2009 Year End Saginaw River Report

Saginaw River 2009 Shipping Season Report

Another year of commercial shipping on the Saginaw River has come to a close and like last season, 2009 had many interesting stories. The effects of the economy once again had a very noticeable impact on the number of commercial deliveries on the Saginaw River. With a decreased demand for construction materials such as aggregates and concrete, fewer vessels called on Saginaw River docks this season than did in 2008. The shipping season began over three weeks later than the previous season with the first delivery not arriving until April 18th. Between the first boat on April 18th and the last boat on December 7th, there were 163 commercial vessel passages by 37 different boats. Compare that to 214 vessel passages in 2008, by 38 boats, and you see a decline of 51 commercial deliveries to local docks. Looking back further, you can see the trend has been continual over the past five years with the biggest difference being a decrease of 184 passages as compared to the 2005 season. The state of the economy did not play the only role in this decline however. Water levels on the Saginaw River continued to creep higher in 2009, resulting in the boats that did visit, being able to load a little deeper, carrying more tonnage in fewer trips. Also helping was dredging of the upper river that took place during the early months of 2009, with the spoils being deposited in the new confined disposal facility located on the Bay/Saginaw county line. Additional dredging of both the upper and lower sections of the Saginaw River is set to begin in 2010.

Looking at some of the other numbers from 2009, sixteen different commercial docks along the river saw cargo deliveries this season. Leading the way with 36 was the Wirt Stone Dock in Bay City, down three deliveries from 2008. The Wirt Stone Dock in Saginaw was next with 31 deliveries, up two from last year, followed by the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City with 29 deliveries. The top five were rounded out by the Consumers Energy Dock in Essexville, and the Sargent Dock in Zilwaukee, each with 21.

Looking at the boats, leading the way for the fourth year in a row was the tug Olive L. Moore and her self unloading barge, Lewis J. Kuber. The pair logged 36 passages in 2009, down from 45 last year. Coming in next with 21 deliveries was the Calumet. The remainder of the top five was the Manitowoc with 16, and tied with 10 visits each were fleetmates Algoway and Agawa Canyon.

Turning to the fleets, the boats from Lower Lakes Towing and its subsidiary, Grand River Navigation had more passages than any other fleet for the third straight year. LLT/GRN logged 48 visits, fourteen fewer than last year. K&K Integrated Shipping was next with 40 passages, down 5 from 2008. Following with 21 visits each were both the American Steamship Company and Algoma Central Marine.

There were a number of boats who were regular visitors in past years that did not visit the Saginaw River in 2009. That list includes the CSL Tadoussac, James Norris, Cuyahoga, American Mariner, American Republic, Buffalo, John J. Boland, tugs Rebecca Lynn, James A. Hannah, Donald C. Hannah, Mark Hannah, Mary E. Hannah and the Ivory Coast Also absent in 2009 from her namesake river was the Saginaw. Making return visits in 2009 after not seeing the Saginaw River for a season or more were the Michipicoten, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr., Herbert C. Jackson, and the Joyce L. Van Enkevort/Great Lakes Trader. Some other seldom seen, infrequent, or new visitors to the Saginaw River were the tug Zeus, G-tug Superior, tugs Steven Selvick, John M. Selvick, and Krista S., and the tug Karen Andrie with the new tank barge, Endeavour.

Here are a few other interesting notes about the 2009 season: On July 5th, the Saginaw Bay received a rare visit by a saltwater vessel, the OXL Lotus. She arrived with equipment for the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville, but was loaded too deep to come into the river and make the dock. The tug Gregory J. Busch and her barge then began shuttling the cargo between the OXL Lotus and the dock until all the cargo was moved. The SCS Grey Fox made her annual 4th of July visit to help raise funds for the effort to bring the USS Edson to Bay City. It is looking more and more that this long in the works project will finally come to fruition in 2010. Some other visitors to the Saginaw River in 2009 were the USCG Cutter Hollyhock, and the tugs Manitou, Mohawk, and Fisher Hayden. Another big story was the lack of cargos for usually busy docks. The Essroc dock in Essexville only had 3 cargo deliveries in 2009, compared to 17 in 2008 and the Bit-Mat dock, which also received 3 deliveries in 2009, compared to over 20 only a few years before.

Here is wishing everyone a safe and prosperous shipping season in 2010!


The information contained in the report is as accurate and error free as possible, but is possible there may have been a vessel or dock delivery missed as tracking vessels for the entire season is not an exact science. Thank you for taking the time to read this year end report. I will see everyone again in 2010 for my sixth season of logging commercial vessel movements on the Saginaw River.

Thanks for you support,

Todd A. Shorkey

End of the Season?

The weather is getting colder and ice has formed on the Saginaw River. It has been weeks since the last laker called on the river with a cargo to deliver and 2009 will go down in the record books as a disappointment for ship watchers, shipping companies, dock owners, and the industry in general.

It is my hope we will still see a late season delivery or two, but it does not look too promising. Look for my year in review in the coming weeks and some other items of interest posted here over the winter.

Saginaw River Update

It has been eight days since the last visit by a commercial vessel on the Saginaw River. The usual end of season rush never really happened this year as most docks along the river already had a large quanity of product sitting on the ground.

Saginaw River Passage - December 7th

On Monday, the USCG Cutter Hollyhock was working aids to navigation in the Saginaw River Entrance Channel, removing lighted summer buoys and replacing them with winter marks. Also on Monday, Indiana Harbor called on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville to unload coal. She completed her unload and backed from the dock later in the day.

November Passages and Year to Date Report

The number of commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River for the month of November totaled just 17. This is down eight passages from 2008. For the year to date, there have been 158 commercial vessel passages as compared to 201 in 2008, for a decrease of 43 over the same time period.

If you look at these numbers as compared to the five year average, November shows a decrease of 9 passages over the average of 26. Looking at the year to date, you see a decrease of 86 based on the five year average of 244.

The biggest difference appears when you compare 2005 against 2009, for a decrease of 165 vessel passages.

Saginaw River Passage - December 5th & 6th

Saturday saw the return of the tug Joe Thompson, Jr. and barge Joseph H. Thompson to the Bay City Wirt Stone dock. After unloading sugar stone there on Wednesday, the pair was back again with another load for the growing pile. They were outbound later in the day. On Sunday, Olive L. Moore-Lewis J. Kuber called on the Saginaw River with a split load. Just like on Thursday, the pair lightered at Bay City Wirt before heading upriver to finish at the Saginaw Wirt dock. The Moore and Kuber turned Sunday night and were heading outbound for the lake.

Saginaw Passage - December 3rd

The Olive L. Moore, with the Lewis J. Kuber, called on the Saginaw River Thursday with a split load. The pair lightered at the Bay City Wirt Dock before heading upriver to finish unloading at the Saginaw Wirt dock. The Moore & Kuber then turned at Sixth Street and were outbound for the lake.