The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, said in its latest announcement that dredging of approximately 60,000 cubic yards of Calumet River sediment was recently completed, placing the dredged material at the Chicago-area confined disposal facility (CDF).
This CDF authorized to accept Calumet River sediment is nearing the end of its operating life and USACE is beginning preliminary planning for closing the facility.
The clean harbor sediment is suitable for upland use and could be used in several beneficial ways, USACE said.
The Federal navigation channels in the Chicago Area Waterway System are a vital part of the regional economy.
USACE regularly performs maintenance dredging to provide sufficient depths for safe and efficient navigation within Calumet Harbor and River. Ongoing shoaling in the Calumet-Sag Channel is expected to create a dredging need for the channel within the next 10 years.
Calumet Harbor and River, the third busiest port on the Great Lakes by tonnage, moves an annual average of over 14 million tons of commodities.