The Cuyahoga River is being dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers once again, and as WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports, the Port of Cleveland says communication will be key to keeping the shipping channel clear in the future.
A long-running dispute between the Army Corps and the port over where to dispose of dredged material was resolved last year. Since then, the upper channel near ArcelorMittal was partially dredged in December. And now, the lower channel – near Lake Erie – is being dealt with. In the past, the entire channel would be dredged twice a year at the Army Corps’ discretion.
Port of Cleveland Vice President Jade Davis says the two sides need to stay in communication to ensure that ships can pass through the Cuyahoga River without issues.
“It’s our goal and hope that the entire river is dredged properly, that the entire river is maintained properly. And that all the dredged material is properly handled and stored.”
Davis says they expect the Army Corps to keep the entire 6-mile channel clear, since the Cuyahoga River is used for more than just cargo ships.
“The rowing community and recreational community, you have all that stuff leading up over by Irishtown Bend and Merwin’s Wharf [Restaurant]. Then you also have other docks with stone and petrochemicals and things like that – other aggregates that folks are using in the supply chain throughout the region.”
Davis adds that the 1-mile area near ArcelorMittal will be re-dredged as well, since the process was interrupted in December due to equipment failure and bad weather.
Army Corps Lt. Col. Adam Czekanski agrees that communication with the port and other stakeholders is key, and another assessment of when to dredge the river again will likely be coming later this year.
