About the Massachusetts Dredging Program

Learn more about the program’s goals and requirements

Overview

Coastal harbors up and down Massachusetts play a vital role in driving the Commonwealth’s blue economy. Without dredging, many harbors would become impassable for commercial and recreational vessels.    

The MA Dredging Program is a capital grant program that provides funding to coastal municipalities for saltwater dredging. Construction grants are competitively awarded with a focus on shovel-ready projects that support the economic vitality, vibrant waterfronts, maritime safety, or ecosystem health of Massachusetts’s harbors.

Program Eligibility

The MA Dredging Program is open to the Commonwealth’s 78 coastal municipalities. New rounds typically open in the late winter or early spring. Dredging sites must be public tidelands, and a minimum 50% non-state match is required for any application to be considered.

MA Dredging Grants are available only for construction-phase costs. Costs associated with the study, design, engineering, permitting, or real property transactions of a dredging project are not eligible for funding. Coastal municipalities are encouraged to consult the Seaport Economic Council Grant Program for potential funding opportunities related to pre-construction costs.

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