Conservancy

Aids to Navigation

Hydrographic Survey

Environment & Conservation

Removal of Wreck & Hazards

Dredging & Bed Levelling

Aids to Navigation

Littlehampton Harbour is a dynamic tidal environment, where shifting shingle banks and strong currents mean that accurate, well-maintained navigation aids are essential for safe passage.
These include the beacons, buoys, and lights that guide vessels safely into, out of, and through the port.

Our responsibilities

As the Local Lighthouse Authority (LLA), Littlehampton Harbour Board ensures that all navigation aids within the harbour are:

Correctly positioned and maintained to International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) standards.
Inspected regularly for condition, visibility, and operation.
Reported to Trinity House, which audits and verifies LHB’s compliance under national standards.
Adjusted as necessary to reflect changes in channel alignment, dredging, or sediment movement.

The goal is simple: to ensure that mariners can navigate the River Arun safely and confidently, day or night, in all tidal conditions.

Types of navigation aid in Littlehampton Harbour

Mariners navigating the River Arun will encounter a range of Aids to Navigation maintained by the Harbour Board, including:

Entrance Beacons – marking the east and west training walls and defining the harbour entrance.
Lateral Marks/Buoys – red (port-hand) and green (starboard-hand) marks define the main navigable channel.
Leading Lights – The Lighthouse and a fixed green light help mariners maintain the correct line of approach through the entrance.
Special Marks – used when necessary to indicate dredging operations, obstructions, or temporary changes in channel position.

All lights, marks, and buoys are maintained to approved specifications and are checked regularly by the Harbour Team, both from shore and afloat.

Reporting defects

Mariners are encouraged to assist in maintaining harbour safety by reporting any defects or outages of navigation aids as soon as possible.
If you notice a light not showing, a buoy adrift, or any damaged structure please contact us:

Duty Harbour Master: 01903 721215
harbour@littlehampton.org.uk
Our Conservancy Officer will investigate and, where necessary, issue a Local Notice to Mariners (LNtM) to advise users of any temporary change or hazard.

Trinity House inspections

As part of its statutory responsibilities, Littlehampton Harbour Board undergoes regular audits by Trinity House – the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar.
These inspections verify that all Aids to Navigation in Littlehampton meet national standards for accuracy, availability, and visibility.

Hydrographic Surveying

The River Arun is one of the most dynamic tidal rivers on the South Coast, where constant movement of sand and silt can quickly alter depths and channel positions.
To keep the harbour safe and navigable, the Littlehampton Harbour Board (LHB) operates its own in-house hydrographic service, delivering accurate and up-to-date bathymetric data for harbour management and users.

Our survey capability

LHB’s dedicated survey vessel is equipped with modern positioning and depth-measurement systems capable of producing highly accurate bathymetric charts of the harbour entrance, channel, and inner river.

Our equipment includes:

Echologger EU D032 Single beam echo-sounder with motion compensation, providing detailed depth profiles.
Emlid Reach RS2+ RTK Corrected GNSS recievier, paired with a local Trimble R9s GNSS base station for centimetre-level positioning accuracy.
Beamworx hydrographic processing software to generate precise digital models of the seabed.

This technology allows the Harbour Board to monitor changes in depth, sediment movement, and channel morphology quickly and efficiently — without the need to rely solely on external contractors.

Why we survey

Regular surveys are central to safe navigation and effective harbour management.
Our in-house capability enables us to:

Update charts and navigation aids in response to shifting sands and dredging.
Inform Local Notices to Mariners (LNtMs) with the latest depth data.
Support pilotage and towage planning by providing accurate channel information.
Assist engineering and dredging projects with detailed seabed mapping.
Respond rapidly after storms or major tidal events to assess any changes affecting safety.

By maintaining this capability internally, LHB ensures that data collection is timely, reliable, and directly tailored to the needs of harbour users.

Data quality and distribution

All surveys are conducted to recognised UK Hydrographic Office and IHO standards and are processed by trained personnel using professional hydrographic software.

Survey results are used to update navigational charts and harbour depth plans.
Key information is published via Local Notices to Mariners and is available from the Harbour Office on request.
Where appropriate, data is shared with partner authorities, engineers, and marine operators to support coastal and environmental management.

Rapid response and continuous monitoring

Because the harbour’s channel can change rapidly, the in-house survey vessel can be deployed at short notice following heavy weather, dredging operations, or reports of shoaling.
This flexibility allows the Harbour Board to:

Identify potential hazards early.
Adjust buoyage or issue warnings promptly.
Maintain accurate, real-time understanding of navigable depths.

Environment & Conservation

Littlehampton Harbour Board is committed to protecting the unique environment of the River Arun and its estuary.
Our harbour isn’t just a place for navigation — it’s also a valuable habitat for wildlife, a designated conservation area, and an important part of the wider South Coast ecosystem.

We work closely with national and local partners to ensure that all harbour operations are carried out responsibly, with care for the river’s biodiversity, water quality, and natural surroundings.

Our environmental responsibilities

As the statutory harbour authority, Littlehampton Harbour Board has a duty to manage the harbour in a way that balances safe navigation with environmental protection. This includes:

Monitoring and maintaining water quality through careful management of dredging, waste, and mooring activities.
Minimising disturbance to wildlife by promoting low-wash navigation and responsible behaviour on the water.
Reducing our environmental footprint, including the use of sustainable materials, recycling initiatives, and eco-conscious maintenance practices.
Encouraging users to protect the river by providing clear guidance on pollution prevention and waste disposal.

