For years, dredging was seen as a necessary but costly burden, a way to keep Cleveland’s shipping channels open while figuring out what to do with endless piles of river sediment. But today, Cleveland has transformed a once-mundane maintenance task into an environmental and economic game-changer, with the rest of the nation watching.

No longer just about clearing the river for massive cargo ships, Cleveland is proving that dredged material isn’t waste; it’s a resource with untapped potential.

The Port of Cleveland has spent the last 15 years pioneering a groundbreaking approach that recycles sediment into valuable materials for land restoration, construction and brownfield redevelopment while protecting Ohio’s greatest natural resource, Lake Erie. This innovative model is attracting attention at the state and federal levels, with many calling it the future of sustainable sediment management.

From Disposal Headache to Economic Opportunity

Today, sediment is harvested by locally based Kurtz Bros., which has operated the Port’s Sediment Processing Facility since 2016. This public-private partnership has transformed sediment from a liability into an asset, processing material that was discarded and repurposing it into everything from engineered soil to construction aggregate.

“The Port has been leading the charge in finding beneficial applications on land,” said Jason Ziss, Director of Business Development with Kurtz Bros., a company that has significant expertise with beneficial reuse. “Right now, other ports in Ohio as well as the Army Corps of Engineers are all looking at the Port of Cleveland’s model as the future of sediment management. The ingenuity and pioneering spirit of the Port is providing a national impact.”

Why Sediment Management Matters

Dredging is critical to Northeast Ohio’s economy. The Cuyahoga River is a crucial commercial artery, supporting $7 billion in economic impact and 23,000 jobs.

Cleveland has more sediment than any Great Lakes port. Without regular dredging, the river would become unnavigable for the large ships that carry essential goods into the region. Even a one-inch loss in water depth can reduce a vessel’s cargo capacity by 270 tons, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.

Across the nation, dredged materials many years ago were barged out and dumped in designated areas in bodies of water. Current regulations prohibit that.

A common misconception is that all dredged sediment is toxic. In reality, most of it comes from natural erosion—soil washed into the river from stream banks and parks. While excess sediment in water can contribute to harmful algal blooms, when properly managed, it becomes a valuable resource for land use. By repurposing these nutrients in upland soils, plants can absorb them naturally, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and supporting more sustainable land management practices.

Recognizing this, the Port, under the leadership of former CEO Will Friedman and Jim White, its former director of sustainable programs, began researching ways to reclaim sediment for beneficial reuse. The result was a first-of-its-kind sediment recycling center at Burke Lakefront Airport, where sediment is pumped from barges into a processing facility that uses the natural energy of water flow to separate and capture useful sediment materials.

“The Port and their partners created a facility for a sediment recycling center on the east side of Burke Lakefront Airport,” Ziss said. “The Port, Kurtz Bros., along with Hull and Associates created a sediment collection system that pumps sediment off barges into the facility, using the natural energy of flowing water to capture sorted sediment and allowing us to process it for reuse.”

Turning Sediment into Solutions

No longer an expensive burden, the Port and Kurtz Bros. now repurpose sediment into high-demand products, including:

· Construction materials (sand and aggregate for building projects)

· Engineered soils (blended with compost for land revitalization)

· Brownfield redevelopment (used as fill for industrial sites in the process of being reclaimed)

· Landfill cover (stabilizing closed landfills and preparing them for new uses)

A prime example of these efforts includes the reuse of sediment in several key redevelopment and infrastructure projects. This includes the transformation of brownfields, providing soil for the ODOT’s I-90 Innerbelt project and aggregate for use in embankments that support the bridge structures. Additionally, sediment has been utilized in the Towpath Trail Connector Project and for topsoil as part of ODOT’s Lakeland Boulevard project in Lake County. A large amount of the sediment is turned into a nutrient rich topsoil that is used in landscaping and horticulture applications throughout Cuyahoga County.

“We are proud to partner with a local company like Kurtz Bros. to bring real innovation to sediment management,” said Dave Gutheil, interim CEO and Chief Commercial Officer for the Port. “Kurtz Bros. has been a trusted environmental steward and an invaluable partner in finding creative ways to repurpose dredged material, turning a necessary process into an opportunity for economic growth and ecological improvement. Together, we’re demonstrating how public-private collaboration can drive forward-thinking solutions that benefit our waterways, our economy and our entire community.”

Gutheil also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the Ohio EPA in supporting the Port’s work.

Headquartered in Independence, Kurtz has been redefining waste into resources since the 1940s. Today, the company employs over 200 people and has set ambitious goals: to further develop dredge material into useful products that can be used in positive productive applications throughout the region and state. Kurtz currently recycles at least 60% of all the sediment that is dredged from the Cuyahoga River each year and also operates other sediment recycling facilities in Ohio. Kurtz is the largest sediment beneficial reuse company in the entire Great Lakes region.

Ziss said the company could potentially expand Cleveland’s model. “Cleveland is proving that there’s a market for reclaimed sediment, and demand is only growing—especially in the construction and agricultural industries.”

Another promising next step could be using sediment to restore degraded farmland, improve soil health and address soil lead contamination—a major issue in Cleveland.

The Port of Cleveland’s approach to sediment recycling is proof that even the most overlooked challenges—like river dredging—can be transformed into innovative, job-creating and environmentally responsible solutions. Thanks to the Port of Cleveland and Kurtz Bros.., what was once considered waste

is now fueling economic growth, advancing sustainability and earning national recognition—solidifying Cleveland’s reputation as a leader in innovative, environmentally responsible solutions.