The Silver Lake boating access site in Marquette County will be closed for several days, beginning Thursday, for upgrades to the site.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division staffers, in cooperation with the Michigan Army National Guard 107th Engineer Battalion, will be conducting the $66,000 project financed by Dead River Flood mitigation funds.
A gravel boat launch, a parking area and improvements to the gravel access road on state-managed property are features of the upgrades to be made.
Vehicle and foot traffic access to the site is being prohibited during construction for safety concerns. There are no available alternative routes to access this location. Travelers on roads in the area should anticipate heavy equipment traffic.
Work is scheduled to be completed Oct. 12.
The Silver Lake Basin is located northwest of Ishpeming, a destination known to anglers for northern pike, bass and panfish.
In February 2020, after proposing gated, walk-in access only to the lake, the DNR held a public meeting in Negaunee Township. Attendees at the meeting opposed that idea, instead favoring only modest improvements, keeping the access site a gravel boat launch with vehicle access provided.
In May 2003, a fuse plug failed on the dam releasing nine million gallons of water downstream, which ultimately led to the failure of the Tourist Park Dam in Marquette.
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