Samuel de Champlain/Innovation were inbound on the Saginaw River this morning, calling on the Amrize Cement Dock in Essexville to unload. The barge was sporting the new Amrize logo on her sides, replacing last year's "Holcim". This is their first visit to the Saginaw River this season. Photos taken 5/6/26.
There
was one commercial vessel passage on the Saginaw River for the month of April
2026, with one dock receiving one delivery of product. This passage represents 7 fewer than recorded
during April 2025. Looking at long-term
averages, the one passage in April was below all of them with the 5-year
average at 9 passages, 10-year and 15-year averages at 8 passages, and the
20-year average at 9 commercial vessel passages for the month of April.
The total number of commercial vessel passages for the year-to-date is one, which is eight fewer passages than last year. Looking at the averages, the one passage for the year to date is fewer than all the long-terms with the 5-year average being 10, 10-year average at 9, the 15-year average at 8, and the 20-year average at 10 vessel passages for the year to date as of the end of April.
During the month of April, the one delivery was to a lower Saginaw River dock. There were no passages to the upper river and no split loads. Strong Saginaw River outflow that was present for much of the month, due to spring runoff and heavy rains, was partially to blame for the slow start. Both the vessels Iver Bright and Alpena had arrived on Saginaw Bay, going to anchor at Light 1, only to depart a few days later without entering the river due to conditions. This is the slowest start to a season since I started keeping records in 2005.
The vessel making a delivery to the Saginaw River in April was G.L Ostrander/Integrity.
Algoma Innovator was inbound on the Saginaw River shortly after midnight, stopping at the Wirt Sand & Stone Fertilizer Dock in Essexville to unload. She completed her unload around 6am, swung her boom in, and turned off the dock in the Essexville Basin. Algoma Innovator was outbound for the lake around 7am Friday morning.
Algoma Innovator was inbound on the Saginaw River, shortly after midnight, stopping at the Wirt Sand & Stone Fertilizer Dock in Essexville to unload. She completed her unload around 6am, swung her boom in, and turned off the dock in the Essexville Basin. Algoma Innovator was outbound for the lake around 7am Friday morning. Aerial photos and a video will be posted later today. Photos taken 5/1/26
The 2026 shipping season finally began on the Saginaw River, Sunday evening, with the arrival of the tug G.L Ostrander and her barge, Integrity. The pair called on the Amrize Cement Dock in Essexville to finish unloading powdered cement after unloading a partial cargo in Detroit before coming here. While it was a very late start to the season here, it was not the latest. That distinction goes to the 2014 season, when Olive L. Moore/Lewis J. Kuber opened the season on April 29th, delivering a cargo to Bay Aggregates. You can also see the new “AmRize” paint on the sides of the barge, new from last season reflecting the change from “Holcim”.
