Why some support the Ottawa River Dredging…
07 Dec 2008
It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so rather than give you those thousand words on why many who live near or use the Ottawa River for boating want to see the money for the dredging project kept in the budget for 2009…I recommend you visit here and see for yourself what the conditions are when the water level is low.
I want to thank Nick Hinz for sending the link to these photos to share with you. For those of you who missed the initial post talking about this issue, visit here for more details.
WAIT! Before y’all go dredging it, why can’t the mucky river bottom be used for mud wrestling events? Hell, Toledo could be billed as having the World’s Largest Mud Wrestling Arena!
December 8th, 2008 at 12:51 amLisa – being the owner of 3 homes in Point Place I can tell you that the property values and the desirability of the area suffer greatly because of this. Part of the attraction of that area is the access to the water – both rivers and lake – and without the dredging that attraction will certainly become a thing of the past. And so will the integrity of the area.
And if the residents lose value in their homes, then the businesses will suffer as a result. It’s a trickle down effect – and it’s another thorn in the butt of Toledo.
I sincerely hope that Lindsay Webb is successful in getting this project pushed through. I am pulling for her all the way.
Now —- if the rest of council would pull its’ collective heads out of their behinds ………
December 8th, 2008 at 10:40 amCarol – how do businesses suffer because your property value has gone down. I live in the “new” south end and my property has gone down in value $40,000 – is that why the Hollywood Video went out of business by my house?
There are plenty of streets in Toledo that could use a repaving. That would increase the property values of the houses and business on the streets as well as save a bunch of people on car repairs. Besides -everyone uses the roads…
I’m sorry you can’t put sail your boat from the dock in your back yard, but why should I be paying for that?
December 8th, 2008 at 11:27 amWhy should I pay for Southwyck and the roads on Heatherdowns?
December 8th, 2008 at 11:33 amWhy should we pay for both the Ottawa River and Southwyck projects???!!! Both of these can be absorbed by private businesses that are associated to it if needing to be done now. In times like this, we have to prioritize and control the spending ASAP.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pmThe river is a public asset and economic development tool…
December 8th, 2008 at 1:07 pmThe dredging project won’t end the problems shown in the photos and may actually exacerbate the situation. Boats will be stuck in the mud at their docks, because a dredging project would only create a deeper channel. A deeper channel means more water can flow into the lake during a seiche, allowing the Ottawa River’s water level to drop faster than it can without dredging.
Another aspect of dredging the Ottawa River is the contaminated sediment from decades of use as an industrial sewer. Since the Ottawa River has never been dredged, the sediment of the river will read like a time line of Toledo’s industrial history. Those contaminants won’t be cheap to remove, so we’re looking at a lot more than a $6 million price tag to dredge a channel.
And although the pictures you linked to show how the water level on the Ottawa can drop, low water levels aren’t a new problem on that river.
December 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pmWhy should I pay for Southwyck and the roads on Heatherdowns?
You shouldn’t be paying for Southwyck…
As for say paving Heatherdowns – Heatherdown’s a major city road that is vital for thousands of people and companies who use it everyday, like any major road in any city…
I visit Franklin Park Mall twice a year (against my will), but I understand the economic importance that Monroe St. and Sylvania play in Toledo.
I’m not defending Southwyck, though selfishly I’d like to see it done doesn’t mean it should be…at least it could potentially employ hundreds and provide a greater public asset to thousands verses scores with the river project…
Hell Dave – you could even drive out of Pointucky and shop at the new Southwyck or dive down Heatherdowns, the odds or me ever being on the Ottawa River are slim to none…
December 8th, 2008 at 2:43 pmMy thanks to Upgrayedd. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand how dredging would help the Ottawa river, and of course I got my answer: it wouldn’t. Silly me, I forgot Toledo politics. If it wastes tax dollars and is doomed to failure, we’ll support it!
December 8th, 2008 at 3:48 pmI’ll be dead before the new Southwyck is done.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:17 pmI’ll be dead before the new Southwyck is done.
I hope not…it’s a great location. Between the old owners and Carty, it’s been a complete train wreck. Give us a few years to get past Carty and out of the recession and I think it should make a come back of some sort.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:02 pmKeep in mind that the dredge spoils have to go somewhere. Toledo’s confined disposal facility is nearly full and nobody can agree on where to put future dredge spoils from the federal navigation channel in Lake Erie and the Maumee River — let alone the Ottawa River.
