Posted on April 21, 2025
HOLLAND, MI – Dredging will begin this week at the entrance of Holland Harbor.
The U.S. Corps of Engineers Detroit District will start dredging the entrance to Holland Harbor as early as Thursday, April 24 to remove shoaling across the federal channel, a press release stated.
Shoaling is a wave pattern that causes sediment to increase in an area, resulting in underwater accumulation of sand and debris.
The Army Corps said a shoal formed in the winter months across the entrance to the harbor that, if not addressed, could potentially impact commercial dredging and the local shipping industry in general.
Dredging is the removal of that increased sediment.
If the sediment is too high and ships cannot enter the harbor carrying their maximum load, they are forced to take less freight.
A loss of just 4 to 5 feet of channel depth, which would force “light loading,” would result in a loss of about $1.4 to $1.9 million per year to the shipping industry at Holland Harbor, according to Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes – System Analysis of Navigation Depths.
Holland Harbor was already scheduled for dredging in the 2025 maintenance work plan.
King Co. Inc., based in Holland, will dredge about 12,400 cubic yards of sediment hydraulically.
Hydraulic dredging essentially vacuums sand from the bottom and pipes it to a nearby spot offshore.
Dredged sediment will be placed 8 to 12 feet deep on the lake bottom, south of the harbor.
The Army Corps said this allows the beach to be nourished by replacing eroded sediment without the impacts of heavy machinery or pipes onshore.
The project will cost $344,480 out of a three-project contract that also includes Grand Haven and St. Joseph Harbors.
“After finding the shoaling in Holland, we asked the contractor to prioritize the harbor in their spring schedule to keep commercial vessel traffic moving without impact,” said Liz Newell Wilkinson, the operations manager at the Grand Haven Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District. “Our staff works hard to get out early after ice out to survey and identify potential problem areas in the Great Lakes Navigation System.”
Holland Harbor is considered a “deep draft commercial harbor” with a federally authorized channel depth of 23 feet at the entrance.
Dredging is authorized for 24-hours a day operation.
The public is asked to adhere to all safety signage, public notices and broadcast warnings to mariners.
Grand Haven dredging stalls
The Grand Haven dredging project was rescheduled to 2026 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pushed back against a mandate from the state to test for pollution.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) wants the sediment tested for PFAS chemicals.
The state agency is concerned that sediment dredged from Michigan harbors may inadvertently contaminate drinking water supplies, depending on where it ultimately ends up being deposited.
On March 26, the U.S. Army Corps rejected an internal request for funding for the testing. They say PFAS testing in Grand Haven and elsewhere threatens to drive up dredging costs if the sediment is toxic enough to require landfilling.
In Grand Haven, harbor businesses say the dredging delay threatens to drive up road construction costs if cargo deliveries cost more because ships can’t float-in as much material.
