A project identified by the St. Mary’s River Bi-National Public Advisory Council back almost 20-years ago looking to restore some of the rapids on the river system to improve fish habitat is finally moving ahead.  Construction of a new bridge that will link Sugar Island to a nearby island with the ferry dock is scheduled to get underway next spring and be completed late next year now that federal funds have been made available.  Mike Ripley has been with BPAC almost 20-years…

Ripley is an Environmental Coordinator in Sault, Michigan representing the interests of 5 Indian tribes in Chippewa and Odawa and he says 7 to 9-million dollars in federal funding is being provided for the project which includes removing the existing causeway which dates back over 100-years.     Vehicle access to the ferry dock will be maintained during bridge construction…

Two hurdles needed to be cleared to allow the project to move ahead and Ripley says one of them involved satisfying concerns raised by Sugar Island residents…

The other involved securing federal funding.  Ripley says this project puts the US side of the St. Mary’s River on track to be de-listed by 2020 as an area of concern first identified back in ’87 under a bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.