Saginaw River Update - April 30th

With all of the recent heavy rain, the Saginaw River is 2 feet above flood stage, cresting at 19.45 feet Wednesday morning . The current outflow reading from the NOAA water monitoring station in Saginaw shows the flow at just over 35,500 cfs as of 9pm Thursday evening. Because of these conditions, both the Olive L. Moore/Lewis J. Kuber and now the Herbert C. Jackson are both at anchor in the Saginaw Bay, waiting for more favorable conditions to make the trip into the river.

Photos from Cass Avenue around 2:30pm Wednesday

Saginaw River Update - April 29th

The tug Olive L. Moore and her barge, Lewis J. Kuber remained at anchor again throughout Wednesday and into the late night. It is still uncertain as to why they have remained out in the bay.

Saginaw River Update - April 28th

The tug Olive L. Moore and her barge Lewis J. Kuber are currently anchored in the Saginaw Bay as of 2:45pm Tuesday afternoon. The pair have been there since early morning and have not moved toward the Saginaw River. Winds at Light #1 are currently out of the NE at 20 knots, gusting to 23. The current water level in the river is 18.6 inches above datum.

More information to come later.

11:00PM Update:

The Moore & Kuber are still anchored out in the Saginaw Bay and their position has not changed from this morning.

Saginaw River Passages - April 24th & 25th

I apologize for the delay in getting this posted, but I had an extremely busy weekend and this is the first chance I had to get anything posted.

Early Friday morning the Robert S. Pierson called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City to unload. She was outbound later in the morning. Later, the tug Olive L. Moore and her barge, Lewis J. Kuber were inbound with a split load. The pair lightered at the Bay City Wirt Stone dock before continuing upriver to finish their unload at the Saginaw Wirt dock.


Agawa Canyon outbound at Cass Avenue

The Agawa Canyon, which had arrived earlier in the week, finally attempted to depart the river after being delayed by strong river currents. Saturday afternoon, with the tug Gregory J. Busch standing by, the Canyon was finally able to turn on her own and head outbound for the lake. Her problems were not over however. During her outbound passage, high winds gusting over 30 knots made transit through Bay City's drawbridges dangerous. This caused the Agawa Canyon to stop at the old Bay Aggregates dock in downtown Bay City to wait for winds to subside. She was finally able to get underway again around 6pm on Saturday.



The Olive L. Moore and Lewis J. Kuber were not immune from the weather either as the pair needed assistance from the Gregory J. Busch to make the turn around at the Sixth Street. The pair also was delayed by the wind and tied up briefly back at the Saginaw Wirt dock before finally getting underway and headed outbound Saturday evening.


Tug Olive L. Moore & barge Lewis J. Kuber turning in the Sixth Street Basin

Saginaw River Passages - April 22nd & 23rd

Last season's most frequent visitor, the tug Olive L. Moore and barge Lewis J Kuber, called on the Saginaw River Wednesday morning. The pair unloaded at the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City and then departed for the lake later in the evening.

The Agawa Canyon traveled upriver on Wednesday going to the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee to unload salt. She departed the dock for the Sixth Street turning basin Thursday morning, but as of this report, is still at the turning basin and has not departed. It is not known weather a mechanical problem or some other condition has prevented their departure. More information on the Agawa Canyon when it becomes available.

The tug Zeus and tank barge Robert F. Deegan deaprted the Dow Chemical dock on Wednesday and headed outbound for the lake after unloading overnight.

Saginaw River Passages - April 21

Tuesday evening saw the arrival of a unfamiliar visitor in the Dann Marine Towing tug, Zeus. The Zeus arrived with the tank barge Robert F. Deegan and traveled upriver for the Dow Chemical dock in Bay City to unload. The pair was expected to be outbound during the day Wednesday.

Last season, on June 22nd, another Dann Towing tug, Ivory Coast, arrived to pick up the barge Robert F. Deegan from the Hannah Marine tug, Donald C. Hannah, and continued to make a few more trips into the Saginaw River with the barge. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that the Zeus has been on the Saginaw River.



upbound at the Front Range




Passing Consumers Energy

Saginaw River Passages - April 20th

The Manitowoc was back on the Saginaw River for the second time in as many days, traveling upriver to the GM dock in Saginaw to unload. She finished unloading, turned in the Sixth Street basin and was outbound through Bay City early in the afternoon on Monday.

The 47' 49422 from USCG Station Saginaw River was also out on this rainy Monday, placing summer buoys in the upper river.


Manitowoc outbound at the Lafayette Bridge