Harbor Assistance Program
Forecasted
Harbor Assistance Program supports Wisconsin harbor communities and facility owners by funding Great Lakes and Mississippi River harbor improvements that maintain or increase waterborne commerce.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (Three-Year Harbor Statement of Intentions) | August 2027 (Application)
Funding Amounts: Up to 80% of eligible project costs; up to 50% of the local share with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers financing
Summary: Supports improvements to Great Lakes and Mississippi River harbors that maintain or increase waterborne commerce.
Key Information: A formally endorsed Three-Year Harbor Statement of Intentions must be submitted before the application.
Description
Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program helps harbor communities along the Great Lakes and Mississippi River maintain and improve waterborne commerce. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transit, Local Roads, Railroads and Harbors administers the program. Eligible work includes dredging, dredged-material disposal, dock-wall construction and repair, and other physical improvements that maintain or increase commercial commodity or passenger movement.
The program supports facilities used for cargo transfer, vessel building, commercial fishing and ferry service. WisDOT weighs economic impact, jobs, urgency, project type, environmental impacts and waterborne tonnage when selecting projects. Maintenance work receives higher priority than new development.
