COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has been awarded a $956,623 federal grant to expand and improve a public marina at Middle Bass Island in the western basin of Lake Erie.
The funds are part of $9 million in grants the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service awarded to states to help improve docking facilities for visiting boaters along the nation's waterways.
"The grant will help provide more and better public boat docks at Ohio's future Middle Bass Island State Park," said ODNR Director Sam Speck. "There is a tremendous need for short-term dock space around the Lake Erie islands where recreational boating is so popular."
The federal program provides states with monies to install mooring buoys, day-use docks, boat slips, piers and other structures to accommodate boats 26 feet and larger.
ODNR purchased almost 124 acres at the southern tip of the 758-acre island last year at a cost of $6.75 million. The site includes a mile of undeveloped shoreline; glacial grooves and other natural features; wetlands and grasslands that house several endangered species of plants and animals; and a safe harbor marina.
The public is welcome to walk the grounds and use the marina, but ODNR is not promoting the property as a full-fledged state park until more amenities are made available.
So far, ODNR has installed 25 new docks at the island's marina to accommodate visiting boaters for stays of up to 10 consecutive days each. As many as 50 boats can tie up at the new docks -- which cost about $125,000 to install.
Daytime dockage is available on first come, first served basis. Dockside electric and water will not be available this summer. A reservation and deposit (credit cards accepted) are required for overnight stays. Boaters should call the Lake Erie Islands State Park Office at 419-797-4530 for reservation information.
ODNR's grant proposal was among 55 such applications submitted for large marina projects.
Ohio ranks 8th nationally with 416,798 registered recreational watercraft. In a 1999 survey of Ohio visitors by the Ohio Division of Travel & Tourism, 62 percent identified Ohio as a great boating destination.