The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has resumed dredging operations along the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio after a winter pause, advancing a major sediment remediation effort tied to the Gorge Dam removal project.
The cleanup targets contaminated sediment trapped upstream of the dam, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oil, grease and heavy metals such as cadmium and lead. EPA expects to remove more than 850,000 cubic yards of material, which is being hydraulically dredged and transported via pipeline to a secured placement area downstream for stabilization and long-term storage.
Funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and supported by regional partners, the project is part of broader efforts to restore the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern—one of the most degraded sites in the Great Lakes basin. For stormwater professionals, the work highlights the long-term impacts of contaminated sediment transport and deposition, as well as the importance of watershed-scale management in reducing pollutant loads to receiving waters.
Once complete, the cleanup is expected to reduce exposure risks and support improved recreational use, habitat quality and fisheries in the river system.
About the Author
Alex Cossin
Associate Editor
Alex Cossin is the associate editor for Waterworld Magazine, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions, which compose the Endeavor Business Media Water Group. Cossin graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Cossin can be reached at [email protected].