U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District contractor Ryba Marine Construction Co. pumps out dredged material from a scow in Toledo Harbor and into a confined disposal facility, Toledo, OH, November 4, 2020. "Regular dredging of Maumee Bay is absolutely vital to the functioning of our port and our economy," said U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur. "Once again, I thank the Army Corps of Engineers and their partners in the private and public sector for their efforts to ensure this work gets done. I am especially pleased that open lake disposal of the dredged materials will not be carried out this year, instead moving to a more environmentally sustainable solution. As Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, I've worked hard to curb open lake disposal in Lake Erie by advancing legislation to ban the practice, and providing sufficient funding for dredging at the harbor. Millions depend on Lake Erie for drinking water, commercial shipping, and fishing. I'm glad this project will be carried out with those interests in mind."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District and its contractor Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company will begin the largest annual dredging operation on the Great Lakes this fall.
This year’s dredging of Toledo Harbor’s federal navigation channel – which requires the largest quantity of material to be dredged from any Great Lakes harbor – is part of a two-year contract totaling $8.6 million, and ensures accessible depths for large vessels, the continued flow of commodities across the Great Lakes, and the economic viability of United States waterways.

“Maintaining the operation of ports like Toledo is a core part of our mission and essential to the economic strength of the nation,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, commander of the Buffalo District. “We’re proud of our partnerships with the City of Toledo and it’s port authority, the state of Ohio, and our representatives in Congress that have made this two-year contract award possible, and we look forward to getting dredging underway.”

Dredging will focus on the lower Maumee River and lake approach channel. Work is scheduled to take place from September through early December.

A total of approximately 600,000 cubic yards of material is contracted to be dredged and placed into the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s confined disposal facility.

Dredging of Toledo Harbor is scheduled to be conducted by USACE every year, based on need and the availability of funding. This year’s dredging is being conducted under a $4.4 million task order issued on May 6, marking the final year of the two-year contract. The initial task order, issued in 2024, totaled $4.2 million.

Toledo Harbor is a deep draft commercial harbor which handled 10 million tons of cargo, including iron ore (55%), coal & lignite (14%), soybeans (5%), and salt (3%) in 2022. Waterborne transportation facilitated by the harbor supports $592.3 million in business revenue, 2,393 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $183.2 million in labor income to the transportation sector.

Operation, maintenance and dredging of harbors like Toledo by USACE is critical to the economy of Ohio, the Great Lakes region, and the United States.

Photos available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/albums/72157716854515061

The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation in order to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war.