The USACE Buffalo District has begun dredging operations this week in Sandusky Harbor to maintain safe and navigable waterways for Great Lakes commercial vessels, recreational boaters and other harbor users on Lake Erie.
The District awarded a $628,000 contract in July 2026 to Michigan-based Morrish-Wallace Construction Co. to complete the work. Dredging operations are scheduled to start today, with sediment to be beneficially used for local beach nourishment.
Under the project, approximately 109,000 cubic yards of sediment will be mechanically dredged from the federal navigation channel in the Moseley and Straight Channels. 9,000 cubic yards of material will be placed in a designated open-lake site, and 100,000 cubic yards will be placed in a nearshore site, allowing local currents to deposit the material along the coastline, mimicking natural nourishment processes.
Work will be completed by November 1, USACE said.
The harbor was last dredged in 2025, when approximately 9,000 cubic yards of material were removed and placed in the open lake.