Dredging Continues On Monongahela

Two dredging crews have been working six days a week since September to restore the depth of the Monongahela River.

The crews have removed more than 315 barges of material so far, equivalent to 166,000 tons of soil, rock and debris from the river bottom, according to the Pittsburgh Engineer District. The contract aims to restore up to 10 feet of depth along the river in specific shallows areas to allow the transportation of bulk commodities by barge throughout the region.

The dredging work is necessary because the pool level dropped approximately 2 feet after the Pittsburgh Engineer District removed the navigation dam near Elizabeth, Pa., last year. The current pool elevation is approximately 724 feet above sea level between the towns of Charleroi and Braddock, Pa. Elevation figures are based on the North American Vertical Datum of 1988.

Eventually, the Pittsburgh District will drop the river level another 1 foot in the pool being dredged. The district has not yet determined a timeline for the final elevation drop. The district is actively assessing the navigation channel and the impact the pool changes have on shoreside facilities, navigation industries and other stakeholders. Once the district has completed its assessments, it will determine when to drop the river to its final authorized elevation of 723.1 feet.

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Featured photo caption: A contractor dredges soil, rock and other materials from the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh on March 20. (Photo by Michel Sauret/Pittsburgh Engineer District)