en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Door County Parks Department in Wisconsin, USA, officially commenced dredging operations at the Chaudoirs Dock County Park harbor basin on July 13, 2026. This project represents the second phase of the dredging effort, with a total cost exceeding $551,000. The Door County Parks Department stated that the dredging aims to maintain safe and reliable navigable conditions leading to Green Bay and ensure the long-term functionality of the harbor. The Door County Parks Department issued a tender notice for the project in February 2026, with a bid deadline of February 12. Partial funding for the project comes from a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and county boat launch fees.

Located on the shores of Green Bay in Lake Michigan within Door County, Chaudoirs Dock is an important docking facility for local recreational boats and commercial fishing vessels. Due to natural sedimentation, the water depth in the harbor basin has been decreasing year by year, impacting the safety of vessel entry and exit. The Door County Parks Department completed the first phase of the project's dredging operations in the spring of 2025. According to the Door County Parks Department, dredging for boat launch facilities like Chaudoirs Dock typically follows a 10-year maintenance cycle. The outer entrance of the harbor basin was previously dredged in 2001, 2005 (during bulkhead repairs due to ice damage), and 2014 (due to low water levels). This dredging is the planned second phase of maintenance following the first phase completed in the spring of 2025.

Door County officials stated that turbidity barriers will be deployed throughout the operation to protect water quality. To ensure public safety, the county pier and dock will remain closed for the entire construction period. Due to space constraints in the harbor basin and the needs of dredging equipment, the parking lot will also be restricted as dump trucks transport dredged material. According to a meeting notice from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in December 2025, the dredged sediment will be transported to the closed Door County landfill on Hainesville Road in the Town of Nasewaupee for temporary storage, to be used for re-grading the landfill cover. The project is expected to take 6 to 8 weeks, depending on weather conditions. During the park closure, boat users can access launch facilities at Robert Carmody Park in Little Sturgeon or Brown County Bay Shore Park in New Franken. The Door County Parks Department stated that it will use this closure period to simultaneously complete other maintenance projects at this popular park. Upon project completion, the designed water depth of the harbor basin will be restored, ensuring the normal operation of the local recreational fishing industry and tourism.