Port of Oswego inks pact to help deepen Oswego Harbor

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Port of Oswego Authority (POA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have signed a $600,000 agreement to deepen the port’s harbor, “transform” its capabilities, and ignite new growth.

That’s according to William Scriber, executive director and CEO of the Port of Oswego Authority. The signing took place on Sept. 13.

New York State recently awarded the Port of Oswego $300,000 and USACE is contributing an additional $300,000 toward a joint feasibility study to deepen the harbor, Scriber said.

The study represents the first phase in a three-step process that will lead to the design and construction of a deeper harbor.

To commemorate the agreement, Francis Enwright, who chairs the Port of Oswego board of directors, and port representatives joined Lt. Col. Colby Krug, commander of the USACE Buffalo district, on the port’s east dock to sign a poster that commemorates the project partnership. It also symbolizes the mission to “collaborate to deepen the federal navigation channel within Oswego Harbor, to maintain a strong national economy and adapt to future Great Lakes Navigation System needs.”

“After this has been discussed for more than 25 years, deepening the harbor and opening up our port for greater investment and growth will finally be a reality,” Scriber said. “For the past three years, I’ve worked with the New York State Department of Transportation, our local congressional delegation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to convince them that there is a federal interest in deepening our harbor. This joint feasibility project is the important step before taking action.

Pursuing the project

Scriber went on to say that he’s also worked in cooperation with the port’s commercial neighbors — including Lehigh, W.T. Oswego, and Lafarge — to earn their support for this project. 

By deepening the harbor, the Port of Oswego will be able to accommodate Seawaymax class freighters, which are 740 feet long, 78 feet wide and have a draft of 27 feet, according to Scriber. Those vessels are the maximum size that can fit through the canal locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway, linking the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to accommodating larger vessels, the Port of Oswego also cites the USACE in indicating that deepening the harbor will have other benefits. They include the retention and sustainability of existing port inbound and outbound commodities like grain and potash and expanding the capabilities of the port as the only New York deep draft port on Lake Ontario. 

The benefits also include the continued support of the wind-energy industry with an enhanced ability to accept wind-turbine components to the region; increases in port-related economic activity and job creation; increasing annual commodity and freight tonnages with additional commodity distributors and users located near the port; and enabling smooth truck and rail connections at the port to accommodate increased movement of commodities and freight.