A grant of $182,700 will help the Town of Washington, & by extension, the Washington Island Ferry Line, continue a process intended to lead to the dredging of the federal navigational channel between Northport & Detroit Harbor. The emergency funding, through the Harbor Assistance Program, must be matched by the town with a 20% contribution or $45,675. During discussions between the town & the Department of Transportation, the state agency indicated that more engineering studies were needed to complete the application. The possibility of getting the work done in more than one phase was also discussed. The ferry line paid for the latest grant request for emergency funding in order to finalize planning. The current depth of the channel is 14 feet. If approved, dredging will deepen it to 17 feet, making it safer to navigate, given declining lake levels & the larger size of modern day ferries. The channel was last dredged in 1939, a year before the ferry line began operating. While the current Harbor Assistance Program cycle is closed, under state law, emergency grants may be considered by the Harbor Advisory Council & recommended to the Department of Transportation Secretary for approval
