Sakonnet Harbor, originally known as Church Cove, is located in the Sakonnet section of Little Compton, near the entrance to the Sakonnet River. Used by fishing boats and recreational craft, Sakonnet Harbor is about 0.4 miles north of Sakonnet Point and five miles east of Newport.

Initial work in the harbor, completed in 1908, involved constructing a 400-foot-long breakwater extending northerly from the western side of the harbor, and removing a ledge near the wharf to a depth of eight feet.

The project was modified in 1957 when the Corps constructed a 400-foot-long extension to the breakwater and dredged the harbor to a depth of eight feet. The total area dredged was about 13 acres.