buildings and an icehouse.

The project also aims to add a pedestrian walkway on the dock, linking it up to the California Coastal Trail, and will provide areas for shellfish, invertebrates and seaweed.

“These funds will go directly to projects which will benefit both our local fishing fleet and public access to our natural resources,” Petrick said in a written statement Thursday. “South Beach sees as many as 200,000 visitors annually and there are currently no restroom or outdoor shower facilities. This will enable CCHD to provide safe and clean facilities for public use.”

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