PROTECT
PENTWATER HARBOR
A message regarding current channel conditions:
There is much concern over channel access from Lake Michigan for 2025 as we move through fall and into winter. We are seeing a precipitous drop in water levels since our seasonal high in July of nearly 2 feet! Our fall storms, which continue to move sand into our channel have been stronger than ever and we are very concerned that our channel will be dangerously shallow this coming spring. This has both a real and perceived impact to local boaters and transient boaters who use our harbor yearly for vacationing and help to support our tourism economy.
As you may know, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) who is responsible for sand dredging maintenance of our channel abandoned yearly funding for us and other recreational ports like us over 15 years ago. We have been left to fend for ourselves to secure private funding or special federal appropriation funding to dredge our channel. Currently, there is no private funding or special appropriation of USACE funding for spring 2025 dredging of our channel.
We ask that you write our local, state and federal politicians by January 1, 2025 asking for funding to dredge our channel in the spring of 2025. We have proven success in securing federal appropriation money when we engage with our politicians who control this funding.
Attached you will find a sample letter than you can use as well as names and contact information for our key politicians. Feel free to prepare your own personalized letter if you would like.
Why funding is needed
Boat traffic between Lake Michigan and Pentwater Lake is extremely important to the economic health of our community. It supports the fishing community, and brings boats, guests, shoppers, and potential residents to the Pentwater area. Inability to use the channel would adversely affect life in the Pentwater area, and would almost certainly decrease property values and tax revenues.
The channel that provides the connection fills with sand, and has required dredging almost every year for at least 30 years. Historically, it has been as shallow as 2 feet in 1867 and 1921. In the past, as well as this year, the dredging has been funded by the federal government. It seems very unlikely that such funding will be consistently available for the Pentwater channel in the future. This is why the Protect Pentwater Channel Citizens Committee was formed. We are a volunteer group of citizens who are seeking to find ways to keep our channel open for the future enjoyment of our community and all its visitors.
Current Information
On July 20, 2022, thanks to generous local donations, the threat of channel closure was eliminated! A limited dredge of the Pentwater Channel was COMPLETED and the Harbor remained OPEN. In 2023, Our State representatives came through with FY22 appropriations for the US Army Corp of Engineers and did a complete deep dredge for 2023 season. This full deep Dredge was completed in August of 2023 by the King Company, and we now have a clean channel with a consistent depth of nearly 16 feet from Pentwater Lake to the end of the channel.
Great news to not only the residents and boaters of Pentwater, but transient boaters as well!
The Pentwater Community is looking forward to hosting Chicago to Mac Racers and vacation cruisers alike in 2024.
The dredging's of 2022, and 2023 are tremendous wins for the boating and water enthusiasts of this area, but the work is never finished. The influx of sand in our channel and harbor is a constant battle, and depths can literally change with every storm. The Village of Pentwater and the Protect Pentwater Harbor Channel committee are not letting up on continued pressure and efforts to find a long-term solution to our channel shoaling efforts and dredging needs! Stay tuned as we work with organizations like the Village of Pentwater, Pentwater Township, the Pentwater Lake Improvement Board, and other shallow harbor communities, all of whom cannot rely on last minute emergency appropriations to keep their local economies open.
So don’t delay! Tell all your friends and fellow boaters to make your summer plans to include a stop in charming Pentwater!
11/2/3 Minutes
Meeting Minutes
click links below to access documents
Additional Information
Contact Us
Please use this form to contact us for any further information.