Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

A conversation among Whalers
ConB
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Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby ConB » Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:55 pm

One of JimH's favorite harbors is in the news yet again. Leland, Michigan harbor mouth is almost closed even to Continuouswave.

http://upnorthlive.com/news/local/concerns-rise-that-leland-harbor-may-not-open

The National Park service the Michigan DNR are big users of this harbor and yet will not contribute to its maintenance. I'd throw the bums out!

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby jimh » Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:40 pm

Con--I misread your first sentence, and I though you said, "One of jimh's favorite bars is closed..."

You gave me a real scare for a moment.

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby ConB » Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:35 pm

Not to worry Jim. It seems like a new beer garden opens every month. You could spend your whole social security check on craft beer and have something new to sample next month.

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Re: Leland Harbor Dredge

Postby jimh » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:05 pm

We were at Leland this summer in August, and the channel to the lake from the harbor was getting rather narrow. It was not a problem for the Boston Whaler outboard boat to get in and out, but for larger and deeper draft inboard boats the water was already very limiting.

There is a flaw in the design of the breakwalls at Leland if sufficient depth cannot be maintained in the channel without annual dredging. Maybe they need to add some more breakwall that will stop the sand from being trapped right at the entrance.

Perhaps another possible contributor to the cost of dredging would be the Grand Traverse Band of Indians. Their tribal fishers boat is always in the harbor. It was the ONLY boat in the harbor last time I was there in November. If the entrance really shoals in more over the winter and spring, maybe it will be staying there for a long time.

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Re: Same old stuff, different day

Postby Dutchman » Thu Jan 12, 2017 11:28 am

Con-- that is a sad news story. I love the town [Leland] and its harbor, although it has been since 2008 that I was there with a big boat. We are planning to visit again this summer and explore Lake Leelanau.
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Re: Same old stuff, different day

Postby ConB » Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:54 am

Maybe not the same old stuff. Leland is raising money to buy and operate their own dredge rig. This could get entertaining. We will see.

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby jimh » Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:54 am

If Leland does buy their own dredge, I wonder what they'll do with it for the 11-months of the year they won't need it for dredging their own harbor. Maybe they can lease it to other harbors and generate some revenue. The harbormaster at Leland (Russell) seems like a rather sharp fellow, and I'd think he'd find a way to make the dredge pay for itself.

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby ConB » Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:34 am

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby jimh » Sun Feb 05, 2017 9:03 am

The speed at which the town of Leland raised $200,000 for the purchase of their own dredge is quite impressive. I hope it works out for them. Having a complicated mechanical device like a dredge that you only run about one month each year could be a bit of maintenance headache. And I see now there's a new work boat to be purchased to move the dredge around. Things are getting very interesting!

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby Wweez » Mon Feb 13, 2017 7:53 am

Since the harbor has been dredged somewhat recently, and since the local powers must have a plan before going forward, I have hesitated to ask where the spoils will go. My curiosity won. What do they do with all the sand?

In a real world, off shore, or add to a local landscape, but with all the regulations?

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Re: Leland Harbor: Same old stuff, different day

Postby ConB » Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:26 am

The sand from the dredging is pumped onto a beach about a 1/4 mile to the south west. It is nice clean sand. In a year or two the sand is back at the harbor mouth.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:27 am

From the local newspaper, The Leelanau Enterprise:

The Leland Harbor was given the go-ahead to purchase a dredge, related hoses and pipes, and an 8-foot by 24-foot tender. The Leland Township Board on Tuesday approved the purchase of a Wolverine Class Cutter Suction Dredge with all ancillary equipment and items, including the tender, for $488,681.

About another $33,830 has been estimated for things such as operator wages, fuel costs, maintenance and insurance, for a total cost of $522,511.


There was a fundraising campaign that received pledges of $250,000, including one local resident who donated $50,000 to the project and $25,000 from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, who use the harbor for their tribal fishers boat.

There was also consideration given to modifying the harbor breakwall to reduce the need for repeated dredging. The estimate for that cost was $12-million to $15-million.

