Port Washington serves as a deep draft commercial harbor. Project depth is 21 feet at the entrance to the harbor and in the inner channels and 18 feet in the inner basins. Project depths providing access to the marina and launch ramp vary between 8 and 10 feet.
There are approximately 4,769 feet of breakwater and pier structures and over 1.12 miles of maintained channel. Maintenance dredging of approximately 11,000 to 16,000 cubic yards of material is required on a 10- to 15-year cycle. The harbor was last dredged in 2003.
This project is a harbor of refuge. The local community has established a significant infrastructure around the harbor facilities that generates income from harbor users and visitors to the area. Maintenance of the harbor maintains safe passage for vessels entering and exiting the harbor.