Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Be careful coming out of Harley.  This area is poorly marked and there are no warnings at the launch.

From the Macomb Sheriff

*ATTENTION BOATING COMMUNITY*

"Clinton River Mouth Habitat Project" is currently transitioning  the south side of the DNR Harley Ensign access site into a wildlife/fishing habitat.  The project is through the State of Michigan, Department of Natural Resources and will affect boaters traveling near the mouth of the Clinton River.   

During this construction phase, flexible piping is being used to transport the bottom sediment to near shore. There are two to three large barges anchored just southeast of the Clinton River mouth. Bottom sediments are being moved to create wetlands.  Tree root balls / structures are being sunk also.  The root balls are marked with small buoys once deployed.  The piping is both submerged and on the surface.  Boaters need to use caution around these barges/piping while construction of this habitat is being completed.  The barges and floating pipe are marked and lit up so boaters can see where it is located while night boating.  The project will be on going throughout this Fall.

To be safe during construction, we advise that boat operators do not travel near-by or between the barges, or between the barges and shore.  Stay well to the east of the habitat construction area.

Yeah... when we were last out there they had only 2 or 3 floats near one barge with no idea what they were supposed to mean, or where you should run?? I advised running on the outside of the barges but at times they are way the heck out there... you almost have to run to the other side of the narrows and/or Anchor Bay or over by the Middle Channel to 'go around' them...?!?

I was worried about how they were getting the dredging to the shoreline area, particularly since they were so far out and there didn't appear to be much travel from where they are at to the shoreline area... but you can't actually see any piping. At least not the several times we ran by them, and they keep moving all over the place too. Hard to believe they are using piping to the shore area considering how far they are moving and how far out they are.

Saw one genius tuna boat run practically right down the side of one of them and cut right behind it (shore side)!?! Was waiting for something to happen but as it sometimes goes, they made it with no apparent disaster... which makes you wonder again what are they doing and how are they doing it??

In the original project description I could have sworn they were going to get the soil to dump out by the actual shipping channel, not right from the general area of the Clinton River.

Interesting that the sheriff's posting says it's the MDNR doing this because my understanding is the main work is being done and paid for by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It looked like everything I saw had federal identification on it, not state. Of course, the MDNR is a partner to the project but the project was all noted as being federal money and responsibility for the work.

Who knows though with things already appearing to be somewhat different from what I recall reading originally.

There was a smaller boat we saw a couple times that seemed to be traveling around and between the barges also. Not sure what their part in this is though it almost looked like a tiny tug boat?