The Department of Natural Resources announced today that the Ford River Boating Access Site in the Upper Peninsula's Delta County will be closed for construction beginning Monday, Sept. 8.

The current ramp is in poor condition and requires replacement. The construction upgrades will include dredging the boat launch area, installing a new 36-foot-wide by 70-foot-long concrete ramp, and a new 5-foot by 30-foot universally accessible courtesy fishing pier. The project also will include installing a new ADA-compliant vault toilet and reestablishing the parking lot area. Construction is scheduled to be completed on Sept. 26.

Until repairs are complete, boaters and anglers can access Little Bay de Noc from facilities in the town of Wells at the north shore launch and at Escanaba's Ludington Park Aronson Island launch. This construction is being funded through the Michigan State Waterways Fund. The fund is a restricted fund comprised of boat registration fees and the marine fuel tax in Michigan.

For more information or updates about this project, contact the Baraga field office and State Park Supervisor Dan Dowdy at (906) 353-6558, or Wells State Park at (906) 863-9747.