Posted on June 9, 2016
By Mark Tower, mLIVE
The Saginaw River will receive more than $3 million in dredging his year, according to Saginaw County officials.
A technicality nearly stalled the project, important to keep the shipping channel open for freighters, but the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners made the decision that was needed to move it forward Monday, June 6.
The situation was explained to commissioners Monday by county attorney Bill Smith and Jim Koski, a former county public works commissioner and now a consultant for the Saginaw River Alliance, a group that advocates for commercial shipping interests along the river.
Smith told commissioners that questions were raised about whether a longstanding agreement between the county and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had all the proper documents.
“They have the rights under the current agreement, in my opinion,” Smith said. “They felt there was one railroad right-of-way that was not specified to their satisfaction.”
The Corps of Engineers, which coordinates the dredging work, asked that the proper documents be provided before the project moves forward, Smith said.
He said the Corps of Engineers reported they were missing a “right of entry” agreement that would make clear that dredging crews have permission to access an easement that provides access to the Dredged Material Disposal Facility, or DMDF.
The facility, located along Melbourne Road at the Saginaw-Bay county line, was created to dispose of dredging spoils from the Saginaw River.
Koski said this year’s dredging will cost more than $3 million, significantly more than in the past.
The Saginaw River is in line to receive about $2.8 million in funds to dredge its shipping channel, according to the budget proposed on Feb. 2 by President Barack Obama.
It’s part of the reason he said it was so important to ensure a technicality did not stall the dredging.
Removing material from the shipping channel that runs down the river from the Saginaw Bay to Saginaw, Koski said, is crucial to maintaining the local shipping industry.
Saginaw is the dropping-off and distribution point for road salt used on a large portion of the roads in the Lower Peninsula.
In addition to salt, the ports along the Saginaw River are important collection points for agricultural products such as fertilizer and construction products such as sand, asphalt, stone and concrete materials.
Officials said they expect bids to be issued for the dredging work on Wednesday, June 8, and for the project to begin later in the season.
Source: mLIVE
