The Saginaw River saw 20 commercial vessel passages during the month of August, with 12 different docks receiving a total of 31 product deliveries, accounting for split cargo loads delivered to more than one dock. These passages represent 1 fewer passage than recorded during August 2025. Looking at long-term averages, the 20 passages in August are less than all the long-term averages, with the 5-year average at 22, the 10-year average at 23, the 15-year average at 21 passages, and the 20-year average at 25 commercial vessel passages during the month of August. There was also one outbound cargo: Gypsum loaded at the Sargent Docks & Terminal, bound for Green Bay, WI. This was the third outbound cargo of the season.
The total number of commercial vessel passages for the year-to-date is 89, which is 26 fewer than last year. Looking at the averages, the 89 passages for the year to date are less than all the long-terms, with the 5-year average being 103, 10-year average at 100, the 15-year average at 91, and the 20-year average at 96 vessel passages for the year to date as of the end of August.
During the month of August, there were 18 deliveries to the docks on the lower half of the Saginaw River, located in Essexville and Bay City, and 13 deliveries to upper river docks, located in Zilwaukee, Carrollton, and Saginaw. 9 vessels carried split loads with cargo unloaded at more than one dock. For the year-to-date, there have been 60 lower river deliveries and 35 upper river deliveries, with 27 split loads.
The vessels making deliveries to the Saginaw River in August: Olive L. Moore/Menominee (5), Robert S. Pierson (4), Defiance/Ashtabula (3), G.L. Ostrander/Integrity (2), Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder (2), Algoma Compass, Sam Laud, Iver Bright, and Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41.
Todd Shorkey