The dredge is a WOLVERINE CLASS Cutter Suction Dredge. See

http://www.dscdredge.com/products/wolverine-class-dredge

for more details. The manufacturer has a production facility in Greenbush, Michigan, on Lake Huron, where the WOLVERINE CLASS dredge was designed and will be built.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby Wweez » Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:14 pm

If the sand is pumped up the shore and washes down to the harbor to be pumped up the shore again, that is a complete cycle. Recycling is so important that I am sure the feds or maybe even locals have some funds designated for recycling stashed which could be applied to this program and keep it going around in circles. As operated, this is the perfect program. It never ends, and the money keeps flowing.

Of course, any levity aside, most dredging projects involve these factors. I am just suggesting sources of funding.

Good Luck out there!

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:07 pm

I am sure the harbormaster, marina board, and town council have looked at all possible sources of funding that could be requested for dredging. I don't have any knowledge of the existence of funding for moving sand from the sea bottom to the beach on Lake Michigan. The lake does a good job of moving sand where it feels like. Over the eons the lake has built up some rather impressive collections of sand on the shoreline.

Image

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:22 am

With Leland buying its own $500,000 dredge, the county sheriff must figure the harbor will be open to bigger boats. The sheriff wants to upgrade his on-water fleet--currently the sheriff has FIVE boats in his marine patrol division, including a 25-footer with twin engines--to get a new S.A.F.E boat, a 29-footer--a $500,000 boat. To save money, the sheriff has agreed to delete the extra-cost option of air conditioning for the cabin.

The watery portions of the county are vast, and include some islands, but there is not much population on those islands. North Manitou and South Manitou are in the county, but they are national park lands, and the National Park Service (NPS) already has quite a fleet of boats to support them. Off-season the population on those islands is probably zero. In-season there are a few rangers living on the islands and some overnight campers. I don't know what the crime rate on the islands is like, but I suspect it is rather low.

I am not certain of the law enforcement jurisdiction in an offshore island that is in a national park. I suspect that the NPS Rangers have authority. The last NPS Ranger I encountered in my boat was dressed in black military clothing and had an automatic pistol in a holster on her hip--plus a rather badge-heavy attitude. She was standing on the bow of a 40-foot aluminum "boat" that probably cost close to a million dollars that looked like it could cross an ocean. This makes me wonder exactly how essential it will be for the county sheriff to be able to get to these NPS islands in a new $500,000 boat.

Of course, the county won't be paying for the entire boat. Federal tax dollars from Homeland Security's budget will be covering about three-quarters of the cost. The boat is described as a "29-foot" boat, but I am not sure if that means the sheriff wants the 27-foot S.A.F.E boat, which is about 29-feet long overall, or if he wants the 29-foot S.A.F.E. boat, which is about 32-feet long overall.

I am not sure if South Fox Island is actually in the county--the sheriff says it is in his jurisdiction. But there is only one resident there, a wealthy developer who has built his own asphalt air strip and flies in. He also maintains his own armed security force. Probably not much criminal activity there.

North Fox is now owned by the State and is uninhabited. Decades ago when privately owned it was the site of some horrific criminal activity, but I doubt much is happening there these days.

If the sheriff prevails and gets a new 29-foot S.A.F.E. boat, it will be stationed at Leland. I suspect the boat will be rather awkward to move around the county on a trailer, and it will remain there almost all the time it is in service. The existing 25-footer will be moved to Suttons Bay.

The sheriff also says that the Coast Guard station that is responsible for Leelanau County is actually in Wisconsin, about 60-miles across the lake. Previously there was a Coast Guard boat stationed in Frankfort, about 40 miles down the coast from Leland.

The sheriff suggests that the Coast Guard response boat at Charlevoix is "36 miles from Leland." That may be true, but the USCG rescue boat at Charlevoix is actually much closer to Northport than a sheriff's boat at Leland would be. The USCG rescue boat at Charlevoix is also closer to North Fox Island and South Fox Island, which are part of the sheriff's basis for needing a new and larger boat to replace the 25-footer.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby Dutchman » Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:28 pm

Jim all great statements in your last thread posting but he was elected by the local tax payers. It is just a pity that Federal dollars will be involved too as they could be used for better causes than a new S.A.F.E. boat in that area. It could be used for such as keeping harbors open and docks in good working order.
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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:14 am

A further irony in choosing a S.A.F.E boat is the Coast Guard has discontinued using them. The USCG selected an improved design for their Response Boat--Medium, and S.A.F.E Boat's (the company) design was not selected for the contract award. As the USCG is replacing their fleet of 10-year-old S.A.F.E. boats, my understanding is those used boats are being passed on to other agencies, perhaps including state agencies.

