Navigation Study

In 1999, the Army Corps of Engineers began a study to determine the feasibility of expanding the Seaway to accommodate movement of larger shipping vessels through the Seaway.

The expansion of the Seaway would mean the destruction of miles of fragile habitat, re-suspension of polluted sediments and exacerbate the introduction of invasive species into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

In 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers gave their most recent report on this issue. The report did not focus on the physical expansion of the Seaway, a victory for the River and Great Lakes. However, the report fell short of formally removing expansion options from further study.

Save The River continues to monitor the status of the Seaway studies to be sure that no further proposals for expansion of Seaway infrastructure are brought forward.

Latest News

Action Alert: Keep Seaway Expansion out of the Climate Change Bill!
Save The River has learned that an amendment has been added to the House version of the Climate Change bill that paves the way for Seaway expansion: an ill-conceived, economically unjustified, environmental disaster for the St. Lawrence River. Read on for more information on how you can take action... read more

Study Criticized for Dismissing Environmental Impacts of Shipping on River and Lakes
In January 2008, Save The River and Great Lakes United teamed up with 44 organizations from around the Great Lakes region to release a critique of the Army Corps of Engineers report on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway shipping system. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has backed away from Seaway expansion, but missed an ... read more

Corps Backs Away from Expanding the Seaway
In November 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Report, which is a follow-up to a highly controversial study recommending the physical expansion of the St. Lawrence Seaway. While this most recent report doesn’t focus on physically expanding the Seaway – a victory for the River and Great Lakes, the ... read more

See our blog for more news!