Port of Oswego secures grant funding for study on deepening the harbor

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Port of Oswego has secured grant funding of $600,000 for a feasibility study to deepen the harbor.

New York State awarded $300,000 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) awarded an additional $300,000 for the project, William Scriber, executive director of the Port of Oswego, said.

The effort would open the port for “greater investment and growth,” Scriber contends.

“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,” Scriber said. “This joint feasibility project is the important step before taking action.”

The possibility of deepening the harbor is something that’s been discussed for more than a quarter century, he noted.

With a deeper Oswego harbor, the Port would then 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. The 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.

“Improving the harbor depth will open us up to larger vessels, we’ll increase business for both the Port and other commercial business neighbors, such as Anderson Grain,” Scriber said. “We conservatively estimate that we’ll see at least a 100,000 ton increase and will ultimately reach and surpass our previous levels.”

Scriber says he’s also worked in cooperation with the Port’s commercial neighbors, such as Lehigh, W.T. Oswego, and Lafarge to “earn their support for this project.”

Additional benefits

Besides accommodating larger vessels, the Port of Oswego cited the USACE’s Buffalo district as indicating that deepening the harbor will also have additional benefits.

They include the retention and sustainability of existing Port inbound and outbound commodities like grain and potash; expanding the capabilities of the Port as the only New York deep draft port on Lake Ontario.

In addition, the USACE says the benefits would 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.