I imagine that the company making the new USCG Response Boat-Medium probably has a backlog of orders from the federal government for the new boat design, so they probably have a long lead time on an order of a single boat by a sheriff. Since S.A.F.E Boat lost their government contract, they can probably deliver the older-design boats without delay, now that the federal government USCG is not buying them any more.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby ConB » Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:32 am

How many layers of agencies with boats do we need?

--U.S. Coast Guard (except for air, less ever year)
--Michigan DNR
--State Police had some nice old Whalers in town one day.
--County Sherif department.
--Most of the local fire and rescue departments have boats.

I don't know the answer but there appears to be no plan to economize.

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Link: Harbor Town Raises Money After Government Help Falls Short

Postby Beerspitnight » Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:42 am

"The harbor in Leland, Mich., is so packed with sand and silt that boats can't get in or out. So the town turned to a crowd-funding website to raise money to buy its own dredging equipment."

http://www.npr.org/2017/04/13/523709922/harbor-town-raises-money-after-government-help-falls-short

[If you visited the above-linked website you will have to hunt around for the link to the audio recording. The link is quite well hidden. Here is a link directly to the audio recording:

https://www.npr.org/player/embed/523709922/523709923

--jimh]
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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:48 am

For 41-days, from February 17 to March 30, there were weight restrictions imposed on the country roads in Leelanau county that were preventing movement of the very heavy dredge on those roads. The dredge tender and the dredge pipes were able to be delivered. The dredge had to wait for the weight restrictions on the roads to be lifted.

The dredge is currently in operation, but the Leland harbor is still closed. The harbormaster estimates the entrance channel to the Leland harbor will be open May 1, 2017.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:55 pm

By the way: I was reading some cruising notes that are available when using an iPad navigation application and some Garmin charts. For many locations on the water there are notes available from cruising boaters who have visited there. With some curiosity, I looked up what visiting boaters had to say about the harbor at Leland.

Most comments were very positive, particularly in regard to the facilities there. As I have mentioned, since the harbor's boathouse was refurbished a few years ago, the place is like a Yacht Club. It has beautiful bathrooms, showers, laundry, and lounge facilities--about the best I have ever seen at a municipal harbor that caters to transient boaters exclusively.

But this was not sufficient for one boater to give the harbor a five-star rating. He downgraded Leland's municipally-owned facility in their federal harbor-of-refuge 100-percent-transient slip marina to only FOUR-stars because he said there was no swimming pool or tennis courts.

I got a laugh from that, but I could not figure out exactly why I was laughing. Either this boater was being a sarcastic wag and making fun of the expectations of other boaters, or he was truly serious and expects that cruising accommodations should always provide a swimming pool and tennis courts

As for a swimming pool, one only has to wander a few hundred feet south of the marina to use a beautiful public beach with fabulous sand and crystal clear water provided by Lake Michigan--but wait until August for the water to warm up. As for tennis, that could be a problem. I don't recall where the nearest public tennis courts might be. In northern Michigan, the game of pickleball has mostly displaced tennis as the racket or paddle sport of choice among the older population.

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Re: Leland Harbor: Now MUCH LESS SHOALING

Postby jimh » Tue May 02, 2017 12:07 pm

As of April 27, the harbormaster at Leland reports that the entrance channel has been dredged and now has 12-feet of water.

If anyone got a picture of the new dredge in action, I would love to see it.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby ConB » Tue May 02, 2017 1:39 pm

Jim, go through these on this cold rainy day.

http://lelandreport.com

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Re: THE DREDGE REPORT

Postby jimh » Tue May 02, 2017 4:18 pm

CON--I was able to dredge up these images from your link:

http://lelandreport.com/wp-content/grand-media/image/TLR-20170410-dredge-8391.jpg

That new dredge is quite a bit of machinery for $500,000.

