Porkies Union Bay boat launch reopens Friday

SILVER CITY -  The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the parking lot and ramp at the Union Bay boating access site in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park will reopen Friday.

The access site and lot had been closed since October for boating access replacement work.

The boat launch is off County Road 107 in the northeast corner of the 59,000-acre park.

The ramp was widened and mechanical dredging of rocks from the launch out to deep water has created easier access.

Parking was expanded and the approach grade and ramp angle was redesigned. The launch is now a double-wide launch, with one skid pier, but with the ability to launch on either side.

"This has been a fantastic project that is going to give better access to one of Michigan's great fisheries on Lake Superior in Union Bay," said Jeff Gaertner, unit manager at the Porkies.

The $569,000 project was funded with $260,000 from a 2013 Emergency Dredging Program and $309,000 in Waterways Capital Outlay money.

Orchard, Hiltz and McCliment, Inc., of Hancock, served as consultants and worked on designing the project.

MJO Contracting Inc., of Hancock, constructed the new launch site.