Posted on April 23, 2025
Dredging to allow for recreational boating in the St. Joseph River this summer has begun in Benton Harbor.
Pier 1000 Marina’s Kathy Myers tells us Triple D Excavating of Eau Claire began pulling sand from the river near Tackle Haven on Tuesday.
Berrien County helped to secure the necessary permits for dredging to be done in the river with the understanding the local boating community would pay for it. Myers has been spearheading the fundraising effort and says they’re not there yet, but they hope to have enough this summer. She describes Triple D as an “awesome contractor,” telling us the boating community will make payments to the company to cover the cost as it can. She doesn’t know just how much the dredging will cost, but estimates it will be around $200,000.
The fundraising effort will continue with a Memorial Day bash planned at Harbor Shores to raise more money.
Myers says the dredging should take a couple of weeks, noting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has suspended the May 1 deadline usually in place for fish spawning. She also tells us the need for dredging is great with the water in the river around four feet deep near the marina. In some places, it’s three and a half feet.
Sand pulled from the river is being stored at marina property, but could eventually be moved to the former Berrien Hills golf course because Myers says they need fill material there for another project.
Meanwhile, any boaters who want to contribute to the dredging effort can call Pier 1000.
