Dredging Delays Keep Baileys Harbor Marina Closed

The Baileys Harbor Marina in Door County, Wis., is seen on July 28, 2021 (Coburn Dukehart and Tad Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)

Some may have noticed that the Baileys Harbor Marina, normally open for launching in time for the Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament in mid-April, has remained closed this year. That’s because the harbor needs to be dredged, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) restricts dredging between July 2 and Oct. 14 to protect fish during various life stages, according to a letter the town received from the DNR in October 2022. 

The town has been working with the DNR to obtain a special permit to dredge outside the regulated timeframe and the marina will be opened by Memorial Day if all goes as planned. Still, the town needs to consider the challenges moving forward and for that reason, town board chair Dave Eliot  – who is also the co-owner and publisher of this newspaper – said during the Baileys Harbor Town Board’s Monday-evening meeting that the town will create a Marina Ad Hoc Committee of five people to consider the town’s best options moving forward. 

Those interested in being considered for the committee should contact Eliot or the town at 920.839.9509. The new committee members will be announced during the board’s June meeting, held the second Monday of the month.