Sept. 12, 2017

Contact: Amanda Meyer (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), 313-226-2728 or Duane Askew (DNR), 586-465-2160

Harley Ensign Memorial boating access site remains open during improvement project 

Active construction expected to run mid-September through end of May 2018

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced that an improvement project coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will take place on land adjacent to the Harley Ensign Memorial boating access site in Macomb County. The project will include invasive species eradication, coastal wetland habitat enhancement and shoreline erosion control near the mouth of the Clinton River and in Lake St. Clair. Active construction is slated to begin in mid-September and last through the end of May 2018.

The project is a result of a collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and the DNR. Funding is provided through the EPA.

Although the boating access site will remain open to the public, land east of the boating access site will be closed and portions of the site will be restricted due to project staging. The DNR Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station will remain open. Additionally, the boating access site entrance temporarily will be moved to the northern gate. 

After the project is completed, some minor activities will take place to help establish vegetation, but should have minimal impact and will not affect public access.

Additional information on closures and trail detours in DNR facilities, including state boating facilities, trails, parks and campgrounds, are listed at www.michigan.gov/dnrclosures.

Information on additional boating resources is available at www.michigan.gov/boating.

For more information on  the project, contact Amanda Meyer, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, at 313-226-2728 or Amanda.R.Meyer@usace.army.milimpacts.

Questions on the boating access site can be directed to Duane Askew, parks and recreation supervisor working out of the DNR's Mt. Clemens field office, at 586-465-2160 or askewd@michigan.gov. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.