EXCLUSIVE: The largest dredging operation on Great Lakes starts soon

The USACE Buffalo District and its contractor Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company will begin the largest 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 $11.1 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, USACE said.

Dredging will focus on the full length of the Maumee River federal navigation channel, from the turning basin upstream to the mouth of the river at Maumee Bay. Work is scheduled to take place from September through December.

A total of approximately 750,000 cubic yards is contracted to be dredged and placed into confined disposal facilities operated by USACE and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

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 $5.3 million task order issued on August 6, marking the first year of the two-year contract. The second task order is expected to be issued in 2027 for $5.8 million.