Welcome to the Port of Nome Modification Project's one-stop repository for public information and relevant documents.

The Port of Nome is a regional hub located on the Seward Peninsula and adjacent to Norton Sound, which is centrally located along the western coast of Alaska. Nome has no access to major Alaska road systems and is approximately 545 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska.

Currently, ship transportation is limited by existing depths in the outer basin of minus 22 feet. This depth is inadequate to safely accommodate vessels of drafts greater than about 18 feet. A robust and efficient transportation hub at Nome is foundational to the long-term viability of surrounding communities in the region.

In partnership with the City of Nome, the district has begun designing modifications to the port, also known as Nome Harbor, to alleviate existing vessel restrictions that are imposed by insufficient channel depths and harbor area. The construction project aims to provide larger vessels improved access to Nome’s existing harbor by enlarging the outer basin and creating a new deep-water basin with a depth of minus 40 feet. Dredging would be required to deepen and maintain both basins and associated navigation channels.