14 Oct 2020

Virtual event will celebrate FishPass project kick off

FishPass project construction in Traverse City, Michigan, will kick off with a virtual groundbreaking ceremony October 24. This final phase of the Boardman River Ecosystem Restoration Project is primarily funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and led by the Great Lakes Commission in partnership with the City of Traverse City, Fisheries and Oceans of Canada, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa/Chippewa Indians, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided our agencies continued opportunities to implement sustainable projects throughout the Great Lakes Region,” said Carl Platz, Great Lakes Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The knowledge we gain from FishPass will not only be utilized throughout the Great Lakes, but it will likely be applied across the nation as well."

24 Sep 2020

New Lock moves forward with Phase 2 contract award

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announce the New Lock at the Soo second phase construction contract is awarded to Kokosing Alberici LLC of Westerville, Ohio. The much-anticipated mega-project will take three phases to construct. Kokosing Alberici will receive more than $111 million to complete phase two. This contract will stabilize the existing approach walls, allowing modern vessels to tie up and wait their turn to pass through the new lock. Construction will begin in spring 2021 and take about two years to complete. "The Corps looks forward to beginning construction on the upstream approach walls next spring, and we continue to work hard to maintain the pace and meet all milestones in bringing our nation's New Lock at the Soo to fruition,” said Detroit District Commander Lt. Col. Scott Katalenich.

16 Sep 2020

Corps of Engineers removing contaminated Howards Bay sediment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remove more than 130,000 cubic yards of material, including contaminated sediment and debris, from Howards Bay in Superior, Wisconsin beginning this fall. The removal is part of a maintenance dredging contract the Corps’ Detroit District awarded to La Crosse, Wisconsin-based, J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. “Dredging in Howards Bay is a voluntary public-private partnership formed under the Great Lakes Legacy Act to dredge contaminated sediment from Howards Bay,” said Project Manager Steve Rumple. “Cleanup of sediment at Howards Bay is a necessary action to remove beneficial use impairments and to eventually delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern.”

11 Sep 2020

Corps of Engineers report Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials report despite seasonal declines, Great Lakes water levels remain high as fall storms approach. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,” Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office Chief, John Allis said. The Corps’ Detroit District is responsible for monitoring, forecasting, collecting and disseminating Great Lakes water level information. For the most up-to-date Great Lakes water level information visit the district’s website at www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Information.

25 Aug 2020

Detroit District awards contract for maintenance at Soo Locks

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces a contract award to replace aging equipment on the MacArthur Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The more than $7 million contract was awarded to Ryba Marine Construction Co. The contract (award number W911XK20C0020) was for $ $7,276,650.00 to replace the World War II-era tainter valves for the MacArthur Lock. Tainter valves are used to control the flow of water used for raising and lowering the water level in the lock during a lockage. The MacArthur Lock has two sets of tainter valves, one upstream set and one downstream set. “The Corps takes pride in performing maintenance to keep its existing facilities operational for long durations, while simultaneously planning for replacement and renewal as required to ensure the locks remain a resilient link in the Great Lakes Navigation System,” said Kevin Sprague, area engineer, Soo Area Office.

11 Aug 2020

Michigan company to dredge Ontonagon Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, awarded a contract for Ontonagon Harbor maintenance dredging about 140 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota, on the south shore of Lake Superior. USACE awarded a maintenance dredging contract for Ontonagon Harbor in August to MCM Marine Inc., out of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The contract (award number W911XK20C0016) was for $725,500 to dredge 84,000 cubic yards of material from Ontonagon Harbor. Material from the dredging sites will be placed east of the harbor to nourish the shoreline. This will help address issues of beach erosion and lake encroachment, especially during the current period of high water.

4 Aug 2020

Great Lakes water levels reaching peaks for the year

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces each of the Great Lakes, except Lake Superior, have likely reached their peak water levels for the year and are predicted to decline. Lakes Michigan-Huron set another new monthly mean record high water level in July, however the water level is expected to slowly drop the rest of the year. Water levels on Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario all continued to decline last month, with no new records set on those lakes in July. The water level of Lake Superior is expected to peak next month before entering its period of typical seasonal decline. “While we expect water levels to decline across most of the Great Lakes, levels still remain extremely high,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District.

27 Jul 2020

Wisconsin company to dredge Duluth-Superior Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, awarded a contract for dredging at Duluth-Superior Harbor in western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The more than $2 million contract was awarded to Roen Salvage Co., from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The contract (award number W911XK20C0014) is to dredge approximately 120,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor. Approximately 52,000 cubic yards of the mostly sandy material will be placed along North Minnesota Point shoreline and approximately 68,000 cubic yards of material will be placed at Interstate Island. Dredging will begin in August and will be complete by mid-November.

24 Jul 2020

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit welcomes new commander

Lt. Col. Scott Katalenich assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, today, Friday, July 24, in a Change of Command ceremony rich with symbolism and heritage. Katalenich comes to Detroit after receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil & Environmental Engineering – Atmosphere/Energy from Stanford University under the Army’s Advanced Civil Schooling Program. Katalenich’s photo and full biography are available on the Detroit District website at: www.lre.usace.army.mil.

23 Jul 2020

Corps’ Detroit office awards dredging contract for Holland Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, recently awarded a contract for dredging in western Michigan, on Lake Michigan. The Corps awarded a maintenance dredging contract for Holland (Outer) Harbor in June to Luedtke Engineering Company from Frankfort, Michigan. The contract (award number W911 XK20C0012) was for more than $455,000 to dredge almost 49,000 cubic yards of material from Holland (Outer) Harbor. Material from the site will be placed near the shoreline in the most landward eight foot depth starting north of the breakwater. “This important work will keep the shipping channel open as part of the Great Lakes Navigation System as an economically and environmentally viable means of transporting commodities,” said Bob Jarema, project manager.