Army Corps Pauses Controversial Port Everglades Dredge Project

Environmental advocates see the move as a meaningful pause amid concerns over coral reef damage.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:03pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted tones of blue, green, and brown, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the delicate balance of the marine ecosystem threatened by the proposed dredging project.As the Army Corps reconsiders the scope of the Port Everglades dredge project, environmental advocates hope this pause will lead to a rethinking of the plan's potential impact on the fragile South Florida coral reef.Today in Miami

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn a state permit for a $1.35 billion dredging project at Port Everglades in Florida, saying it wants to re-evaluate parts of the plan. The decision comes after years of criticism from environmental groups that the project could severely damage the nearby fragile coral reef ecosystem.

Why it matters

The Port Everglades dredge has been a major point of contention between the Army Corps and environmental advocates who argue the project would further degrade South Florida's already stressed coral reefs. This pause could signal a potential rethinking of the project's scope and environmental impact.

The details

The Army Corps' planning chief in Jacksonville, Angela Dunn, asked to withdraw the state permit, saying 'elements of the project description, including order of construction, are being reconsidered.' The dredge project, approved by Congress in 2016, would deepen, widen and re-align the port's channels to accommodate larger Panamax ships. However, critics have warned the work could damage nearby coral, including a recent study finding millions of endangered staghorn coral in the channel area.

  • In 2017, Miami Waterkeeper sued to stop the work until more environmental studies could be conducted.
  • In July 2024, a NOAA regional administrator wrote a scathing review of the Corps' assessment, calling parts of the study 'unintelligible'.
  • Last year, a study found millions of staghorn coral living in or near the channel targeted for dredging.

The players

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The federal agency responsible for the Port Everglades dredge project, which has now withdrawn a state permit to re-evaluate parts of the plan.

Miami Waterkeeper

An environmental advocacy group that sued in 2017 to stop the dredge project until more comprehensive studies could be conducted on the potential impact to the coral reef.

Angela Dunn

The planning chief for the Army Corps' Jacksonville district, who requested the withdrawal of the state permit.

Rachel Silverstein

The director of Miami Waterkeeper, who said the group is treating the pause as 'a really meaningful' development.

Andy Strelcheck

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's regional administrator who wrote a scathing review of the Army Corps' environmental assessment in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“We don't know what the Army Corps will do next. We're treating this as a really meaningful pause and the letter that was sent from the Corps to the state says that they're rescoping this project. Time will tell what the Army Corps ends up doing.”

— Rachel Silverstein, Director, Miami Waterkeeper

“Since any changes would require us to amend our application USACE leadership chose to withdraw our WQC permit application for the moment.”

— JP Rebello, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

What’s next

The Army Corps says the overall project remains authorized, but it is in talks with other government agencies on how to carry out the work. Environmental advocates are closely watching to see what the Corps decides to do next.

The takeaway

This pause in the Port Everglades dredge project represents a potential turning point in the long-running battle between the Army Corps and environmental groups over the project's threat to South Florida's fragile coral reef ecosystem. The Corps' decision to re-evaluate the plan could lead to a rethinking of the scope and environmental impact of the $1.35 billion endeavor.