Posted on June 1, 2026
By Max Reinhart
Michigan is making a more than $4 million investment in recreational boating opportunities around the state.
Seven communities will split the money for projects including marina dredging and engineering studies, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday.
“Michigan is home to more than 1,200 state-sponsored boating access sites, 19 state-managed harbors and 64 local state-sponsored harbors of refuge along the Great Lakes,” said Kristen Kosick, chief of DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division, in a statement. “As boating remains a cornerstone of Michigan’s outdoor recreation, the DNR is committed to investing in and funding these vital waterways for the benefit of all.”
Among the largest awards is a $1.65 million grant that will help Port Sanilac rebuild its municipal harbor. Harbor Master Anne Soule said the upgrades are necessary because the harbor’s original infrastructure hasn’t been rebuilt since it was constructed in the 1950s, becoming the state’s first harbor of refuge.
“This is very good news for Port Sanilac,” Soule said.
The grant money comes from the DNR Waterway Grant-in-Aid Program, administered through the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. The program was established in 1949 to expand Michigan’s harbor system along the Great Lakes and to bolster boating access throughout the state.
Through the program, municipalities, and state colleges and universities can apply for grants to improve and develop recreational boating facilities at public harbors and boating access sites. Applicants are asked to provide a 50% match.
Including the local matching funds, the projects receiving Waterways Grant-in-Aid funding this year represent a collective investment of more than $6.5 million, the DNR said.
The grant money comes from the Michigan State Waterways Fund, which is primarily derived from boat registration fees and a portion of Michigan’s gas tax.
Projects receiving funding
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Marquette: $1.69 million to replace four piers, including utilities, at Cinder Pond Marina
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Port Sanilac: $1.65 million for improvements at the village’s Municipal Harbor, including utilities, headwalk repairs, fuel pier replacement and other work
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Frankfort: $200,900 for dock repair, shoreline revetment, sidewalk replacement and stormwater improvements at the city’s Municipal Marina
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Petoskey: $200,000 to dredge the Petoskey Municipal Marina
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Grand Haven: $163,813 for new concrete planks, skid pier and other work at the Flahive Boating Access Site
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Clark Township: $100,000 for finger dock improvements and an analysis of future projects
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Bois Blanc: $26,460 to study dredging design, ramp integrity and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance on the Bois Blanc Island Marina and to study possible riverfront development
