Richmond Harbor in Richmond is located on the west side of Swan Island, which divides the Kennebec River into two channels before they reconverge four miles upstream. A small recreational fleet is based at the harbor, which is located about 10 miles north of Bath.

In 1872, a shoal at the head of Swan Island was dredged to a depth of 10 feet. However, constant shoaling in the ensuing years diminished the effectiveness of that work. In 1883, the Corps completed additional work at Richmond Harbor. This included construction of:

• A 10 foot deep channel at the north end of Swan Island.
• A jetty at the north end of Swan Island. The jetty constricts the flow of the stream and causes a scour effect on the channel, thereby preventing the development of sandbars.
• A 10 foot deep channel, 100 feet wide, at Hatch’s Rocks, which is located about two miles downstream of the jetty.
• An 11 foot deep channel at the southwestern end of Swan Island.