FORT BRAGG, CA., 10/10/25 — Commercial and recreational fishermen in Fort Bragg are about to get a boost with a new icehouse at Noyo Harbor, an addition that officials say will strengthen the harbor’s working waterfront and support the local fishing economy.
On Tuesday, the public was invited to tour the icehouse before it opens, hopefully next month. Dozens of people showed up on an unusually warm morning, including officials, state representatives, homeschool students and members of the public. As sea lions barked in the distance, the crowd learned about the project and how it will impact the community.
The facility, still under construction, will hold up to 20 tons of flake ice at near-freezing temperatures. The structure, built from 30-foot shipping containers stacked three high to about 31 feet tall, will generate and store ice on site. The top container will make the ice, the middle will hold it, and the bottom will dispense flake ice directly into boats or trucks. The icehouse sits at 19101 South Harbor Drive, by the harbor district offices. Harbormaster Anna Neumann said the bottom container will be able to shoot ice out to the corner of the high dock.
The side of the white three-tiered structure will feature a mural by Vinnie Schravin, an artist and designer based in Sonoma County. Over the past decade, Schravin has completed murals across Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The artwork, already underway on the middle portion of the icehouse, depicts a fisherman standing on the dock, an underwater fish scene and a boat labeled “Noyo Harbor,” blending historic themes with modern artwork. The mural joins a growing number of public art projects popping up around Fort Bragg.
Neumann said at Tuesday’s event that salmon boats are expected to take two to three tons per trip, while average drag boats will take six to eight tons. Recreational fishermen will also have access, with the ability to collect smaller amounts for personal use.
Due to a mistake made by the manufacturer of the containers, the date of the icehouse’s opening has been delayed. Richard Shoemaker, vice chair of the Noyo Harbor District board, said that brackets necessary to hold the containers together were not sent by the manufacturer, but that organizers found a solution and hope that the opening isn’t delayed beyond November.
Shoemaker emphasized the facility’s role in supporting the fishing fleet.
“Currently, we have a very unreliable icehouse and if our icehouse isn’t working, many of the big boats sometimes have to go all the way down to Bodega Bay just to get ice before heading out,” Shoemaker said at Tuesday’s event. “We are definitely replacing an unreliable resource for recreational and commercial fisherman that’ll allow them to spend more time fishing and allow more people to use this harbor, and more product to be delivered fresh to the people who are going to eat it.”
Shoemaker also took a moment to acknowledge the deep history of the harbor. Standing on the cement slab where the icehouse will soon rest, he recognized the stewardship of the Pomo and Coast Yuki peoples, whose ancestors fished here for thousands of years.
“We are standing on the banks of more than 10,000 years of history for both trade and sustenance, and fishing is still an important piece of 2025 and our local economy,” he said.
According to Shoemaker and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the local fishing industry generates an average of $11.5 million annually in direct revenue, with an additional $26 million circulating in Mendocino County businesses such as mechanics, tourism and boat supply services. The new icehouse is expected to increase these numbers by providing the ice that fishing boats need without having to head elsewhere.
The project was funded through California Jobs First, a statewide initiative aimed at strengthening regional economies and creating sustainable employment. It is part of the broader Noyo Harbor Revitalization Project, which includes marina upgrades, dock improvements and programs to connect North Coast fish to schools and markets. Shoemaker highlighted the collaborative effort behind the icehouse, crediting state agencies, engineers, planners and local partners for helping navigate grant processes and approvals.
As Fort Bragg continues to balance historic character with modern development, the icehouse with its bright mural is just one way the town seeks to improve functionality and public appeal. In an effort to draw the community, Shoemaker said the harbor district has developed a dockside sales program for direct sales of fish, in which people can get notifications by email about when boats come in with fish for sale, as well as a few different harbor festivals featuring area catch and restaurants – including a fish taco contest. All of this is in an effort to keep the community involved and keep money in the hands of local businesses.
“Every boat here is a business, and probably a family business,” Shoemaker said. “When we invest in the harbor, we are also investing in the greater community.”