print article Print     e-mail article E-mail
Published February 15, 2012, 07:00 AM

Obama budget allocates funding for Great Lakes

The president’s budget for fiscal year 2013 includes more than $4.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with almost $64 million for Detroit District projects around the Great Lakes.

The president’s budget for fiscal year 2013 includes more than $4.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with almost $64 million for Detroit District projects around the Great Lakes.

The Civil Works budget funds the operation and maintenance program, which includes the maintenance of federal shipping channels on the Great Lakes, maintenance of federal structures and the operation and maintenance of the Soo Locks.

Incorporated in the budget is funding that will be used across the district in Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, including the Twin Ports.

“The Detroit District budget reflects the Administration’s fiscal year 2013 annual Civil Works program, which was developed as a fiscally prudent investment in the development, management, restoration, and protection of the nation’s water, wetlands and related resources. This is performance-based budget that delivers benefits to commercial navigation, flood risk management and aquatic ecosystem restoration” said Lt. Col. Mike Derosier, Detroit District engineer.

The 2013 funding will be distributed among the Detroit District major projects as follows:

• St. Marys River/Soo Locks, Mich., navigation, hydropower and recreation, $26 million.

• Green Bay Harbor, Wis., construction, $7 million; navigation, $3.2 million.

• Detroit River, Mich., navigation, $5.8 million.

• Duluth/Superior, navigation and recreation, $5.5 million.

• Saginaw River, Mich., navigation, $4.1 million.

• Fox River, Wis., flood risk management, $1.9 million.

• Grand Haven Harbor, Mich., navigation, $1.4 million

A total of $13.3 million will be used for dredging projects on the Detroit River, Mich., Duluth Harbor, Green Bay Harbor and the Grand Haven Harbor, Holland Harbor, Manistee Harbor and Muskegon Harbor all in Michigan. Also, $3.6 million will be used to continue monitoring lake levels and water flow throughout the Great Lakes.

Tags: , , , , , , 

More from around the web