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Press Release

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2008
Contact: Sean C. Bonyun
(202) 225-3761

Dredging of St. Joe Harbor Set to Begin within Days
Inner Harbor currently choked with 180,000 cubic yards of silt will be dredged to a depth of 22 feet

ST. JOSEPH, MI – Standing on Dock 63 this afternoon, Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) announced that the dredging of St. Joe Harbor will soon be underway.  Upton was joined by local harbor officials and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers to announce that a boat could be on site to begin dredging as early as next Monday.  The harbor is of utmost priority for Upton, who has delivered millions of dollars for seasonal dredging of St. Joe Harbor, including $950,000 for this year. 

“Mother Nature was not too kind to us this past winter with the unprecedented amount of shoaling in the inner harbor, but it could have been much worse,” said Upton.  “With the outer harbor completely clear, we can divert funds designated for the outer harbor to help clear the 180,000 cubic yards that have choked off the inner harbor.  I applaud the Army Corps of Engineers for their prompt attention to our harbor and their work to reopen it.  Each day that the harbor is closed to commercial activity harms our local economy– everyone, from small business owners to consumers, pays the price.  Now, with the dredging set to commence, our harbor will be open for business in a matter of weeks, and our local economy will be better for it.”

On Monday, March 24, 2008, a tug and barge was unable to reach the commercial docks.  At Upton’s request, the Army Corps was on site within 48 hours to complete soundings of the harbor.  Findings revealed that severe shoaling had choked off the ability of ships to reach commercial docks, including the federal channel which is only a depth of 6 feet in certain areas instead of its operating depth of 21 feet.  Upton immediately requested an emergency declaration which the Army Corps of Engineers granted, allowing for the expedited dredging of the harbor.

The St. Joseph Harbor is an integral cog in the region’s economic engine.  A recent study by Purdue University gauged the harbor’s economic impact at more than $5.5 million dollars more than 35 local jobs.  Major road projects along Interstate 94 and Interstate 196 are served by the port, and the loss of shipping could triple the cost of those projects.  The St. Joseph Harbor is among the top 50 in commercial activity among Great Lakes Harbors, averaging around 700,000 tons of materials over the past seven years.  In fact, shipping tonnage increased 18 percent last year as the harbor was recovering from low water problems and an emergency dredging in 2005.

The dredged material will be transported to the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport.

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