Members of the Les Cheneaux Islands Waterways Restoration Group met with representatives from Representative Gary McDowell's office, Waste Management, and the Michigan departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources in Lansing last week to propose additional dredging and work to Cedarville Bay when the federal navigational channels are dredged next summer. Group representatives told state officials about the area's need for greater access to hundreds of shorefront properties and hopes that the project will help improve tourism to the area, because channels choked with silt and weed growth are hampering boating. A decision on the group's proposal is expected by the end of November.

Gary Reid and John Torsky of Waterways Restoration, Clark Township Supervisor Gerald Hill, Cedarville resident Mike Patrick of the Mackinac County Commission, and cottager Bob Brown of St. Ignace, a member of the state Waterways Commission, proposed to state officials Thursday, October 22, that Malcolm Marine of St. Clair, which was awarded a contract to dredge the Les Cheneaux channels in September, could set up its transfer site adjacent to the public access dock in Cedarville Bay to unload dredge spoils from barges. The group is proposing the public dock on Meridian Street be extended 100 feet south to accommodate the contractor's large barges. The project would also remove invasive weed species in that area of the bay.

Once the dredging project is completed, Waterways Restoration wants to turn that extended site into additional transient docks and boater access ramps.

Angie Mundell, operations project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told The St. Ignace News last month that Malcolm Marine is approved to dredge far enough into the bay to be able to maneuver its barges and equipment to a transfer site to unload spoils. Additional work, however, would not be federally funded, she said. Waterways Restoration is lobbying to make the proposed public dock extension part of Malcolm Marine's approved transfer site.

Mr. Reid, the group's chairprson, said he feels the meeting in Lansing last week went well and he is hoping for a positive result.

Officials "heard our comments and took them under further advisement," he said. "I would hope we made an argument for a favorable review."

Mr. Torsky said more than 200 letters from Les Cheneaux residents were presented to state officials during the meeting, documenting the community's support for the proposed project.

"It didn't hurt to go in there with a lot of support letters," he said. "We came away with a positive feeling. They were very receptive."

Malcolm Marine was awarded a $1.64 million contract September 24 to dredge about 52,000-cubic-yards of spoils in federal navigational channels between Cedarville and Hessel. Dredge spoils from the project will be dumped on Taylor's Pit in Cedarville.

In April, the Corps of Engineers allocated $24 million for various Michigan waterways projects, including the Les Cheneaux channel dredging project. Federal navigational channels in the Les Cheneaux waterways have not been dredged since 1971, after residents complained maintenance dredging would disrupt fishing.