The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) plans to begin dredging Toledo Harbor in Ohio on October 2, with work continuing through January 2027.
The Buffalo District said the operation will remove about 750,000 cubic yards (573,000 cubic metres) of material from the Maumee River federal navigation channel. USACE describes it as the Great Lakes’ biggest yearly dredging project.
Michigan-based Ryba Marine Construction Company will carry out the work under the $11.1 million, two-year contract. Its first-year task order, for $5.3 million, was issued on August 6, 2026; USACE anticipates a further $5.8 million task order in 2027.
Dredging is planned across the Maumee River's federal navigation channel, running from the turning basin upstream to the mouth at Maumee Bay. The material is slated for confined disposal facilities run by USACE and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
“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, commander of the USACE Buffalo District.
Toledo Harbor handled 11 million tons of cargo in 2023. Iron ore accounted for 53 per cent of the total, while coal and lignite represented 22 per cent.
USACE conducts dredging at the harbour annually, subject to need and funding availability. A district estimate published in October 2025 put the annual dredging requirement at about 760,000 cubic yards to maintain the navigation channel.
Ryba previously received a $4.565 million Toledo Harbor dredging contract in 2022 to remove about 800,000 cubic yards from the bay channel for placement in the port authority’s confined disposal facility.