The Hard Coal Navy: Dredging the Susquehanna for Black Gold

For nearly a century, the Susquehanna River functioned as an unlikely fuel source, collecting vast amounts of anthracite coal waste washed downstream from Pennsylvania’s mining regions. This episode explores the little-known river coal industry, where engineers and local “river navy” crews used suction dredges and barges to harvest usable fuel directly from the riverbed—providing an inexpensive energy supply for regional power generation.

This story centers on the operations at Holtwood Dam and Safe Harbor Dam, where sophisticated washing and flotation systems separated coal from sand and silt. These facilities uniquely combined hydroelectric generation with coal-fired steam power, maximizing efficiency and lowering costs. The industry’s end came swiftly in the wake of stricter environmental regulations and the devastation caused by Hurricane Agnes. Today, the dredges are gone, and the Susquehanna’s role has shifted from industrial fuel basin to a river defined by cleanup, recovery, and ecological restoration.

To learn more, visit UnchartedLancaster.com.

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