DETROIT -- Annual U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District maintenance dredging operations are scheduled to begin Friday, June 13, in the federal channel at outer Grand Haven Harbor, Michigan.
The project is scheduled to remove 14,600 cubic yards of material from the mouth of the Grand River where seasonal shoaling accumulates. The project is expected to conclude by June 30, weather dependent.
This project does not address the inner harbor of the 2.5-mile federal channel, where the plans for dredging in areas with PFAS concerns are ongoing with the Michigan Department of Environmental, Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE) about water quality testing and future placement. The Corps of Engineers is planning for limited future dredging for inner Grand Haven Harbor with placement at the Verplank upland site.
The outer harbor project will utilize nearshore placement along the shoreline 8-12 feet deep in Lake Michigan. The location plan targets erosion areas for beneficial reuse, using natural wave action to distribute the dredged materials. Sediment will be placed just under a mile south of the south pier and extend for more than a half mile.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy previously approved a water quality certification for sediment to be placed in the area with a Section 401 water quality certification. The material at the harbor entrance tested more than 90-percent sand allowing for placement on the shore, unlike the finer material in the inner harbor more likely to retain contaminants.
King Co., of Holland, will perform the work as the final part of a three-harbor contract for St. Joseph, Holland and Grand Haven Harbors.
“The dedicated community and state partners, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff, have been critical to our success in executing these maintenance projects this spring,” said Liz Newell Wilkinson, Grand Haven Operations Manager. “We look forward to a great 2025 shipping and recreation season as we begin the peak months.”
The public is asked to avoid dredging vessels, active nearshore placement and dredging outflow. Safety signs and buoys onsite will mark active project areas.
The Detroit District, established in 1841, encompasses 3,150 miles of shoreline and 81 harbors and channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie. In addition, the district boundaries cover projects and regulatory oversight throughout the state of Michigan and portions of Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.