Officials announce $4.5M raised for dredging of Schuylkill River

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Officials say a fundraising campaign has raised $4.5 million to dredge Philadelphia's Schuylkill River to remove a silt buildup that raised concerns about possible loss of high-profile regattas.

Officials said more than two dozen organizations including local universities, rowing clubs and individual donors joined the city in the successful campaign.

Officials say it's been 20 years since the section of river near Boathouse Row was last dredged, and it's been a half-century since dredging has been done on the full course.

As a result, silt buildup has clogged the waterway and created an uneven riverbed, which regatta officials feared could jeopardize recreational use and the city's rowing and paddling events.

The money raised will go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, which will manage the dredging project.