Funding secured for small boat harbors on the Mississippi River

In a significant boost for recreational boating and local economies, several small boat harbors along the Mississippi River are set to undergo essential maintenance dredging.

This comes after a prolonged period of stagnation, with federal support for small harbor dredging absent since 2010. Prior to the lapse in funding, these harbors historically were being dredged every two to five years.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District completed dredging for the Davenport, Iowa Small Boat Harbor earlier this year, and just recently finished up $1 million in dredging work at Sunset Marina, in Rock Island, Illinois.

Under the River and Harbor Acts of 1946 through 1962, numerous small boat harbors were authorized for construction and maintenance as part of the Mississippi River 9-foot Navigation Project. These harbors were specifically designed to accommodate shallow draft recreational vessels with depths ranging from five to nine feet. Currently, twelve small boat harbors remain fully operational in the USACE Rock Island District.

These dredging projects require precise coordination with local municipalities. Those local entities serve as sponsors for these projects and are responsible for providing space for the placement of dredged material, sometimes a more difficult task than it appears.

“The dredging activities are not just essential for recreational boating; they also play a crucial role in supporting local economies dependent on fishing, tourism, and other water-related activities,” said Dan Guise, Small Boat Harbor Program Manager with the Rock Island District. “The renewed funding signals a positive turn for local harbors and highlights the ongoing partnership between the federal government and local municipalities to ensure safe and accessible waterways for all.”

Thus far, the District has seen success in dredging the first two harbors and looks forward to completing the other five harbors in 2025. Long term, the District is hopeful that federal funding will remain in place to return these small boat harbors to a predictable cycle of dredging as they were before the 2010 lapse in funding.