Joyce Announces Advancement of Mentor Harbor Channel Project

Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced that the Mentor Harbor channel project has been approved for a feasibility study, advancing to the next step in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Section 107 Program.

"The "D' that the U.S. received on its 2013 infrastructure report card is a call to action," Joyce said. "Investing in our infrastructure is a smart way to boost our economy while putting Americans back to work. The completion of this project will improve access to Lake Erie for nearly 900 boaters and allow for safer navigation of the waters near Mentor Harbor. In my opinion, there's no better place to start rebuilding our nation than right here in Northeast Ohio."

"When the Port Authority leased the channel in 2009, it recognized the channel's importance as an access point to Lake Erie for the county's boaters," said Lake County Port Authority Coastal Manager Peter Zahirsky. "As Mentor Harbor is one of the sites examined in the Coastal Development Plan, the channel is a significant piece of our overall coastal strategy. We are grateful to Congressman Joyce for contacting the Army Corps on our behalf, and we thank Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown for their support of the project as well."

BACKGROUND: Section 107 of the River and Harbor Act of 1960 provides authority for the Army Corps of Engineers to improve navigation including dredging of channels, anchorage areas, and turning basins and construction of breakwaters, jetties and groins, through a partnership with non-federal government sponsors such as cities, counties, special chartered authorities or units of state government. The Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority, the designated non-federal sponsor for the Mentor Harbor channel project, leased the channel from the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club in 2009 to seek federal funding for its rehabilitation. The channel's current infrastructure dates back to the New Deal era and creates a difficult passage in rough weather for boats trying to exit Lake Erie due to its narrow width and orientation to prevailing winds.

Source