This project will be broken down into two separate dredging components

The City of Marquette was awarded a $2,367,750 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (CFDA 20.823) to conduct dredging and coastal resiliency initiatives at the Port of Marquette. The grant funding will be used for two separate dredging components:

1. The City of Marquette will complete design and dredge up to 54,100 cubic yards of material from the sediment plume at the outflow of the Dead River, placing the dredged soils along the shoreline. The city will also conduct coastal resiliency and shoreline stabilization projects in partnership with community stakeholders.

2. The project partners Cliffs Inc. LS and I Railroad will dredge up to 2,900 cubic yards of material from the boat loading and unloading areas on the south side of the Ore Dock. This dredged material will be disposed of at a suitable landside facility due to ore-pellet contamination.

The intended outcomes of the project include increasing the number of railcars loaded with iron ore delivered to the Ore Dock, growing the gross tons of materials shipped to and from the facility, and improving the vessel calls and freight capacity at the Port of Marquette. The grant was awarded on December 19, 2023, with a targeted completion date of July 21, 2030.

Each component will be performed under two independent contracts one initiated by the recipient and the other by project partners cliffs INC LS and i railroad. Component 1 will be funded by the pidp award and cliffs INC LS and i will fund component 2 as a nonfederal match. Activities to be performed component 1 city of marquette sponsored dredging complete design. Dredge up to 54100 cubic yards CY of material from the sediment plume at the outflow of the dead river. The soils dredged from this location will be placed along the shoreline either at the mouth of the dead river or to the south of the dredge area. Conduct coastal resiliency and shoreline stabilization projects with community partners. Component 2 cliffs INC LS and i sponsored dredging dredge up to 2900 CY of material from the boat loading and unloading areas on the south side of the ORE DOC. Soils located in the area of the ORE dock have been found unsuitable for redistribution due to ORE-pellet contamination and will be disposed of in landside facility that is currently being used for dredge material disposal as part of annual maintenance dredging. Deliverables expected outcomes all within the economic competitiveness measure within the freight movements number of railcars loaded with iron ORE delivered to the ORE dock. Within the gross tons measure tons of material shipped to and from the ORE dock. Vessel calls vessel type and freight capacity of vessels loading unloading at the ORE dock. Intended beneficiary city of marquette. Subrecipient activities none.