USACE kicks off Manistee Harbor Channel dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District is dredging the Manistee Harbor federal navigation channel to remove shoaling preventing deep-drafting commercial traffic.

USACE was previously scheduled to maintenance dredge the harbor later in the summer, but quick coordination between staff and the contractor enabled the project to be prioritized with a late June start date.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources limits certain activities – including dredging – until after June 15 to protect fish spawning and habitat, as part of a policy popularly known as a “fish window.”

About 33,000 cubic years of sediment will be removed from the harbor under a $581,000 contract with King Company of Holland. Funding for the project will come from the Fiscal Year 2022 President’s Budget (PBUD).

The project is scheduled to conclude on or before July 31. King Company previously dredged Manistee Harbor in 2022 under a similar contract.