# White Lake channel depth update



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Digging deeper
White Lake Association wants rocks removed, channel dredged

http://www.whitelakebeacon.com/news.php?story_id=9388 2-27-2006

Tall ships draw a lot of visitors, and they also draw a lot of water. 
Some residents are concerned that bringing larger vessels into White Lake may become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, unless maintenance dredging is done sooner rather than later. 

Tom Thompson is a member of the White Lake Association and has been talking with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about conditions potentially posing a threat to the future of some recreational boating in the area. The cost to fix the problem is estimated at about $100,000. 

Thompson said a typical water depth is 12 feet along the center of the channel to provide safe passage for recreational boats. Last August, the tall ship Madeline was a guest at Celebrate White Lake. That visit was arranged by the White Lake Area Historical Society. 

The Madeline draws 7.5 feet, he said, talking about the ships displacement of water. With some areas of the channel at 8.5 to 9.7 feet in depth, we are definitely in need of some maintenance dredging. Complicating the issue of low water in portions of the channel are a few massive boulders out of place near the channels north wall. 

Thompson said when the channel walls were rebuilt, from 1998 through 2000, some of the large rocks used for the project were accidentally dropped by the contractor and left in the channel. 

Ive been told that one of those rocks is about half the size of a small Volkswagen, said Thompson. 

When U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last did maintenance work at the channel, they had to skip over some critical areas because of the rocks. 

The hydro augers they use could be seriously damaged if they hit those rocks, said Thompson. Thompson met last fall with Chief Dave Foster and Tom OBrien at the Lake Michigan Area Office in Grand Haven to discuss the local channel. 

Phil Dakin, president of the White Lake Association, penned a letter to U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra in November, 2004. In that letter he noted at the present time we are at about zero-average water datum level and water levels remain low as they have for the past four years. The channel is deepest as it enters Lake Michigan, and shallowest at the White Lake end of the channel. 

Dakin wrote in the letter that he knew the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for 2006 had cleared Congress. That funding included $4 million for West Michigan Harbor dredging. It did not include funding for the White Lake channel. 

We know that our recreational harbor does not silt in as fast as Pentwaters which has been dredged twice in the last three years. However, we still have the need, Dakin noted. 

David Yonkman, with U.S. Representative Peter Hoekstras office, said dredging recreational harbors is done specifically on an as needed basis. 

We stay in close communication with officials from the area and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Yonkman. We typically appropriate funds every eight to 10 years for White Lake. He said he believes White Lake will be dredged in 2009. 

Tom OBrien, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said no funds are made available specifically for recreational harbors. As an example, he noted the district office might have a budget of $2 million for the Grand Haven harbor. When that funding appropriation goes to committee, the U.S. Representative or the Senator then has an opportunity to do a line item telling us which harbors are to be dredged. We dont get anything over and above the $2 million. We have to adjust work in order to accommodate the other projects. 

He said the rocks left in the channel during the reconstruction project will require a crane barge for removal. Thompson said the White Lake Association is aware that a crane barge is going to be working in Muskegon Lake this summer. 

Yonkman said in July, 2005, the Corps reported the majority of the White Lake Channel at nine to 10 feet which is deemed adequate to accommodate recreational boat traffic. 

At this point we believe it is adequately dredged, said Yonkman. Pete will continue to monitor the situation. If it is deemed necessary to dredge before 2009, Im sure all necessary actions will be taken. OBrien noted even though an eight foot depth is adequate for most recreational vessels, bringing in special guests like a tall ship could present problems in the portions of the channel that are more shallow. 

Officials at Whitehall Landing Marina encourage all boaters to use their depth finders as they enter and exit White Lake. They have not had any concerns come from either captains of power boats or sailboats about channel depth. 

Eric Harsch of Crosswinds Marina said they have had some clients ask questions about channel depth and about those rocks located near the north channel wall. 

Those big rocks are 10 to 15 feet off the channel wall, he said. You can see them when you go over them. Our sailboats tend to run down the middle of the channel so they arent sailing over those rocks, but yes, there definitely are concerns. We want to make certain, especially, that we remain on a maintenance schedule in order to keep the lake open for recreational boating. 

Thompson said when the White Lake Association sent its letter to Hoekstras office, it included letters of support from several White Lake area communities. 

Whitehall City Manager Scott Huebler said the city is staying updated about the situation at the channel. The City of Whitehall has a marina which exists as a safe harbor location for boaters who could find themselves caught in a storm on Lake Michigan. Huebler said the city trusts the U.S. Army Corps to properly monitor and maintain water levels within the channel. 

It is very important and not just as a safe harbor, he said of the White Lake channel. The economic and tourism benefits of having that connection to Lake Michigan are tremendous for our community.


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