The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo District has scheduled approximately 750,000 cubic yards of maintenance dredging at Toledo Harbor, Ohio, under a $5.3 million task order.
The work, scheduled to begin Oct. 2 and continue through January 2027, is the first year of a two-year, $11.1 million contract. The Corps described Toledo’s annual dredging program as the largest on the Great Lakes.
Dredging will cover portions of the Maumee River and lake channel, with river work extending along the federal navigation channel from the upstream turning basin to the river’s mouth at Maumee Bay. The project will maintain channel depths for commercial vessels moving cargo through the harbor.
Dredged material will be placed in confined disposal facilities operated by the Corps and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
The Corps issued the first task order Aug. 6. A second task order, valued at $5.8 million, is expected in 2027. Toledo Harbor dredging is scheduled annually, depending on need and available funding.
“Maintaining the operation of ports like Toledo is a core part of our mission and essential to more than $1 billion in annual economic impact,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Anderson, Buffalo District commander.
Toledo Harbor handled 11 million tons of cargo in 2023, according to the Corps. Iron ore accounted for 53% of that volume, followed by coal and lignite at 22% and petroleum coke at 3%.
The Corps said waterborne transportation through the harbor supports $801.8 million in business revenue, $237.3 million in transportation-sector labor income, and 2,822 direct, indirect and induced jobs.
