Barcelona Harbor dredging project starting this week

Dredging of the Barcelona Harbor federal navigation channel by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District and its contractor, Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company will begin May 15.

Dredging will clear regular sediment build-up, as well as shoaling from overtopping of the harbor’s west breakwater, ensuring safe navigation and accessible depths for vessels traveling the Great Lakes.

Dredging will focus on the mouth of the navigation channel and inside the west breakwater, removing approximately 80,000 cubic yards of material and placing it in a designated open-lake area as part of regular and advanced maintenance dredging.

Advanced maintenance dredging clears the navigation channel deeper and wider than regular maintenance dredging, and will add roughly one foot of additional depth, and 10 feet of additional width to the navigable channel.

Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of June, and is not expected to impede boat traffic in and out of the harbor. Operators of boats of all sizes, including paddle craft, should steer clear of dredging operations to ensure their safety.

The Buffalo District awarded a $1.4 million contract for the work in Sept. 2024, with advanced maintenance dredging added in March 2025.

Dredging of Barcelona Harbor is conducted on an infrequent basis, based on need and the availability of funding. The harbor was last dredged in 2023, with 65,000 cubic yards removed.