As the Port of Galveston prepares to celebrate its 200th year, officials are focused on a more urgent goal: securing $39 million in federal funding to dredge its harbor and keep business flowing.
The Port of Galveston has been around for 200 years this month, leading leaders to celebrate and look ahead to the future. Most of the attention is on Washington, D.C., where the $39 million in government dredging funds could significantly impact the island's economic future.
Having ocean access is important for the port to be able to handle cruise ships, tankers, and cargo ships. However, cleaning the harbor, which is mostly the job of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, depends on the federal government sending steady money to the project. It has not always been possible to get that support.
Rodger Rees, CEO of the Port, said the Corps usually aims for a dredging depth of 46 to 48 feet for the canal. However, a lack of funds often makes this goal impossible to reach. Cruise ships can keep going with their 35–37-foot drafts, but bigger tankers and cargo ships must leave with lighter loads as long as the passage is blocked.
"If deep-draft cargo ships can't get through the harbor safely, port and private operators will lose millions of dollars," Rees said. "The community stands to lose the most because fewer businesses mean fewer jobs in the area."
The port handled 3.4 million cruise travelers and 3.4 million tons of cargo the year before. Private ports also made it easier for 9.2 million tons of goods, such as cars, wind turbines, and cattle, to move. The harbor has generated a huge $6.7 billion worth of economic activity, supporting nearly 20,000 jobs in the area.
Rees is optimistic about the chances of getting cash this year after a recent visit from U.S. Representative Mike Collins (R-GA), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Collins led a tour of the ports in Houston and Galveston and met with several important people during the trip. The panel is in charge of keeping an eye on the Corps and was very important in writing the Water Resources Development Act.
"We have caught the attention of someone important," Rees said. "He showed a lot of responsiveness and left with a lot of good stuff to think about."
As Congress talks about the next budget cycle, leaders in Galveston are pushing for full spending and making it clear that anything less is unacceptable.
