To continue supporting the state’s southwestern economy, Pennsylvania legislators in Congress this week urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to urgently fix water depth issues caused by the dam removal process at Elizabeth Locks and Dam on the Monongahela River.
Currently, the water is too shallow for many commercial barges to navigate through the lock at full capacity, leading to reduced freight volumes and significantly impacting the local economy, wrote U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), along with U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), and Summer Lee (D-PA-12), in an Aug. 6 letter sent to Corps Commanding General Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon.
“As you are aware, there was a miscalculation of the projected interim water depth in the lock following the partial demolition of the dam by the USACE,” the delegation wrote. “This misestimate has resulted in significant limitations on commercial barge traffic along the Monongahela River,” which they noted is a vital corridor for commercial barge traffic and recreational boating.
“The limited depth of water in the lock continues to have adverse economic impacts on local businesses and residents who rely on the river,” wrote the lawmakers.
The members called on USACE to prioritize the return of the nine-foot draft for commercial barge traffic and requested the Corps provide ongoing updates to the regional inland waterway community, pointing out that any additional delays could have steep economic costs for the southwestern region of the state.
“Keeping this waterway safe and navigable in the long run is critical to the region’s economy and way of life,” they wrote.
The removal of the Elizabeth Locks and Dam, which is part of a broader effort to modernize the Monongahela River, started earlier this summer when the USACE, with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, conducted its first controlled demolition on July 10 to remove the dam on the river near Elizabeth, Pa.
After years of delays and cost overruns, the project is near completion and is projected to boost the regional economy by $200 million annually, according to their letter.
Following the controlled demolition, the water level in the lock was too shallow to accommodate traditional commercial vessels, and the resulting low water depth required the Corps to impose navigation restrictions that the lawmakers wrote “have scrambled barge traffic creating delays and trapping vessels above the lock, reduced the raw amount of commodities carried on many barges that do move through the lock by 25 percent, and cost industry several millions of dollars per week by early estimates.”
At the same time, USACE has been responsive to federal officials and staff, local stakeholders, and industry partners in the aftermath of this incident, they wrote.
“While we understand the USACE is working to create a navigable path that can accommodate standard vessel depths,” added the lawmakers, “we write today to emphasize the need for USACE to act with urgency to rectify the issue on or before the Corps’ internal deadline of Aug. 28.”