Michigan Waterways Commission visits U.P. city

MARQUETTE — Michigan waterways is the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the world’s surface fresh water by volume. The Michigan Waterways Commission, responsible for maintaining these bodies of water met today in Marquette.

Many items were on the agenda  but top of mind was changing the fee structure for boaters. After complaints, they will now go back to charging for the length of the boat rather than the length of the trip. Other good news for boaters was the official numbers regarding water levels.

“Water levels have been so low that boats were having a hard time getting inside. With water levels up  it increases stability for bigger boats to get into those facilities and because dredging is always a concern it alleviates costs back to the community and state.

The Waterway Commission manages “The  Waterway Capital Outlay Project” the funds can be used for local water issues plaguing an area.

“We have about 4.5 million dollars that go to help develop and maintain and replace old infrastructure at these facilities state wide,” added Fleming.

The Waterways Commission is a part of the Department of Natural Resources. Lake Superior is the second largest lake in the world by area. Lake Michigan is the largest lake that is entirely within one country.