More Transient Slips at Lake Superior Marina

The city of Munising, located along the south end of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is more than doubling the size of its 20-year-old municipal marina.

The Munising Bay Shore Marina has 19 slips and 600 feet of linear dockage. Late last June, the city’s general contractor, Great Lakes Dock and Materials from Muskegon, Michigan, began installing new sheet pile and breakwall that will create another 110 feet of broadside dockage as well as 24 new floating slips. Flotation Docking Systems out of Cedarville, Michigan, is building the wooden floating docks.

Dredging done back in 2013, funded through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Waterways Commission, helped clear the way for the marina addition. “We dredged out what we thought would be the area that we needed,” said Devin Olson, chief administrative officer, city of Munising. “However, after the high-water experience over the last few years it pushed in our landside elements a little bit, so we dredged out an additional 3,000 cubic yards.”

A $1.4 million U.S. Fish and Wildlife Boating Infrastructure Grant and $350,000 in grants from the Michigan DNR will help pay for the $2.2 million project. An additional $400,000 in matching funds will come from the city’s marina enterprises. Munising Bay Shore Marina is one of the few municipal marinas in the area that actually pays its own way, Olson added.

The marina’s slips will offer 30 amp and 50 amp electrical service, water and wifi. All of the marina’s new slips will be used for transient boaters.

Olsen said the city anticipates a June 1, 2018, grand opening of the new section of the marina.