Posted on July 2, 2019
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which handles much of the maintenance on waterways in the country, has not included Holland Harbor in its initial budget for fiscal year 2020.
USACE funds are used to pay for maintenance projects, as well as dredging the harbor to keep its intended width and depth.
Dredging is the process of removing sediment and other build-up, like mud and weeds, from the bottom of the waterway. In doing so, it allows larger barges and ships to navigate the harbor more easily.
Dredging of Holland Harbor last took place in 2018, when $1.6 million in USACE funds were allocated for Holland from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. Before that, the harbor was last dredged in 2014. Robert Stanek, Lake Michigan area engineer for USACE, said dredging won’t be necessary in 2020, as USACE hydrosurveyers have assessed the harbor’s current state.
“The impact of not dredging the harbor won’t be as noticeable because of higher water levels,” Stanek added. A wet spring and early summer have led to higher water levels in the region, which have caused other problems, such as the closure of the Lake Macatawa boat launch.
USACE forecasts project that higher-than-average water levels will last into next year as well.
Still, some believe other maintenance issues will be neglected if Holland Harbor doesn’t receive any budget allocation from USACE. Reps. Bill Huizenga and Fred Upton, two Republicans who represent Michigan’s Second and Sixth Districts in the House of Representatives, respectively, issued a joint statement last week urging USACE to allocate funds to Holland.
“Holland Harbor is a vital part of West Michigan’s economy and is truly the lifeblood of our community,” the letter states. “It is critically important that the necessary funds are prioritized so that Holland Harbor can maintain its designed depth and width.
“We urge the USACE to provide necessary funding to ensure that Holland Harbor continues to be an engine of economic growth and a source of recreation for our community.”
Huizenga and Upton’s letter also claim that the harbor generates close to $68 million in business revenue each year.
Stanek said that because not every waterway can receive funds in a given year, the budget is rotated so that most urgent needs are met.
Still, it its 2019 Budget Justifications, USACE officials wrote that dredging of the outer harbor is required every year. Should necessary depth levels not be met, it could cause a problem for vessels navigating the waterway.
— Contact reporter Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ArpanLobo.
Source: hollandsentinel.com
