Incidental Harassment Authorizations for Marine Mammals: Naval Base Point Loma Deperming Pier Replacement and Naval Base San Diego Chollas Creek Quay Wall Repair Projects

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued two separate Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) to the U.S. Navy under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These authorizations permit the Navy to incidentally take — meaning harass but not injure or kill — marine mammals during construction activities at two sites in San Diego Bay, California. The first IHA covers the Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) Deperming Pier Replacement Project, which involves demolition and reconstruction of a pier used for degaussing/deperming naval vessels. The second IHA covers the Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) Chollas Creek Quay Wall Repair Project, addressing structural repairs to a quay wall along Chollas Creek within San Diego Bay. Both projects involve in-water and near-water construction activities such as pile driving, demolition, and heavy equipment use, which generate underwater noise and physical disturbance. These activities have the potential to harass marine mammals — including bottlenose dolphins, harbor seals, and California sea lions — that inhabit or transit San Diego Bay. The IHAs impose mitigation measures, monitoring requirements, and reporting obligations on the Navy to minimize impacts on marine mammals, consistent with MMPA regulations and NMFS guidelines. The authorizations are time-limited and species-specific, reflecting the expected low-level, non-injurious nature of the takes.

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