Corps of Engineers awards contract to dredge Duluth-Superior Harbor

Maintenance dredging slated to begin early August

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, awarded a contract for dredging at Duluth-Superior Harbor in western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, to begin early August.

The $2.72 million contract is awarded to Roen Salvage Co., from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The contract is to mechanically dredge about 76,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor. The dredged material will be placed at Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) and the 40th Avenue West Placement Area. Dredging will begin in early August and will be complete by November 1, with Erie Pier site work complete by March 2023.

“Maintenance dredging executed under this contract will allow ships to safely navigate in the Duluth-Superior Harbor and approximately half of the material will be beneficially used for habitat restoration at the 40th Avenue placement site,” said Project Manager Stephen Rumple.

Material placed at the 40th Avenue placement site will help complete the St. Louis River Remedial Action Plan. Navigation channel dredged material was beneficially used in 2018 to construct shallow water habitat features within the 40th Avenue West restoration project. To complete the plan, the 2022 project will broadcast bio-medium material over the remaining constructed features to enhance macroinvertebrate colonization and aquatic plant growth.

In addition to dredging and placement, the contract requires some additional work to be completed at the Erie Pier CDF. This includes excavation and transportation of 140,000 cubic yards of material from the settling ponds to the stockpile areas within Erie Pier. In addition, the contract awards two options for mowing and brush clearing within Erie Pier CDF boundary.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 81 federal navigation projects including the channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.