City puts cost to repair Black River Canal gate at $3.5M-$5M

PORT HURON — After months of assessing options and working with the state, city officials now have a formal cost range to address the damaged gate that’s closed the Black River Cana to boaters this season — with plans to newly include shoring up the waterway’s eroding bank.

City Council members on Monday signed off on a proposal to include bank armoring in engineering services from DLZ Michigan, Inc., as part of a total agreement that, Port Huron City Manager James Freed said, would cost $231,335.

It was the projected cost of the canal and gate project overall, however, that he called “a shocking price tag” at an estimated $3.5 million to $5 million.

“The Tainter gate alone is looking to be about a $1.5 million project, depending on the scope,” Freed told council members. “With that said, we don’t want to stop the project from going, so everything’s moving full steam ahead.

“We’re working with the state. We’re going to commence work. The mayor and I met with our legislative leaders, our state (representative and) our state senator. We will be preparing a state aid request.  … Hopefully, that’s going to be developed in the fall. If the fall fails, then the next budget. But we want to fix this and fix it for the long term. I don’t want to have to come back every time there’s a flood on the river to deal with erosion.”

What does the engineering agreement mean?

Flood waters from an ice dam on the Black River first damaged the Tainter gate structure at the east end of the canal by Lake Huron in late January, tearing down the metal gate.

For several months afterward, officials said the gate couldn’t be removed, as it prevented debris from traveling further down the canal and eroding its banks, while they worked out permitting needs with the state allowing a cofferdam to be installed.

It would be then, officials have said, that they’d be able to remove the gate and ascertain whether it’s salvageable or needs to be replaced entirely.

But following more recent storms, water levels once again rose, lifting and moving the gate and leaving a gap around its substructure.

Because the higher water “pushed the gate around,” Freed said the bigger issue becomes that it’s no longer blocks sand, nor helps prevent erosion.

Now, he said they’re hoping to take some immediate steps.

“There’s no time to wait,” Freed said. “With or without a state permit, we are moving forward with a cofferdam.”

Additionally, Freed said they’re expecting to meet with township supervisors in Port Huron Township and Fort Gratiot, which also border the Black River Canal. In the past, he’s said they hoped to approach their neighbors about potential cost sharing in gate repairs, similar to dredging costs.

So far, the city has $500,000 for a canal fix set aside in its budget that took effect July 1.

According to DLZ's proposal, the scope of work includes bid packaging for the gate and lift design, field surveys, and bidding out for erosion control, the Tainter gate structure installation, and water main replacement.

So, the gate has moved. Is it open to paddlers?

Although the gate’s pushed aside, city officials said boaters still can’t make their way toward the lake through the gate or vice versa. After Monday’s meeting, Freed said signs were posted indicating the closure this season, and when asked, he agreed that included individuals paddling on kayaks or canoes.

That comes despite some paddlers who’ve gone through the gate, sharing images on the canal recently on local social media.

The canal is part of the Island Loop, a 10-mile nationally and state-recognized water trail that also follows the Black and St. Clair rivers for several ranges of skills with paddlers. Some residents have raised questions about the impact of the loop and tourism amid the canal gate’s closure.

Katie Stepp, marketing manager for the Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a member of the St. Clair County Metropolitan Planning Commission, an agency that also manages the Blueways of St. Clair to promote 150 miles of local water trails.

When asked last week, Stepp said she thought the Black River Canal was still a good place to paddle this season — even if it meant advanced paddlers couldn’t complete the whole loop.

“The canal portion is perfect for families. It’s really quiet,” she said. “You can see like these walls of greenery, and because of the height of that, when you’re going down it, you’re hearing all these birds. It feels very serene. It’s so easily accessible from Bakersfield launch.”

The county had also received a $50,000 grant through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ state water trails program to help with the Blueways’ strategic plan.

St. Clair County Planning Director Lindsay Wallace said the project’s period is through Sept. 30, 2026, meaning the grant was not at risk with the canal’s closure this season.

“I think everyone’s hope is that there is some sort of solution to fix the Tainter gate by then,” she said in a recent email. “Also, some eligible activities of the grant include signage, brochures, education, etc.”

Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: City puts cost to repair Black River Canal gate at $3.5M-$5M