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Alcona group asks state for funding to build dual rock jetties at Black River mouth
Summary
A local waterways committee told a state appropriations subcommittee it needs money for surveys, permit work and construction of a dual rock-wall jetty at the mouth of the Black River to stop rapid accretion that has repeatedly closed the channel to Lake Huron.
ST. IGNACE, Mich. — The Black River Waterways Committee asked a House appropriations subcommittee on Friday for state money to design and build a pair of rock jetties at the mouth of the Black River in Alcona County, saying the structure would stop sand accretion that repeatedly makes the river unnavigable and risks boaters and local search-and-rescue response.
Steve Bisky, who testified for the committee, told the panel the Michigan Department of Natural Resources funded studies that concluded a dual rock-wall jetty is the best permanent solution and that, until the jetties are built, the DNR and Alcona Township must repeatedly dredge the river.
"The DNR dredges the mouth of the river three to four times a season at a cost of about $25,000," Bisky said. "If we put the money toward a jetty to stop the sand, they would no longer have to dredge."
Why it matters: Committee members were told the Black River provides local recreational boating, diving access to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and important fish habitat. Testimony stressed public-safety implications: Alcona County’s sheriff wrote the DNR that his office’s Lake Huron rescue craft had been delayed or damaged when the river mouth was blocked by sand, and that a usable mouth provides a mid-lake refuge between Alpena and Harrisville.
Bisky said the Alcona Township board created the Black River Waterways Committee in September 2023 and that the DNR contracted GEI Engineering for an initial sedimentation study, published in April 2022, that found jetties would be the most effective long-term fix. He asked the subcommittee for funds to finish lake-bottom and river-mouth sediment sampling, bathymetric surveys, engineering modeling of jetty geometry, permit work with regulators, and construction.
The committee heard letters of support from local elected officials and public-safety leaders, including a detailed statement read into the record from Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson. The sheriff’s letter described a recent rescue in which his office had to respond from Harrisville Harbor because the mouth of the Black River was impassable; he wrote that having the Black River reliably open could cut response time for some calls and said the distance between Alpena and Harrisville — about 30 miles — makes a midway refuge valuable.
Bisky and other witnesses emphasized the environmental side as well. They said the Black River watershed includes one of Michigan’s known coastal brook trout spawning grounds and a spawning area for coho salmon on the state’s eastern shore. Committee members pressed on costs, alternatives and permitting: Bisky said the DNR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state environment agency (EGLE) have been engaged, and that studies and some site visits have already been paid for by DNR and local government.
No action was taken at the hearing. The request to the subcommittee was limited to advancing the design, permitting and construction planning for the jetties; any appropriation would require further committee and House approval before funds could be spent.
What they asked for: Funds to complete lake-bottom sediment sampling, bathymetry, jetty modeling, required permitting and construction. Bisky said the DNR and Alcona Township have already paid for initial studies and some dredging operations.
Local context: Testimony said the river mouth fills with sand rapidly after dredging, sometimes within one to two weeks. The Black River provides local economic and recreational benefits and sits near the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Supporters also told the committee the jetty option is preferred over continued, repeated dredging as a long-term solution.
Quote: "The DNR dredges the mouth of the river three to four times a season at a cost of about $25,000. If we put the money toward a jetty to stop the sand, they would no longer have to dredge," said Steve Bisky of the Black River Waterways Committee.
Quote (letter read into the record): "In the event of a storm, rough water, or mechanical trouble, a vessel on Lake Huron would likely have to seek refuge in Harrisville Harbor or Alpena. The distance between these two locations could be the difference between a good ending and a fading fatal boating accident," wrote Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson.
What’s next: The committee did not authorize funding on the spot. The project team said estimated next steps would include additional surveys and engineering to produce a construction-level plan that could be used in permit applications and in any future funding request. Supporters asked the Legislature to consider appropriations to avoid repeated short-term dredging expenses and to improve safety and access.
Ending note: Project supporters told the committee the DNR and local governments have documented repeated short-term dredging and that the GEI Engineering study supports jetties as the best long-term approach. The Black River Waterways Committee said the project has multiple written endorsements from state and local elected officials and public-safety leaders and that a construction-level design and permit strategy are needed to move ahead.
