News · Petoskey
Petoskey will dredge its municipal marina for the first time since 2013, removing about 2,800 cubic yards of Bear River sediment
PETOSKEY, Mich. — Petoskey plans to dredge its municipal marina to clear out sediment washed in by the Bear River, the first dredging there since 2013, according to local news reports.
The project would remove about 2,800 cubic yards of material, UpNorthLive reported. Parks and Recreation Director Kendall Klingelsmith said the work is overdue and the target depth is 8.5 to 9 feet, the station reported.
The cost. Reports differ slightly on the price. UpNorthLive put the cost at just under $300,000, with half paid by a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Waterways grant and half from the city’s Marina Reserve Fund. The Petoskey News-Review reported a figure of $273,000 for the work, which it said is planned for 2027. UpNorthLive reported the city hoped to do the work in the fall or winter, when the marina is empty.
Why it builds up. The Bear River empties into Little Traverse Bay next to the marina, carrying sand and silt downstream. Over time that material settles in the basin and makes some slips too shallow for larger boats.
What boaters should know. The city has posted the project for bids on its website. Seasonal slip holders should watch for notices from the parks department on timing.
Sources:
UpNorthLive (WPBN/WGTU), “Petoskey to dredge Municipal Marina as sediment builds up from Bear River” (2,800 cubic yards, depth, Klingelsmith, cost and funding, timing), https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/petoskey-to-dredge-municipal-marina-as-sediment-builds-up-from-bear-river-emmet-county
Petoskey News-Review, “Petoskey approves marina dredging project to aid boaters,” Oct. 12, 2026 ($273,000, 2027, last dredged 2013), https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/2026/10/12/petoskey-municipal-marina-to-be-dredged-in-2027-bear-river-sediment/92177096007/
City of Petoskey, “Marina Maintenance Dredging” bid, https://www.petoskey.us/bid_detail_T4_R111.php
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, “2009-0619-Petoskey-marina.JPG,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0619-Petoskey-marina.JPG
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