Capitol News

Dredging operations are scheduled to resume this summer at Grand Traverse Harbor in Houghton County as part of ongoing efforts to protect Buffalo Reef from encroaching stamp sand mining waste. For over a century, copper mine tailings known as stamp sands from the Wolverine and Mohawk mines have been deposited along Lake Superior’s shoreline near Gay in Keweenaw County. Over time, wind and waves have pushed these materials about five miles south, threatening both natural beaches and critical spawning grounds for Lake Superior whitefish and lake trout at Buffalo Reef.

Buffalo Reef lies beneath the waters of Grand Traverse Bay. To address the advancing stamp sands, various dredging initiatives have taken place in recent years, including the removal of a 25-foot-high bank from the Lake Superior shoreline in 2019. These efforts, led by groups such as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, have helped keep waterways open for fishing, boating, and recreation.

The Buffalo Reef Task Force, which includes multiple agencies, is developing a long-term plan to address the issue. The task force has reviewed more than a dozen options for disposing of dredged stamp sands that threaten the 2,200-acre reef. Ultimately, it was decided to build an upland facility for disposal and construct a 2,000-foot-long jetty to intercept migrating stamp sands.

“Geotechnical work for the proposed jetty was completed last fall, design is expected to be completed in three months,” said Jay Parent, district supervisor of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Water Resources Division in Marquette. “Geotechnical work and design of the proposed upland stamp sands placement facility is going on right now.”

The most recent estimate for completing this long-term project stands at $2.1 billion.

Harbor dredging at the mouth of the Traverse River remains essential not only for saving Buffalo Reef but also for preventing other negative outcomes. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, failing to maintain dredging could result in loss of fish habitat, property damage, loss of private docks and public boating access along the riverfront, job losses tied to recreational and charter fishing, erosion and pollution affecting natural shorelines and wetlands.

The Buffalo Reef project receives funding from sources including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and an appropriation from Michigan’s state government. Partners include federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; tribal organizations like the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community; regional commissions such as the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission; and state departments including Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Further information about ongoing efforts or email updates can be found at Michigan.gov/BuffaloReef.