Saginaw River Passages - June 14th

Alpena arrived at the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville, early Thursday morning. She finished her unload, but now waited at the dock for extreme Saginaw River currents to subside. The river was at flood stage and the strong currents are from recent heavy rains and runoff.

Algoma Innovator has been anchored out in the Saginaw Bay for two days, waiting to deliver her cargo to the Port Fisher/Bay Aggregates dock.

Alpena as seen from the Islander on 6-14-19

Saginaw River Vessel Passages - May 2019

So far in 2019, traffic has been steady on the Saginaw River, and above both the 5-year and 10-year averages. For the month of May, there were 16 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River. This is an increase from the 14 recorded during May last year. Looking at the historical data, the 16 passages recorded this May were above both the 5-year average of 15 and the 10-year average of 14 vessel passages.

For the total commercial vessel passages for the year-to-date, there have been 24 so far in 2019. This is six more than were recorded for the same time period in 2018. It is also above the 5-year average of 21 and 10-year average of 22 commercial vessel passages

Saginaw River Passages - May 23rd & 24th

There were numerous vessel passages on the Saginaw River the past few days.  On May 23rd, Manitoulin was inbound, traveling to the upper river to unload at the ACE-Saginaw Paving/Buena Vista Dock.  On the 24th, American Courage called on the Port Fisher/Bay Aggregates dock to unload.  This was her second visit to the dock this week.  Olive L. Moore - Menominee was also inbound with a split cargo.  The pair dropped a partial cargo at the ACE-Saginaw Paving/Buena Vista dock and then finished at the U.S. Paving and Stone Materials Dock in Carrollton.  The third vessel of the day on the 24th was the G.L. Ostrander - Integrity, calling on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville, to unload.

Saginaw River Passages - May 18th -22nd

On May 18th, the Olive L. Moore - Menominee arrived on the Saginaw River with a split cargo for the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw.  Also in on the 18th was the Sharon M I - Huron Spirit, unloading at the Port Fisher/Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  On May 19th, Dorothy Ann - Pathfinder arrived with a split cargo for the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw.  American Courage visited the Saginaw River on May 21st, her first since August 16, 2015, when she unloaded at the Bay City and Saginaw Wirt Stone Docks.  For this visit, American Courage unloaded at the Port Fisher/Bay Aggregates Dock.  Finally, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. called on the Consumers Energy/Karn Weadock Dock in Essexville on the 22nd to unload coal.

Saginaw River Passages - May 15th-17th

The Saginaw River has had a few visitors the past few days. Olive L. Moore - Menominee arrived on the 15th, traveling to the upper river, stopping at the Burroughs Dock in Zilwaukee and the Lafarge Stone Dock in Saginaw. On the 17th, Alpena was inbound, calling on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville, bringing the first cement cargo of the season to that dock. Later in the day, Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder were inbound with a split cargo, unloading at the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw. Dorothy Ann-Pathfinder became the first repeat visitors to the Saginaw River this season.

Saginaw River Passages - May 10th

Herbert C. Jackson arrived on the Saginaw River, early Friday morning, to unload at the Wirt Sand and Stone Dock in Essexville.  The Jackson completed her unload by late morning and departed for the lake.  By mid-afternoon,  the John J. Boland was inbound on the Saginaw river, calling on the Port Fisher slip to unload at Bay Aggregates.  The Boland was outbound by late Friday night.

Herbert C. Jackson unloading at the Wirt Sand and Stone dock in Essexville

John J. Boland swinging the boom out to unload at Bay Aggregates

Saginaw River Passage - May 1st

Wednesday morning saw the tug Zeus, and tank barge Robert F. Deegan, arriving at the Port Fisher/Dow Dock to unload. The pair departed the dock just after 7am on Thursday, with Zeus on the hip. Once out in the open waters of the Saginaw Bay, Zeus will take the Robert F. Deegan into tow.