Upton, Huizenga Pleased With Dredging Announcement

lakemichiganclear-6
lakemichiganclear-6

Congressman Fred Upton and colleague Bill Huizenga are celebrating a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to include funding in the fiscal year 2020 budget to dredge Holland Harbor. The budget at first did not include the dredging funds, but Upton tells WSJM News he and Huizenga were able to convince the Corps the work is needed.

“Even though lake levels are up, you’re still going to have to dredge these harbors to a degree, but there’s also another win-win,” Upton said. “Assuming that the dredgings themselves are clean, not contaminated or polluted, those dredgings then are able to be put out back into the lake where they help with beach nourishment.”

Upton says with beaches disappearing around the Great Lakes, anything that can be done to replenish them is a positive. The Army Corps allocated $700,000 for the Holland Harbor. It said shipping through that port generates more than $68 million per year in revenue, supporting more than 400 jobs. The Army Corps plan still has to be approved by Congress.