GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will resume dredging efforts in Grand Haven Harbor Wednesday after high levels of E. coli put a pause on the project.
Last week, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) issued a "no-body contact" warning due to high concentrations of E. coli in the water.
That has since been lifted, but swimmers are asked to avoid the area as dredging continues.
King Co. Inc., a Holland-based company under an Army Corps contract, will dredge the remaining 35,000 of 141,000 cubic yards of sediment from the outer harbor in Grand Haven.
The efforts will help keep the channel navigable through the rest of the year.
While health officials haven't yet pinpointed the source of the E. coli, they point to heavy rains last week around the Grand River watershed.
The Army Corps, state officials and the OCDPH plan to continue testing the river from the dredging pipeline outflow, at knee-level in the water column from the pipeline and 100 yards north and south of the pipeline.
"We are asking the public to swim elsewhere until dredging completes and flagging is removed,” said Liz Newell Wilkinson, Grand Haven resident engineer. “This extra testing coordination with the county means we will be able to complete our work, while maximizing the public’s safety.”
Testing will start the first day of dredging and continue each day active dredging is being conducted.
The Army Corps said additional signs and fencing will be placed about 100 yards from the dredging material placement site at North Park Beach.
E. coli (Escherichia coli) causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, although not all cases have symptoms. In some cases, an E. coli infection can cause kidney failure.
If you have concerns or believe you may be infected with E. coli stemming from this site, contact the OCDPH at 616-393-5645 during normal business hours or visit miottawa.org/ochd and click the red “Report a Concern” button.
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