Posted on August 11, 2025
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is setting the record straight after a viral video claimed raw sewage was being discharged into the Ohio River near the McAlpine Locks and Dam.
Officials said what viewers saw in the video was not raw sewage, but rather sediment being removed from the bottom of the river as part of routine dredging operations.
Dredging is routine work that is critical to keeping the river safe and navigable.
Each year, the Corps dredges nearly 1 million cubic yards of sediment from more than 10 sites along the Ohio River.
At McAlpine, a cutterhead, which is a rotating mechanical device, loosens sand, silt and clay from the bottom of the river, which is then removed through a dredge for disposal.
This process prevents sediment buildup and keeps the navigation channel clear for tows and barges.
According to the Corps, few rivers and harbors are naturally deep enough to handle the large vessels that travel through them.
Without the dredging process, many ports and waterways would be impassable, which would drive up transportation and consumer prices.
The Corps said it dredges more than 400 ports and 25,000 miles of navigation channels across the U.S. each year to keep our nation’s waterways running smoothly.
