Boating and Waterways

Derived from boat registration fees and the Michigan marine fuel tax, the Waterways Program helps fund the construction, operation and maintenance of public recreational boating facilities.

• The program supports state-administered harbors along the Great Lakes and state-administered boating access sites on the Great Lakes and inland waters.
• The grant-in-aid program provides grants to local government for harbors along the Great Lakes and boating access sites throughout Michigan.

Eagle Harbor State Harbor

An open house will be held 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 21 at the Eagle Harbor community center, located at 8276 M-26 in Eagle Harbor. We encourage boaters, day users, and the community to participate along with the general public in this open house session to help shape future development of the harbor.

The Aug. 21 open house kicks off a 15-day public comment period that will run through Sept. 6.

For those unable to attend the meetings, comments may be sent through Sept. 6 via email to CadeauE@Michigan.gov.

• See design concepts
• See feasibility study
• See press release with additional details

Harley Ensign Memorial Boat Ramp Replacement

The Harley Ensign Memorial boating access site will be undergoing a major redevelopment slated for 2020. This project will include complete replacement of the concrete launch and is estimated to take 10-14 weeks to complete. Your input is important to help guide the process and could impact how the ramp is built and when it will be open to the public.

Take the survey »

Provides financial and technical assistance for design and construction of public recreational boating facilities, including state-sponsored harbor and mooring facilities. Only local units of government and public universities are eligible to apply. Applications require the development of a 5-year recreation plan for harbor projects.

Provides federal funding assistance for the design and construction of public recreational harbor facilities serving transient boaters. Local units of government, public universities and private facilities are eligible to apply.

Provides funding for new or upgraded marine sewage disposal facilities, pumpouts and dump stations. Grants are provided to both private and public boating facilities, as long as they are open to the public.