Working with conservation partners

The Arun Estuary lies within and alongside a number of protected and sensitive sites, and our operations are closely coordinated with the relevant conservation authorities.
We maintain strong working relationships with:

The Environment Agency (EA) – on flood risk management, water quality, and pollution prevention.
Natural England – ensuring compliance with the Arun Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and nearby Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsar sites.
Arun District Council & West Sussex County Council – on planning, coastal management, and public access.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) – for licensing of dredging, maintenance, and other marine works.
Local wildlife and conservation groups, such as the Sussex Wildlife Trust and local volunteer networks, who help monitor and protect habitats along the river.

These partnerships ensure that all harbour activities — from dredging and mooring to development and maintenance — are properly assessed and environmentally sustainable.

Protecting wildlife & habitats

The estuary supports a wide variety of species, including migratory birds, seals, and fish nurseries.
To help protect this rich ecosystem, the Harbour Board:

Schedules works (like dredging and pile replacement) outside key breeding and migration periods.
Monitors sediment movement and water quality.
Promotes low-impact boating and paddle sports.
Educates harbour users about avoiding sensitive areas and reducing noise and wash.

A shared responsibility

We believe everyone who uses the harbour has a role to play in protecting it.
The Harbour Board encourages boat owners, businesses, and visitors to:

Dispose of waste responsibly.
Avoid discharging bilge or fuel into the river.
Reduce noise and wash, especially near wildlife areas.
Report pollution or environmental incidents to the Harbour Office immediately.

Together, we can ensure the River Arun remains clean, safe, and thriving — for both people and wildlife.

Reporting environmental concerns

If you notice pollution, debris, or anything affecting wildlife within the harbour, please contact:
harbour@littlehampton.org.uk
01903 721215

For serious pollution or wildlife emergencies:

Environment Agency: 0800 80 70 60
Natural England (Protected Sites): www.gov.uk/natural-england

Removal of Wreck & Hazards to Navigation

A harbour which covers a distance of more than 6 miles of the River Arun provides plenty of opportunity for hazards to navigation.

From sunken vessels and associated debris, to broken infrastructure or fallen trees.

Particularly following heavy weather, it is not uncommon for large items of debris to enter the harbour. Our operational team act quickly to make the harbour safe.

Our capability

Our operational team are well-practiced in managing hazards to navigation. We have a number of tools at our disposal to assist with locating, towing, lifting, and removing hazards from the harbour.

The team regularly deal with items such as tree limbs (or even whole uprooted trees), broken pontoon sections, and wrecked boats.

The Littlehampton Unit of the Maritime Volunteer Service also assists with regular river patrols, removing smaller hazards and alerting the harbour team to items outside of their capability.

What happens to wrecked vessels?

Whereever possible we engage with the owner of the vessel at the earliest opportunity. In some cases, vessels can be recovered to other marine facilities and taken away by the owner.

In cases where the owner of a vessel can not be identified, or where a vessel is wrecked beyond economical repair, the vessels are normally removed from the harbour and either sold (to help offset costs) or destroyed.

In all cases whereever possible, we seek to recover all costs associated with the removal from the owner of the vessel.

Dredging & Bed Levelling

As a naturally shifting tidal river, the River Arun is constantly reshaped by the sea — with sand and silt regularly building up around the harbour entrance and navigation channels.
To maintain safe depths and reliable access for all users, the Littlehampton Harbour Board (LHB) carries out routine in-house dredging and bed-levelling operations using its own workboat, ERICA.

Our dredging capability

The harbour’s versatile workboat ERICA is fitted with a hydraulically operated bed-levelling plough, allowing the Harbour Team to redistribute recently deposited sediment and smooth out high spots across the channel and berthing areas.

This process — known as bed levelling or plough dredging — is an efficient and environmentally sensitive method of maintaining navigable depth. It complements larger capital or maintenance dredging campaigns carried out by specialist contractors when required.

How bed levelling works

Rather than removing material from the harbour, ERICA’s plough is used to gently regrade the seabed, moving soft sediment from areas where it has accumulated to deeper water or natural scour zones where it can be dispersed by the tide.

This technique:

Restores safe under-keel clearance for vessels.
Prevents localised shoaling at berths and moorings.
Reduces the need for costly external dredging campaigns.
Minimises environmental impact, avoiding the disturbance and disposal of material.
Allows rapid response after storms, floods, or busy periods.

Survey-led dredging

Bed-levelling operations are guided by the Harbour Board’s in-house hydrographic surveys, ensuring that work is focused precisely where it is needed.

The combination of survey and ploughing capability means the Harbour Team can:

Identify and address problem areas quickly.
Monitor sediment movement over time.
Maintain navigable depths with minimal disruption to harbour users.
Keep accurate records of bed levels for planning and compliance purposes.

Environmentally considerate maintenance

Littlehampton Harbour’s dredging operations are conducted in full consultation with environmental and conservation authorities, ensuring compliance with marine licensing conditions and habitat protection measures.

Where possible, ERICA’s ploughing is used in preference to more intrusive dredging methods, supporting the Harbour Board’s commitment to sustainable and low-impact harbour maintenance.