Lake Ontario might get deeper as the Port of Oswego Authority begins a $600,000 study on their project to create a more accommodating harbor.
Port of Oswego Authority Board Chair Francis Enwright, Executive Director William Scriber, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District Commander Lt. Col. Colby Krug signed an agreement on September 14 to mark the beginning of the project. The end goal of the agreement would result in the port deepening the Oswego Harbor by a foot and a half, something Scriber says will allow for more ships and more products.
“You know, we have over 100 farms right now putting grain into the port, and that would just expand,” Scriber said. “We’d be able to do more ships, heavier ships and that would be good for both the farmers and the economy locally.”
Not only could the deepening of the harbor help increase the number of ships coming in, it could help decrease costs as ships would be able to accommodate more weight.
Port of Oswego Authority is already a large employer in the area, but rise in shipments coming from a deeper harbor will require more labor. Scriber says that the deepening would open up jobs at the port.
"I always like to say 'ports equal jobs,'" Scriber said. "And that's not just on site, that's all the additional jobs we create as a maritime industry."
The study will provide important information on potential environmental impacts and a cost-benefit analysis to help move the project forward. The study is being funded by the Port of Oswego Authority through New York State and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
