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  • MacArthur Lock closing for seasonal repair, maintenance

    AULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Soo Locks’ MacArthur Lock will close for the Navigation Season 7 a.m. Dec. 17, 2023, through April 24, 2024, to perform dam safety inspections and routine maintenance. The Poe Lock will remain open until Jan. 15, 2024, or until commercial traffic ceases, whichever occurs first. The Soo Locks operating season is fixed by federal regulation (33 CFR 207.440). “The 800-foot-long MacArthur Lock, built in 1943, is 80 years old; the maintenance period is critical to keeping the lock in operation during the shipping season,” Maintenance Branch Chief Nicholas Pettit said.

  • High winds, storms, wave action increase hazards

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, urges caution around Great Lakes harbor piers and breakwaters, particularly during high wind and wave events. Accidents can occur near harbor structures during turbulent weather late in the year. The lakeshore attracts residents and visitors who may not be aware of the powerful impacts strong winds and storms can bring to shorelines and harbor structures. “Although breakwater structures are built for navigation, they are often used for recreation,” said Chief of Operations and Maintenance Branch, Cindy Jarema. “Walking along breakwater structures can be hazardous – surfaces may be slippery and uneven, and wave action increases the risk of injury or falling into the water.”

  • Soo Locks Visitor Center closes for 2023 season

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closes the Soo Locks Visitor Center in Canal Park at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 for the 2023 season. Visitor Center hours for the remainder of Oct. are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for the month of October and will transition to winter hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) on Nov. 1. “The Visitor Center offered several new exhibits this summer to include a new interactive photo table, panels highlighting careers and workers at the Soo Locks and new rugs that show the existing and future Soo Locks facility,” Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs said. “We listen to our visitors and create exhibits that reflect their interests.”

  • Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center celebrates 50 years

    DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota celebrates 50 years with an event Thursday, September 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association will host a celebration with refreshments, a look back at the history of the Visitor Center including photos, old park ranger uniforms and some rarely-before-seen artifacts from the collection.

  • Army Corps to keep Crooked River Lock in Alanson closed to complete repairs

    The Crooked River Lock in Alanson, Michigan will remain closed for the remainder of the season to perform critical maintenance this fall. This decision was made Thursday, September 14, 2023 between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) and Emmet County leadership for the safety of the public. Replacement parts for a faulty safety relay allowing the lock to reliably open and close remain on backorder. The Detroit District, in conjunction with Emmet County, which operates the lock under an agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, decided Thursday to close the lock early for the season for safety of the public, and to conduct a thorough inspection and development of a robust repair plan to prevent unscheduled 2024 closures.

  • Army Corps working to restore Crooked River Lock in Alanson, Michigan

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) is working to restore operations to the Crooked River Lock in Alanson, after an electrical malfunction the evening of Thursday, Aug. 24, caused the lock to be shutdown to recreational boat traffic. Replacement parts for an obsolete safety module are expected by Sept. 15 to restore the lock to full functioning capability. Boaters will not be able to navigate between Crooked River and Crooked Lake during this time

  • Army Corps begins dredging two Lake Michigan harbors

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) will begin dredging operations in Ludington and Pentwater harbors on Lake Michigan on Friday, Aug. 4. The projects represent about $1.25 million in dredging to keep the federal navigation system safe and open for commercial and recreational traffic.

  • Detroit District accepting entries for annual photo contest

    DETROIT- The Detroit District invites photographers to enter its 8th annual photo contest highlighting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites across the Great Lakes. The top 12 photographs highlighting Detroit District Great Lakes projects such as the Soo Locks, Duluth Ship Canal, piers, breakwaters or federal channels and harbors will earn a spot in the 2024 downloadable calendar. The entry deadline is 11:59 p.m. July 21, with winners determined by social media vote. The Soo Locks Visitors Center Association will award the top three photographers a plaque featuring their photo.

  • Corps of Engineers begins structure maintenance in Charlevoix

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District will begin planned maintenance work in the navigation channel in Charlevoix, Michigan this month to replace deteriorating timber fenders along the channel revetments. The repairs are funded through a Fiscal Year 2023 Work Plan budget package of $530,000 and will be used to replace 1,100 feet of timber fenders along the north and south channel revetment walls. The timber fenders protect the structures from vessel impact. The existing weathered timber fenders along the revetments are beyond their design life and require replacement.

  • U.S. Army Corps resumes Grand Haven dredging with additional E.coli testing

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) will resume dredging in Grand Haven Harbor on Wednesday, July 12, with additional testing for E. Coli and safety measures. King Co. Inc., under an Army Corps contract, will dredge the remaining 35,000 of 141,000 cubic yards of sediment contracted to be removed from the outer harbor in Grand Haven to keep the commercial channel navigable throughout the remainder of the year. The Army Corps paused dredging at the location Friday, July 7, out of an abundance of caution after the Ottawa County Health Department issued a “no body contact” warning because of high concentrations of E. coli at North Park Beach in Ferrysburg. The remaining dredging will take about seven days to complete, weather dependent