Here the new dredge is seen in action:

http://lelandreport.com/wp-content/grand-media/image/harbor4-13-17.jpg

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Re: DREDGE CON ONE

Postby jimh » Thu May 04, 2017 11:26 am

WIth the harbor entrance now 12-feet deep, I think we can lower DREDGE CON status for Leland to DREDGE CON ONE--no known THREATS when entering harbor.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby ConB » Thu May 04, 2017 6:06 pm

Jim, be sure to read your Leelanau Enterprise this week.

Looks like the new dredge will just sit until they need it again.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sun May 21, 2017 7:25 am

I visited Leland harbor last week. The new dredge is now moored for the summer alongside the floating docks adjacent to the launch ramp. For your $500,000 you get quite a piece of machinery. It made quick work of removing two years of shoaling from the harbor channel entrance.

wolverineClassDredgeCutter.jpg
The business end of the dredge: a rotating cutter head
wolverineClassDredgeCutter.jpg (76.69 KiB) Viewed 28223 times

The cutter head is turned by a hydraulic motor.

wolverineClassDredgeBowView.jpg
View of the dredge looking forward from starboard side
wolverineClassDredgeBowView.jpg (63.21 KiB) Viewed 28223 times

The blue-white scale provides the operator with a depth measurement.

wolverineClassDredgeSternView.jpg
The output pipe from which the sand and water is exhausted
wolverineClassDredgeSternView.jpg (49.18 KiB) Viewed 28223 times

There was some initial concern about the ability of the dredge to push the sand-water effluent through the 400-feet of pipe to get it back to the beach. In operation, the pump blew a horizontal stream of water and sand about 25-feet out from the pipe exit at the beach--in other words, plenty of power in the dredge pump.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sun May 21, 2017 7:31 am

The dredge is so long it is hard to get the whole thing in view in one frame.
wolverineClassDredgeProfile.jpg
Dredge in profile view; forward three-quarters
wolverineClassDredgeProfile.jpg (36.23 KiB) Viewed 28223 times

The hull seems to be trimmed down by the bow. I suspect that this trim is eased somewhat when the cutter head is submerged.

wolverineClassDredgeProfileStern.jpg
Rather tall spuds can anchor the dredge in position.
wolverineClassDredgeProfileStern.jpg (29.59 KiB) Viewed 28223 times

Those spuds look like they're 30-feet tall.

Moored alongside the dock and the walkway bridge connecting the floating docks to land, the dredge is only consuming about 8-feet of usable dock space in the marina, and its storage there all summer should not affect availability of slips for transient boaters coming into the harbor.

workBoat.jpg
Well-used work boat and floating pipelines
workBoat.jpg (50 KiB) Viewed 28213 times

The harbor also purchased this rather well-used work boat for quite a modest investment. It helps to push the dredge around, and it also acts as a fuel tanker to bring diesel fuel out to the dredge. The dredge engine consumed about 200-gallons of diesel per day when in operation. The floating pipe sections are 100-feet long and are somewhat flexible. For storage they will be fitted with steel weighting collars and sunk to the bottom of the harbor for the summer.

This spring the dredging operation began in the harbor and worked its way to the lake. Next year they'll reverse that operation, and begin from the lake, working their way into the harbor. The dredge needs a fairly calm lake to work effectively. If the wave height is more than two-feet, the dredge is not particularly seaworthy in a beam sea.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby ConB » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:42 am

The Army Corp of Engineers announced their dredging budget recently.

