Grant application for new docks approved

MARQUETTE COUNTY — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners hosted a public hearing tonight and approved a grant application that will fund an expansion at the Big Bay Harbor of Refuge.

The board voted on a resolution to approve the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant application to provide funding that will support the addition of a new floating dock system to the undeveloped portion of the Big Bay Harbor of Refuge, located on Lake Superior. The total estimated cost of the project is $242,000. The grant will cover 50 percent of the funding for the project, while Marquette County will match the remaining funds.

“The harbor has a lot of undeveloped space, so the way that we’re proposing to position this first dock is that if it does get full, we could do a second or even possibly a third into the future,” said senior planner, Thyra Karlstrom.

If received, the grant is expected to be awarded in the winter 2019. The floating dock system would add around 10 to 12 slips to the harbor, which is double the current number.