The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District plans to dredge three Lake Superior harbors in Wisconsin and Michigan under a $1.6 million contract awarded to Viking Marine Construction LLC, Holland, Mich.
The work at Port Wing and Cornucopia, Wis., and Ontonagon, Mich., is scheduled to begin in August and continue through Oct. 31.
The Corps awarded the contract May 27 to address sediment buildup and maintain navigation channels at the three harbors.
“This dredging work is essential for maintaining safe and reliable navigation channels for commercial and recreational boaters,” said Monica Anderson, Corps project engineer. “By removing accumulated sediment, we ensure these harbors remain accessible and continue to support the local economies.”
Port Wing Harbor is expected to be the first of the three dredged, with hydraulic dredging scheduled for mid-to-late August. Dredged material will be placed in the nearshore beach area west of the harbor. Port Wing was last dredged in 2017.
Work at Cornucopia Harbor is scheduled to begin in mid-September and will include hydraulic and mechanical dredging. A portion of the hydraulically dredged material will be placed in the nearshore area northeast of the harbor, while mechanically dredged material will be trucked to nearby upland placement sites. Cornucopia was last dredged in 2024.
Hydraulic dredging at Ontonagon Harbor is expected to run from mid-September through October. Material removed from the harbor will be placed in the nearshore beach area northeast of the harbor. Ontonagon was also last dredged in 2024.
The Detroit District oversees 3,150 miles of shoreline and 81 harbors and channels across Michigan and portions of Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