Dredging projects:–

--Michigan
----Inland Route, Mich = $615,000
----Little Lake Harbor, Mich = $540,000
----Leland Harbor, Mich = $500,000

--Wisconsin
----Saxon Harbor, Wis = $575,000

I'm wondering if Leland will get the money to use later, or if it will be lost.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 16, 2017 11:46 am

CON--very interesting news. Maybe the U.S.A.C.E. will just come over and spend two weeks dredging the already dredged harbor.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby Hoosier » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:27 pm

Hmmm, $540,000 for Little Lake Harbor? Maybe there is more than one "Little Lake Harbor" in Michigan. I didn't know that the [USACE] was responsible for Michigan's Harbors of Refuge. The one I'm referring to is west of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior.
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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sat Jun 17, 2017 8:17 am

As I understand the situation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been dredging harbors of refuge on the Great Lakes for decades, but recently stopped providing those services. The cessation of dredging of Leland harbor by the USACE resulted in the village of Leland, Michigan, having to contract with private firms to provide dredging. The village decided that in the long term it was better on a cost basis to buy their own dredge rather than attempt to contract with private marine companies to perform the dredging. Now the irony is that the USACE has apparently changed its policy and will resume dredging harbors of refuge, including Leland harbor.

I believe that Little Lake Harbor, Michigan, is located on the north shore of the upper peninsula and on Lake Superior. This harbor was created in 1962 by the USACE. The harbor entrance was subject to shoaling. The USACE prepared an extensive report and undertook rather astonishing efforts, building a giant hydrologic model of the harbor and lake, to study the effects of wave action on shoaling. For some really curious reading, see the PDF file available from:

http://acwc.sdp.sirsi.net/client/en_US/search/asset/1033421;jsessionid=760D902D0DAEFF62B6D8C5241EF28F07.enterprise-15000

Here is the abstract for that report:

Technical Report Abstract:

Little Lake Harbor, Michigan, was constructed as a harbor of refuge for small craft on the south shore of Lake Superior. However, the existing breakwaters have not prevented a heavy influx of sediment into the entrance channel and shoaling makes navigation difficult and dangerous. A 1:75-scale (undistorted) hydraulic model, reproducing the harbor, breakwater structures, entrance channel, adjacent shoreline for 1 mile both east and west of the harbor, and underwater contours out to -30 ft, was used to investigate various plans proposed to minimize or eliminate channel shoaling. The model simulated wind waves, wave-generated currents, seiche action, seiche-generated currents, and the movement of sediment (by the use of a crushed coal tracer).

From an analysis of prototype data on water-level variation in Lake Superior and the harbor basin, it was determined that seiche oscillations with periods near the inlet-bay Helmholtz period occurred frequently. These oscillations could generate velocities as high as 4.5 fps in the entrance channel, with a median velocity of 0.62 fps. Proposed measures to reduce channel shoaling were primarily concerned with the addition of a new structure on the east side of the entrance channel and/or extensions of the existing breakwaters.

From model test results it was concluded that:

(A.) When a plan extended through the existing intermediate bar which bypasses the harbor entrance, sediment tracer shoaled in the entrance channel.

(B.) If either the west or east breakwater protruded farther lakeward than the other, heavy channel shoaling usually occurred.

(C.) Of the plans tested, the Plan 8B configuration (a 570-ft-long, detached, dogleg breakwater on the east side of the existing entrance) was the optimum in minimizing sediment tracer movement into the channel from both the east and west at the least cost.

(D.) The gap between the new breakwater structure of Plan 8B and the shore would close due to sediment movement from the east, and the addition of a caisson to the lakeward terminus did not adversely impact shoaling patterns.

(E.) Plan 8B provided a straight-in approach for boat traffic into the protected area between the breakwaters.

(F.) Plan 8B reduced seiche oscillations in the harbor and velocities in the entrance (for the 0.5-hr period, 0.6 ft-seiche) when compared with the base conditions.

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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sat Jun 17, 2017 8:25 am

There is an additional document regarding the interest of the USACE in Little Lake Harbor, Michigan, listed under the category of "Harbor Infrastructure Inventories" and available from

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Portals/6 ... Harbor.pdf

The document cites the source of authority for the USACE to have interest in Little Lake Harbor as "River & Harbor Acts of 14 Jun 1880, 17 May 1950."

The information mentioned by CON (above) likely comes from this press release from the USACE:


Detroit Corps office receives more than $16.5 million in recently approved Work Plan

Posted 6/6/2017
Release no. 17-011

Contact
Lynn Rose
313-226-4680
313-300-0662 (cell)
Lynn.M.Rose@usace.army.mil

DETROIT—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District announces additions to its fiscal year 2017 program based on the recently approved Work Plan.