The Army Corp of Engineers has looked at three alternatives: Vertical expansion of the existing CDF, (known as port authority facility 3) horizontal expansion of the existing CDF, or re-opening an old CDF (the Army Corp calls it Island 18. The locals call it Grassy Island).
The first two are unacceptable to the city of Oregon because it will make the city’s bay shore view less attractive. The Island 18 option is not wanted by the residents of Point Place.
Where do people think we should put these dredge spoils? Would Point Place residents be willling to re-open Island 18?
December 8th, 2008 at 9:41 pmUpgrayedd said, “A deeper channel means more water can flow into the lake during a seiche, allowing the Ottawa River’s water level to drop faster than it can without dredging.” What kind of thinking is this? Do you honestly believe that dredging is going to lower the lake level that much that it would allow the water level to drop? Hello! It’s part of Lake Erie! Since the river is so shallow, a light west wind day will make your boat sit at the dock until the wind direction changes and it only needs to go down by a few inches to do so because of the shallow water. My rudders are sitting in the mud more than half of the season and I only draft 33 inches! If dredged, boaters would not have to worry about the water going down 6 inches because there would still be 3 or 4 feet of water below. Also, why are we talking about Franklin Park and Heatherdowns on the Ottawa River Dredging blog? Some of you need to open your mind and realize the loss of tax dollars and business this will cause if the river is not dredged. This is where the saying, it takes money to make money. Spend 5 million, or what ever the amount is, and turn it into making money by attracting more boaters and businesses to this area with deeper water. Currently, who wants to spend money on a dock to sit in the mud and have your engine suck it up and cause engine failure due to overheating? I like to see all sides and hear in all directions, but this issue only has one side. THE RIVER NEEDS DREDGED!
December 8th, 2008 at 11:33 pmNick – sounds like you disagree with Finkbeiner’s idea to rob the CIP of money that was projected for the ‘dredge’.
Kindly go to TakeBackToledo.com and sign up for this worthwhile recall effort.
We need a mayor that understands business.
December 8th, 2008 at 11:53 pmNick:
Go dock your boat somewhere else. Boating season is only two and a half months out of the year anyway, so what you’re really suggesting is that the rest of us should all chip in and pay for your luxury item. Forget it.
December 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pmBrian Schwartz wrote:
I would think that the dredge would simply pile the spoils on the river bank as the river is dredged. Why wouldn’t this be acceptable?
December 9th, 2008 at 1:15 pmMad Jack, first the dredgings would just go back into the river when it rained so it would defeat the purpose, then there are probably a bunch of other reasons, when they dredge the Maumee, they don’t dump it on the river banks….
December 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pmThis silt hardens in six months time and is truckable to an off-site
location.
What is wrong with THAT idea ?
December 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pmIt appears after reading this that the prospects for keeping the funding for the future dredging project is dim. Blade article. Councilwoman Webb knows that once the money is taken out of the budget, it typically never goes back. Barring some type of an economic miracle, if the money for the Ottawa River, or for Southwyck or any of those CIP projects that were promised/held merit. They are done.
December 9th, 2008 at 3:14 pmA quote from the Blade’s article: “Councilman George Sarantou, chairman of the finance committee, said he understood the importance of dredging the river, but he was unsure whether council would agree to keep the money tied up. “It appears this project is one or two years away,” Mr. Sarantou said. “What do we tell the citizens? We aren’t going to hire police and fire, but we are going to dredge the Ottawa River?”"
BINGO! BINGO! BINGO! Talk about common sense and will someone please give Mr. Sarantou a gold star? The highest priority of this city is to provide funds for basic services such as fire and police, forget this river dredging!
December 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pmI don’t know if there is anything wrong with your ideas except the EPA requires most dredge spoils (some open lake dumping is allowed, but not much) to be placed in the CDF. The Army Corp who will do the Ottawa River dredging will put the spoils in the CDF.
The dredge spoils coming out of the Ottawa River are going to be rife with heavy metals. They will most certainly go into a CDF.
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December 10th, 2008 at 4:46 pm