Lake Carriers Annual Maintenance 2024

MV John J. Boland enters the Poe Lock from Lake Superior Nov. 28, 2024 | credit USACE

The annual process of maintaining U.S.-flagged fleet of lake carriers on the Great Lakes began in mid-January after the navigational locks connecting Lake Superior to the lower lakes closed for repairs.

U.S. companies will invest more than $120 million into their vessels bringing skilled labor to shipyards and repair facilities around the Great Lakes states.

Wisconsin will lead investments with $55 million followed by Ohio with $39 million, Pennsylvania at $19 million, and $7 million in Michigan.

During winter maintenance, engineers carefully inspect each vessel and execute any needed repairs while also upgrading systems and crew quarters.

Major investments have been made to improve habitability onboard the vessels including wireless communications.

Some ships will be re-fitted with state-of-the-art electronics including navigational computers and propulsion control systems.

Hull plating will be replaced with steel made from iron ore that was shipped by the vessels to steel mills during the season.

This winter, milder than normal winter conditions across the Great Lakes region have allowed crews to work with less interruptions.

The Philip R. Clarke was the last ship through the Soo Locks for the 2023-2024 Great Lakes navigation season. Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, the Soo Locks will reopen on Monday, March 25, 2024.

During a 10-week off season, lock workers conduct preventative maintenance, replace worn components and inspect the locks.

When a lock is dewatered, it sometimes becomes a dry dock for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessels allowing their hulls to be inspected and repaired.

sources: Lake Carriers’ Association, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District

Related Information

The Great Lakes 2024

Icebreaking Season

Icebreaking Season

USCG Cutter Morro Bay | credit: USCG

Each winter, crews from the USA and Canada work jointly to perform icebreaking, marine traffic assistance, search and rescue, and other tasks on the Great Lakes.

The U.S Coast Guard (USCG) is the agency responsible for conducting icebreaking operations to assist commercial vessel traffic in the Great Lakes and other connecting waterways of the United States.

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is the agency responsible forice breaking on Canadian waters of the Great Lakes and connecting waters.

Operation Taconite is the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest domestic ice-breaking operation, encompassing Lake Superior, the St. Mary’s River, the Straits of Mackinac, and Lake Michigan.

Operation Coal Shovel includes icebreaking operations in the southern part of Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair and Detroit River systems, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.

Traditionally, icebreaking season begins in December to January and winds down in March. Leading up to and during the spring thaw, considerable effort involves clearing channels and ice dam mitigation.

Prior to unstable ice conditions, public safety officials usually remind outdoor enthusiasts to  remove ice fishing shanties and refrain from venturing onto remaining ice.

Some of the harshest ice conditions ever recorded in the Great Lakes occurred during the winter of 2013-2014. At one point during March 2014, 92.5 percent of the Great Lakes were covered by ice; the highest percentage of ice coverage seen since 1979.

Related Information

Historical Icebreaking Photos

The Great Lakes 2024

Mackinac Bridge | credit USCG

This post provides a review of the 2023 season and provides a summary of news from around region for 2024.

Great Lakes ice coverage was measured at 2.7 % on February 11, 2024, according to NOAA Research.

A report released by the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) finds that 40.8 billion gallons of water per day were withdrawn from the Great Lakes basin in 2022, representing about a 3% decrease from 2021 withdrawals.

Two U.S. Coast Guard sectors have been renamed for 2024. Sector Buffalo is now Sector Eastern Great Lakes, The Sector Headquarters are located on Lake Erie near the mouth of the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York. Sector Sault Ste. Marie was renamed Sector Northern Great Lakes and is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The Philip R. Clarke was the last ship through the Soo Locks for the 2023-2024 Great Lakes navigation season. Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, on the St. Marys River, the locks connect Lake Superior to the Lower Great Lakes. The Soo Locks will reopen on Monday, March 25, 2024. The Visitor Center will reopen May 1, 2024.

U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 81.4 million tons of cargo in 2023, according to Lake Carriers' Association (LCA).

In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced port improvement projects under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a PIDP project will complete Phase 2 of the Agricultural Maritime Export Facility. When completed, the project will improve efficiency by expanding grain storage capacity for staging inbound and outbound grains by over 1.3 million bushels.

In January 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District announced that a habitat restoration project along the Buffalo River near Katherine Street has been completed.

The $2.7 million project, funded by the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, was the final habitat restoration project required to complete management actions before delisting the Buffalo River Area of Concern.

USACE Buffalo District has also awarded a $6.3 million contract for repairs to the Vermilion Harbor West Pier on the south shore of Lake Erie.

Repairs at the south end of the west pier will include installation of a soldier pile wall and sheet pile lagging connected to subsurface rock and bedrock, and re-installation of cut stone to form revetments. Construction is scheduled to begin in May and be completed by fall 2024.

USACE Buffalo District completed $1.2 million in repairs to approximately 900 feet of the west pier from the beach to the north wrap in 2023.

In March 2024, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), and International Joint Commission (IJC) formally signed the first-ever memorandum of understanding (MOU) between them.

The agreement sets a clear path for advancing the commissions' existing shared goals and objectives, such as developing a Great Lakes science plan, coordinating science vessel activities, and promoting annual Great Lakes Day events.

Historical Lake Superior Shipping Images - Winter

Winter can be challenging for mariners on the Great Lakes. Although recent winters have included mild weather, this was not always the case. The following images offer a glimpse into past winters on Lake Superior.

Vessel Traffic off 9 Mile Point in Winter- Lake Superior | Credit NASA

This aerial photo shows bulk carriers navigating through winter ice off 9 Mile Point on Lake Superior.

Bulk Carrier MV Henry Ford II | Credit: NASA

This photo shows the bulk carrier Henry Ford II (IMO 5148015) underway in icy conditions. The Henry Ford II was one of the first diesel powered lake carriers. The vessel was built in 1924 and moved coal and other materials for Ford Motor Company.

Each winter, U.S Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard cutter crews patrol Lake Superior, clearing ice for lake carriers and other vessels.

Ice breaking usually begins on the Great Lakes in December and continues into March.

2024 Great Lakes Events

Lake Superior Keweenaw Peninsula | Credit: USGS

This post contains events held during 2024 in the Great Lakes region.

The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) Semiannual Meeting will take place March 5–6, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Great Lakes Day 2024 will take place March 7, 2024.

The world famous Soo Locks will reopen on Monday, March 25, 2024. Located in Sault Ste Marie, MI, on the St. Marys River, the locks connect Lake Superior to the Lower Great Lakes. The Soo Locks Visitor Center will reopen May 1, 2024.

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is seeking public opinions in a new online poll about the Great Lakes, water quality issues, and other topics related to restoring and protecting this unique freshwater system. 

To take the poll, visit the IJC website at ijc.org/wqb/great-lakes-poll, where it will be available until March 15.  

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) Annual Meeting will be held June 5-6, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. At this meeting, the public can learn about and discuss developments in the Great Lakes fishery.

Events updates will be forthcoming.

The Great Lakes Project

Great Lakes news is an effort to provide readers with information about the Great Lakes of North America, their connecting waterways, and surrounding areas.

Anyone familiar with the region is likely to agree that no single online resource can cover all the information related to the Great Lakes.

More information about Great Lakes News can be found on our About and Disclosure pages.

See also our post entitled Changing Course.