The additional $16.5 million will be used in 2017 to repair breakwaters, dredge harbors, repair critical components at the Soo Locks and complete various projects and studies throughout the Great Lakes.

"These Work Plan funds will help address the most critical needs in six of our harbors around the Great Lakes,” said Lt. Col. Dennis Sugrue, district engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. “We construct, maintain and operate key infrastructure projects that are crucial to the Nation’s economy, environment, safety and quality of life, now and in the future.”

The work plan was developed when Congress appropriated additional funding for ongoing work in the fiscal year 2017 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Act as contained in the 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The Corps developed an allocation plan for high priority work packages based on the criteria established by Congress.

In addition to the projects being completed from the 2017 President’s budget of $67.5 million, the Detroit District’s work plan increase of $16.5 million includes four dredging projects and eight repair, replacement, or construction projects. In addition, the work plan includes design funding for two environmental projects.

WORK PLAN 2017 2-2-2
Projects that will be executed as a result of the fiscal year 2017 work plan include the following:
Dredging projects –
Michigan –
Inland Route, Mich. $615,000
Little Lake Harbor, Mich. $540,000
Leland Harbor, Mich. $500,000
Wisconsin –
Saxon Harbor, Wis. $575,000

Repair, replacement or construction projects –

Operations and Maintenance

Michigan –
Portage Lake Harbor, Mich. $6.2 million
St. Marys River, Soo Locks, Mich. $3.7 million
Grand Haven Harbor, Mich. $500,000
Wisconsin –
Milwaukee Harbor, Wis. $2.3 million
Saxon Harbor, Wis. $800,000
Two Rivers Harbor, Wis. $500,000

Construction
N. Wisconsin Environmental Infrastructure $50,000
Oakland County, Mich., Environmental Infrastructure $100,000

Studies --
Saginaw River Deepening, Mich. $100,000

Wweez
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Re: What's New

Postby Wweez » Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:39 am

Our gubernmunt would not re-dredge just because! Or would they?

jimh
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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby jimh » Sun Jul 16, 2017 12:55 pm

The U.S.A.C.E had been maintaining the harbor at Leland for decades (as far back as 1963), but had not dredged it at all for seven years (since 2010). The Village of Leland was more or less forced to undertake their own dredging in order to keep the harbor open. After several years of hiring a marine contractor to perform the dredging, the Village decided to purchase their own dredge as a way of maintaining the harbor themselves into an uncertain future which may not have any support coming from the U.S.A.C.E.

Just recently, the U.S.A.C.E said it had allocated funds and made a work project to dredge Leland's harbor. That was quite newsworthy, but, at the moment, unnecessary--the Village of Leland had just dredged its harbor, again, at their own costs, and this time with their own dredge.

From the perspective of the Village of Leland, the harbor is more important to them than to the U.S.A.C.E. The Corps apparently may or may not dredge it from year to year, according as they see fit or as suits them or as they have the time and money. The Corps demonstrated in the past they would not dredge it for as long as seven years, which, were the harbor to remain undredged, would have effectively closed down the harbor to all but very small boats like a kayak or canoe that could traverse the shallows or portage across it.

According to documents on the U.S.A.C.E website at

http://lre-ops.usace.army.mil/OandM/dre ... leland.pdf

the Corps has not dredged Leland harbor since 2010, or seven years without dredging. You cannot really count on the Corps to keep the harbor open if they can arbitrarily decide to skip dredging it for seven years. So the Village of Leland took appropriate action. They raised money, much of it through voluntary contributions from local residents, harbor users, and businesses, and bought their own dredge. Good for them.

As for what happens to the half-million dollars of taxpayer money the Corps has been given to dredge Leland harbor, no one knows where it will be spent.

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Dutchman
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Re: Leland Harbor: More Shoaling

Postby Dutchman » Mon Jul 17, 2017 2:02 pm

Hopefully the U.S.A.C.E will come South and use the half-million for Saugatuck, South Haven, or Michigan City. All can use a little depth after the Lake goes down again.
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