The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, completed fall dredging of Cleveland Harbor in just over two weeks, ensuring safe and navigable waterways for Great Lakes commercial vessels, recreational boaters and other harbor users on Lake Erie.
The work was completed 43 per cent sooner than planned – in similar fashion to the efficient dredging completed earlier this year in Conneaut and Lorain – and brings this year’s USD 11.7 million dredging operation in Cleveland to a close, USACE said.
Dredged sediment from Cleveland Harbor is being recycled, beneficially used and stored using Port of Cleveland facilities.
Dredging of Cleveland Harbor is conducted twice annually by USACE, based on need and the availability of funding. The harbor was last dredged in 2025, with 255,651 cubic yards of sediments removed.
Fall dredging started October 26 and was completed on November 11 as part of an USD 11.7 million contract awarded in April 2026 to New York-based DMYLES, Inc. for all 2026 dredging in Cleveland.
Fall dredging removed approximately 60,000 cubic yards of sediment from the federal navigation channel in the upper Cuyahoga River, including 10,000 cubic yards added to the contract to address critical areas of shoaling and support local industry needs.
Of the approximately 260,000 cubic yards of sediment dredged from Cleveland Harbor in 2026, 110,000 cubic yards were beneficially used through recycling at the Port of Cleveland’s sediment processing management facility, and 150,000 cubic yards were placed in the port’s confined disposal facility 12.
Authorized depths within Cleveland Harbor range from 18 to 29 feet, with the shallowest depths in the Cuyahoga River turning basin and the deepest depths in the entrance channel. The Corps of Engineers maintains these depths to support safe and efficient navigation for large vessels.
"With this work complete, we’re able to turn our focus to more dredging across Ohio and Lake Erie to keep ports thriving, waterways safe, and the U.S. economy strong."