Wayne Schloop, Chief of Operations for the Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, told residents and legislators this week that the Corps now views dredging of the Les Cheneaux channels as a priority.

"I think you've got to look at where the critical needs are," he said. "We certainly see a need for Les Cheneaux, but, again, Les Cheneaux has a pretty big price tag, so it's not an easy call."

He met Monday, March 9, with representatives of the offices of Congressman Bart Stupak, Senator Carl Levin, and Senator Debbie Stabenow and the Les Cheneaux Islands Waterways Restoration group.

Dredging the Les Cheneaux channels will likely cost more than $1 million, while other projects in the Great Lakes may cost between $85,000 and $250,000.

Mr. Schloop said the Corps is seeking project appropriations for the Great Lakes region as a whole, rather than having individual projects get funding through earmarks on individual bills. That way the Corps can plan and execute projects more efficiently at much less cost. It is an idea he talked about at a meeting last summer in Cedarville.

Last year the Corps of Engineers received about $8 million for Great Lakes projects, some of which was designated for specific use. About $5 million was used for projects on the Great Lakes at the agency's discretion. Mr. Schloop said he hopes to receive a similar amount this year.

"It's difficult to speculate right now," how much funding the Corps will receive, he said. "Congress is basically appropriating it for the Great Lakes and there really isn't a Great Lakes project. So it's a little difficult to figure out administratively because there's not necessarily an authority to dredge Great Lakes harbors."

As far as when appropriated funds would become available for Les Cheneaux, Mr. Schloop could not say. Funding may still be another two years away he said.

He likes the idea of the Corps of Engineers using appropriated funds in the future because it gives the agency more flexibility to use "professional judgment" to put the money where they think it should go, rather than leaving individual projects to fend for themselves.

Gary Reid, chair of the waterways restoration group, said, "I think we're going to see something happen by 2010. I did take comfort in him suggesting to us that the Les Cheneaux should be priority."

He said the Corps is taking notice of the Les Cheneaux channels, in part, because there has not been "any usual or normal maintenance dredging for over 30 years."

The waterways restoration group could continue to ask for support from Congressman Stupak, Senator Levin, and Senator Stabenow as another way to get the funds, Mr. Schloop said.

"Anything can happen on the appropriations side," he noted. "It's very difficult right now to tell how it will turn out."