MOBILE, Ala. — Local residents, stakeholders, and officials gathered March 31, 2026, at the Veterans Memorial Civic Center in Bristol, Florida, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, opened dialogue on the potential resumption of dredging in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin.
The meeting aimed to inform the public about the initiation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate this possibility.
“Public Meetings provide an opportunity for all to hear directly from the individuals involved in the dredging resumption evaluation,” said James Hathorn, USACE Mobile District Chief of Water Management. “We want to hear from individuals and communities that feel they will be impacted both positively and negatively by the action. This face-to-face engagement supports the development of a better product.”
The ACF River Basin, a vital waterway for Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, has historically been maintained for commercial navigation through federal dredging.
However, these activities were suspended in 2005.Recently, the U.S. Congress directed the Mobile District to re-examine the possibility of resuming dredging to restore a reliable navigation channel.
The primary goal of this new initiative is to restore and maintain the authorized navigation channel while balancing economic, environmental, and community interests.
A crucial first step in this process is obtaining a Water Quality Certification (WQC), which is a prerequisite for any dredging activities.
Ashley Kleinschrodt, USACE Mobile District Project Manager, said the purpose of the public meeting was to be open with the public and keep them informed about what is going on with the ACF River Basin.
“We are currently in the Alternatives, Analysis, and Screening Phase of the project,” Kleinschrodt said. “This phase involves identifying potential locations for dredging and for the disposal of the dredged material.The purpose of our public meetings is to maintain transparency throughout the process, keep the community informed on our progress, and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions and share feedback on the project.”
Dustin Gautney, USACE Mobile District Chief of Public Affairs, said that the decision on whether to resume dredging on the ACF has not been decided and that no decisions have been made yet.
"The most important thing for them to know is we're looking for input from these communities so the decision makers can look at the engineering, along with the environmental impacts, along with the public input, to make an actual decision on what to do with the ACF," said Gautney.
The public was given the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the project.The information gathered from these public meetings will be a key component of the EIS.
USACE anticipates releasing the findings from the complete environmental impact study, including public input, next year.
The restoration of the navigation channel is seen to support military, commercial, and recreational use of the river system. The project has received significant federal funding, with approximately $100 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds allocated to restore the locks and dams on the system.
The Mobile District will continue to hold public meetings and gather information as the project progresses.The next steps include performing a hydrographic survey of the channel, identifying dredging and placement locations, and preparing the EIS and a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP).The final EIS is scheduled to be available for public comment in the spring of 2027.
“I think the public meeting was very successful,” Kleinschrodt said. “Our primary goal was to be transparent with the community and provide a clear understanding of where we are in the process. We received several thoughtful and constructive questions, and I believe we were able to address them in a way that helped build trust and clarity around the project. Engagement like this is important to us and we want to ensure we’re considering the needs and concerns of the local community, while also supporting the long-term reliability of the federal navigation channel.”