After the development of shoaling was discovered, restricting depths in the St. Joseph River Channel leading to the harbor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says emergency dredging will begin very soon — in early June — to expedite the process of restoring critical navigation to the commercial harbor.
The Corps of Engineers says teams identified a shoal restricting the channel depth during this year’s annual channel survey, and in some areas the restriction was as little as 13 feet below low water datum, effectively closing the inner harbor to commercial navigation as a result.
Detroit District Project Manager Alicia Smith calls the emergency dredging plan a true team effort, saying, “We worked with Congressman Fred Upton’s office, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the City of St. Joseph and local sponsors to award this contract in an expedited manner to restore critical navigation.”
The St. Joseph harbor is a deep draft commercial harbor with stakeholders receiving limestone, sand, gravel, armor stone, cement, slag, salt and petroleum products on a regular basis.
Muskegon-headquartered Great Lakes Dock & Materials L.L.C. received the $442,000 contract to dredge about 11,500 cubic yards of material from the St. Joseph Harbor. The contractor will place the dredged material at the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport where it can be made available for beneficial use. Smith anticipates the dredging should be completed by June 21, 2021.
To see the latest condition surveys of the area to be dredged, you can visit this link: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Operations/St-Joseph-Harbor-MI/
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 81 harbors including the channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.
The photo of dredging equipment accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is for illustration purposes only, and is not intended to depict the actual equipment that will be employed in the local harbor.
