GRAND HAVEN, MICH. — The harbor in Holland, along with the commercial harbors in Muskegon and Grand Haven, plays a vital role in shipping and receiving over 4 million tons of materials annually.
However, recent federal funding cuts may impact essential maintenance needed to keep these harbors operational.
The Michigan lakeshore is bustling with activity, from recreational boating and fishing to the shipping of goods.
Michigan U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten emphasizes the importance of these ports, stating, "We are increasingly busy ports throughout the Great Lakes. You know, a lot of viewers may know our beautiful Great Lakes for the recreation and respite that they provide, but they're also an economic powerhouse for shipping goods."
Every couple of years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts dredging operations to maintain navigable channels into the cities of Grand Haven, Muskegon, and Holland.
Nick Zager, Chief of the Operations Division for the Army Corps of Engineers in the Detroit district, noted, "Sand and sediment moves along the shoreline and plugs up the entrance channel, or there's sediment that comes down through the river. So in other words, we may need to dredge that in order for vessels to get in and out."
The future of dredging schedules for these harbors could be uncertain due to the federal funding cuts that impact Michigan. Rep. Scholten warned of significant implications, saying, "If we don't keep those on schedule, will be huge entities that will be directly impacted, specifically include the West Michigan County Road commission and MDOT road projects that rely on the product that is going to be shipped through the harbors."
She added that Grand Haven could potentially miss out on $88 million in business revenue.
Scholten explained, "With every foot less draft that we have, shipping costs will increase by approximately 10%, we're looking at, you know, potentially an overall economic impact of a million dollars annually."
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dredging is the most efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
Zager stated, "It saves the country $3.9 billion a year over the next mode of transportation." He further elaborated, "What you see here is that one of those 1000-foot vessels is the equivalent of 3000 large trucks or 100 rail cars. So you can think about how that 1000-foot vessel is so much more efficient from a greenhouse gas standpoint."
Budgeting for the U.S. Army Corps is expected to be released by the end of April 2025, which will determine when dredging projects may take place.
Scholten noted that delays in dredging could lead to increased shipping costs, stating, "So we push it back, but it eventually happens, increased shipping costs could spike upwards of 25 to 30%, this would increase overall supply prices by roughly three to $5 million annually."
As for specific dredging schedules, the Army Corps plans to conduct dredging operations in Muskegon and Holland harbors over the next couple of months, while dredging in Grand Haven has been postponed to next year due to PFAS testing.
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