Saginaw River Passages - July 31st to August 2nd

Robert S. Pierson called on the Saginaw River on Thursday, traveling up to the GM Dock in Saginaw to unload.  The Pierson was outbound late that evening.  Manitowoc was inbound on Friday, unloading at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City.  When finished, she turned off the dock in the Wirt Basin and was outbound for the lake early Saturday morning.  A pair of American Steamship Company vessels were inbound on Saturday, with the Sam Laud unloading at the Bay Aggregates Dock in Bay City and the John J. Boland unloading at the Burroughs North dock in Essexville.  Both vessels were outbound later in the day.  ASC vessels rarely call on the Saginaw River these days, so it was unusual the see two here at the same time.

Vessel Passages for the month of July totaled 16.  This is two less compared to July of 2013.  For the year to date, there have been 41 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River, 22 less than the same time period last year.  Looking at the five year averages, July was down one from the average of 17.  Year to date numbers for the 2014 season show a decrease of 11 commercial vessel passages from the five year average of 52.  Where the numbers really tell a story is looking back at the ten year average.  2014 is 24 passages down from the 10-year and a whopping 50 passages down year to date.  In 2005, there were 173 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River by July 31st, compared to only 41 in July 2014.

Manitowoc inbound at Smith Park in Essexville