One day left to comment on Cleveland Harbor plan

Comments close tomorrow on the application for the Cleveland Harbor dredged material management plan (DMMP).

This 20-year dredged material management plan for the Cleveland Harbor was jointly presented by City of Cleveland, the Port of Cleveland, Ohio EPA, and the Army Corps.

The array of alternatives to address the 20 year plan for dredged material management in Cleveland Harbor is available for public comment until July 24, 2020.

Subject to the availability of funds, Cleveland Harbor is dredged twice every year, once in the spring and once in the fall.

Natural sedimentation within the federal channel from upstream erosion is the main reason for the need for dredging.

The Cuyahoga River is a sediment transport system which can convey a large sediment load in response to severe runoff events. The upper navigation channel tends to experience the greatest rates of sedimentation.

As sediments are deposited and shoals form, they tend to obstruct navigation in the channel and require dredging to maintain authorized depths.

In the interest of maximizing remaining CDF capacity, annual dredging quantities began to be limited in 2006.

Prior to 2006, annual dredging volumes averaged about 300,000 cubic yards.

Maintenance of the federally-authorized channel since that time has been accomplished by dredging an average of less than 225,000 cubic yards of sediment each year.

Across the Great Lakes, federal and state partners and other stakeholders are actively working together to develop cost effective and environmentally acceptable solutions for dredged material management.

Some of the proposed measures include beneficial use (upland), beach nourishment, using CDFs at other harbors, new CDF construction, etc.