USA: Sheboygan Harbor Needs Dredging, Study Says

The Sheboygan Harbor was last dredged to its authorized depth in 1969. Since then, a restriction was placed on dredging the federal channel in Sheboygan due to contamination from PCBs. Also, sediment that settles in the harbor has resulted in a restriction of the safe draft for shallow draft vessels .

Large vessels can no longer use the harbor, thus limiting activity.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) was written to assess the impacts of the proposed action on the human and natural environment.

The EA is also available at the Sheboygan City Hall, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library, US Post Offices in Sheboygan and Sheboygan Falls, and the Town of Sheboygan Falls.

The purpose and need for this dredging project is to remove low level contaminants from the Federal Channel, improve the aquatic environment, and remove the dredging restrictions in the harbor. The dredging would help move towards delisting the Sheboygan River as an Area of Concern. Without this dredging project, Sheboygan’s water draft would continue to be minimal, and at some point in the future, the continued restriction on maintenance dredging would render the harbor useable by only small vessels.

The harbor would continue to have dredging restrictions due to the low-level PCB contamination in the sediment. The restrictions on dredging would remain in place and the harbor’s listing as an Area of Concern would continue.

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Dredging Today Staff, January 27, 2012; Image: uwex.edu