North Shore Ecosystem Restoration
Restoring Pittsburgh’s North Shore Riverbank
Riverlife is collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District to champion a groundbreaking riverbank restoration initiative on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. This project will be the first of its kind and the largest eco-restoration on the Ohio River to date, setting a critical precident for urban riverfront restoration.
The North Shore Ecosystem Restoration will restore land and aquatic habitat in and on the north side of the Ohio River from Acrisure Stadium to the West End Bridge. Riverlife and the Army Corps have developed a report recommending the restoration of appropximately 13 acres of aquatic and floodplain habitat.
In 2017, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District partnered with Riverlife to evaluate the feasibility of implementing aquatic ecosystem restoration along Pittsburgh’s North Shore, located within the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA. The project area is characterized by the absence or limited availability of natural floodplain features, such as riparian forest, wetlands, side channels, backwater habitats, and riparian shelf habitats.
The completed feasibility report recommends the restoration of up to 7.3 acres of aquatic and floodplain habitat through creation of a floodplain wetland, improving aquatic habitat through placement of aquatic substrate and habitat features, removing invasive species, re-grading and revegetating the highly modified riverbanks with native species to improve riparian habitat, and construction of compatible recreation features, including interpretive signs and trails. The recommended plan was estimated to cost $10,266,000 at the completion of the feasibility study.
Riverlife, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit organization, was the non-federal sponsor (NFS) during the feasibility phase. Riverlife was unable to immediately move forward with design and implementation (D&I); however, there is renewed interest by Riverlife, in coordination with the City of Pittsburgh, to reinitiate the D&I phase.
The City of Pittsburgh—acting as the NFS in coordination with Riverlife—recently signed a Letter of Intent (2024) to sponsor the D&I phase of the project. Updated cost escalations (2022) project that D&I will cost an estimated $16,789,000. This is a substantial increase from the feasibility estimate and is above the federal contribution limit for Continuing Authorities Program Section 206 projects.
The City of Pittsburgh, in coordination with Riverlife, is actively seeking funding for their cost share in preparation for the signing of the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA).
NEXT STEPS
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, has requested the initial $100,000 to develop and execute the Project Partnership Agreement. Prior to signing of the PPA, the study team will also need to validate and update the costs for the recommended plan. It is estimated that the project will initiate the D&I phase no sooner than fiscal year 2026.
