The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is accepting public comment through June 22nd on a draft feasibility report for a Homer Harbor expansion. Homer Harbormaster Matt Clarke said the harbor reaches capacity during the peak summer season, with around 900 vessels in the small boat harbor and major dock facilities occupied nearly 24 hours a day.
The tentatively selected plan, called Alternative Two, would add a 37-acre basin to the north of the existing harbor to address overcrowding and reduce rafting among large vessels at System Five float. City coordinator Jenny Carroll recommends navigating the study by starting with the executive summary before moving to sections of personal interest. Port Director Bryan Hawkins added that the PDF version has a word search function for finding specific topics quickly.
Comments can be submitted by email or mail. Carroll said the Corps press release at HomerHarborExpansion.com has the full instructions. Hard copies of the report are available at Homer Public Library, the City Clerk's Office and the Port and Harbor offices.
Hawkins said after the comment period closes, the study goes through additional internal reviews before a chief's report expected in March 2027 makes a final recommendation to Congress on whether to authorize the project.
