Posted on April 12, 2018
By James F. McCarty, Cleveland Connects
High water levels in the Great Lakes have helped spare dozens of harbors from the need for expensive dredging projects this year. But that situation is bound to change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned Tuesday.
The ports at the greatest risk are shallow draft recreational harbors that handle little or no commercial cargo, but are vital to fishing and pleasure boaters, Army Corps officials said.
Typically, recreational harbors assume a lower priority among the dredging and maintenance projects at busy Great Lakes commercial ports, said Marie Strum, the Army Corps’ Great Lakes Navigation Team leader.
The Rocky River and Vermilion harbors are Northeast Ohio’s only shallow draft recreational harbors, and both are scheduled to be dredged this summer after going undredged for several years. Federal funds earmarked for the projects include $920,000 for Rocky River, and $880,000 for Vermilion, according to Army Corps documents.
With average Lake Erie water levels, Rocky River Harbor requires dredging every three to four years, and Vermilion Harbor should be dredged every two to three years, the Army Corps said. The recent high water levels have allowed the harbors to avoid unsafe navigation conditions and negative economic impacts on charter fishing boats and the recreational boating community.
Source: cleveland.com
