Part of the St. Joseph River in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph could be dredged this spring.
We reported last year on Berrien County’s efforts to secure a grant to allow for dredging around the island as boaters reported the water becoming too shallow for navigation. Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette had an update Thursday for the Berrien County Board of Commissioners.
“We submitted that permit application at the very last week of May of last year, and about three weeks ago, EGLE finally issued the preliminary permit on this,” Fette said. “Now it’s not complete yet. We still have to get the Corps of Engineers to sign off on that permit.”
Fette said he’s been told that approval could come in the next few days. He said with any luck, dredging could start in the spring. Of course, that leaves the question of who will pay for it, and Fette said it won’t be the county.
“We’ve been clear with the affected boating community that Berrien County is not paying for river dredging anymore. We’re out of that business. If they want to do it, they can do it on their own, utilizing the permit that we’ve acquired on their behalf.”
Marinas and boat owners will have to raise the funds.
Fette said Thursday he’s also met with representatives of Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and St. Joseph Township about creating a St. Joseph River Harbor Authority that could establish an assessment on river users to pay for ongoing dredging operations. Benton Harbor City Commissioners could consider accepting an incorporation agreement Monday.
Fette said the county dissolved its own Harbor Authority about ten years ago because its doesn’t control land development along the river and can’t create a special assessment district there. He’s hoping the new Harbor Authority will be up and running by the summer.
