This MCP Boat Blog is presented by the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, www.masoncountymihistory.org.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — Maintenance dredging of Ludington Harbor began today, Thursday, July 9, as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to restore safe navigation depths in the federally maintained shipping channel. The work is expected to continue through the end of September.
The project is focused on removing sediment that has accumulated in the harbor entrance and navigation channel. Material removed during dredging is being pumped through a submerged pipeline and deposited along the Lake Michigan shoreline south of the south breakwater, where it will provide beach nourishment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined the dredged material is suitable for that purpose.
The tug Barry J is assisting with the operation. The vessel is owned by Viking Marine Construction of Holland and was built in 1954 by Roamer Boat Co. of Holland. The 44-foot tug has also supported recent dredging operations at Pentwater Harbor. According to the 2026 edition of “Know Your Ships,” the tug previously sailed under the names W.P. Coppens, Capt. Art Lapish and Heather B.
Boaters are urged to use caution while dredging is underway. The submerged pipeline is marked with orange buoys spaced about every 500 feet, while bright yellow pontoons mark each end of the line. Additional white buoys identify dredge anchor locations, and mariners should follow all temporary navigation markers and signals in the work area. During periods of rough weather, a pipe pontoon may be positioned outside the navigation channel.
The harbor is one of several federally maintained navigation channels on Lake Michigan that require periodic dredging to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels, recreational boaters and charter fishing traffic.
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