Posted on June 30, 2025
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Boaters in Grand Haven will have more room to navigate after a dredging project was completed this week on the outer harbor.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed work to remove seasonal sediment buildup.
The dredging of the inner harbor is expected this fall once a permit is approved.
Harrison Gillette has been taking his boat through the waterway for many years and says there are shallow areas that need dredging.
“It’s great knowing they are putting the money and the tax dollars into keeping up on this,” he said. “They’re trying to make it useable for everybody.”
The city of Grand Haven says a project to dredge portions of the inner harbor including in front of the municipal marina is needed.
“Grand Haven is a deep-water harbor and to allow these aggregate ships to offload they need a depth to enter the harbor so they try to maintain a 25-foot depth,” said Derek Gajdos, project management director for the city of Grand Haven.
Gajdos says additional testing has been completed and special considerations are being made for dredging around Harbor Island because of concerns of contaminants like PFAS.
“There’s some contamination from the activities of the power plant and coal combustion residual, also known as CCR,” Gajdos said. “However, that island in and of itself has been used for over 100 years for industrial uses and including a municipal owned landfill.”
Boaters like Gillette appreciate the environmental testing being done and the dredging to keep the water way accessible.
“It’s nice that you know they can… bring the people here by shore but you can also bring them here by waterways,” Gillette said.
The city says inner harbor dredging is expected to start sometime in October.
