TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WLUK) — 5,000 feet of Two Rivers’ federally chartered port is in need of maintenance.
The depth of the harbor must be 18 feet, according to City Manager Kyle Cordell.
Port dredging delays could pose both economic and safety issues for Two Rivers (WLUK)
“The 18-foot depth has eroded to somewhere between 10 feet and 8 feet deep, which becomes a problem if it’s left for a long time,” Cordell said.
Cordell argues that the harbor should be dredged every five years. The last time it was held was in 2020.
The dredging was carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. So what’s the holdup?
“We are awaiting federal budget priorities and expect them to be approved by Congress in April,” Cordell said.
The city first announced on March 11 that it could be postponed until 2028.
The port plays an important role for many local businesses, including Susie Q Fish Market.
“We need to make sure the harbor remains open, not just for Susie Q, but for charter fishing and all the recreational boaters who come here to enjoy what we have to offer,” Cordell said.
Matt Gates runs Highlife Charters fishing boats.
“I think there are 30 charter boats running everywhere in Two Rivers right now. You know full-time people doing 30 to 100 sailings. You could even say the hardship that that would cause to the local community,” Gates said.
Cordell and Gates say that in addition to the economic impact that would be felt without dredging, there are safety concerns at this time.
“If we hit a swell coming in from the south, the propeller could hit the bottom and cause a lot of damage. Our harbor is small, so obviously it could potentially spin me around and do some bad damage,” Gates said. “The trawlers are already skimming the seabed now. It’s already dangerous for them, but they’re still sailing and trying to make a living for themselves.”
“I understand that the Army Corps has a lot of ports in the Great Lakes system to manage, but we are way behind and need to pay attention to Two Rivers,” Cordell said.
The city is trying to take its own measures. On March 30, the Two Rivers City Council approved a three-year statement of intent for port development.
Cordell told FOX 11:
We are working on three different projects with state Port Assistance Program grants. Of course, dredging the port is another important project. It also includes an extension of the breakwater on the south pier wall, which provides the ultimate solution. If you want to stop sand from coming in from the lake, you’ll need to expand the breakwater. So, we are also recruiting. We are also applying for Port Assistance Program funding to rebuild the seawall along the East Twin River. If we could include this as well, anything that gets built on the Hamilton site would really benefit the Hamilton redevelopment project going forward. If we can get funding for the Port Assistance Program, we will combine that funding with whatever support we can get from the Army Corps of Engineers. So the more we can stretch their funding, the more we can do. Perhaps that means dredging could occur a little further up the river, not just 5,000 feet into the harbor.
Dredging the harbor is expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million.
Cordell said in the meantime, residents can contact their local U.S. representatives. He added that he hopes Congress’s pressure will move Two Rivers up the priority list.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was unable to meet Tuesday’s deadline. However, he said he would be happy to provide additional information to FOX 11 in the coming days.
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