Ports, Harbors, and Marinas

Commercial shipping in Wisconsin requires well-maintained ports and harbors, while recreational boating relies on access to marinas and other landings. These resources help guide decision-making about the marine infrastructure that supports shipping and boating.

Getting Started

Wisconsin Ports

Wisconsin Commercial Ports Association

Explore 14 commercial ports on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Marinas

Wisconsin Marine Association

Find marina owners and operators and marine-related businesses in Wisconsin.

Promoting Resilient Ports and Harbors

Great Lakes Port and Harbor Infrastructure and Dredging Cost Evaluation Matrix 

Association of State Floodplain Managers and NOAA Office for Coastal Management

A matrix model to estimate the cost of building and maintaining structures at large ports in the Great Lakes.

Failing Coastal Wood Infrastructure on the Great Lakes

Wisconsin Sea Grant

Fact sheet on timber structure failure mechanisms and potential solutions.

Best Practice Inspection Guidelines for Great Lakes Port, Harbor and Marina Structures

Wisconsin Sea Grant

Fact sheet with inspection guidelines to prevent structure deterioration

Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies for Great Lakes Ports, Harbors and Marinas

Wisconsin Sea Grant

Fact sheet on potential future Great Lakes water levels and their possible impacts to waterfront facilities

Ports Resilience Index: A Port Management Self-Assessment 

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Louisiana Sea Grant, Gulf of Mexico Alliance

This self-assessment tool in downloadable PDF format was developed for port and marine industry leaders. It serves as a simple and inexpensive method of assessing if ports and the regional marine transportation sector are prepared to maintain operations during and after disasters.

Boater Maps and Information

Boater’s View

Great Lakes Observing System

Integrates forecast models and buoy data with information about boat launches and marinas.

Great Lakes Nautical Chart Catalog and Chart Viewer

NOAA Office of Coast Survey

Nautical charts for the Great Lakes are available in many digital formats from the NOAA Office of Coast Survey.

Great Lakes Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)

NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

This tool supports emergency responders and environmental resource managers with coastal pollution cleanup, restoration, and response efforts in the Great Lakes basin.

Promoting Clean and Resilient Marinas

Wisconsin Clean Marina Best Management Practices

Wisconsin Clean Marina Program

The program provides guidance, training and education that help marina and boatyard operators improve their management practices. A guidebook provides best practices that address marine facilities and nonpoint sources of pollution.

Great Lakes Clean Marina Network 

Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs

The Great Lakes Clean Marina Network is a group of Great Lakes marina and boatyard stakeholders brought together through the Green Marina Education and Outreach project. Participants work with technical experts and outreach professionals to find common ground on best practices and certification criteria for marinas.

Resilient Marinas

Michigan Sea Grant

Resources that improve understanding of potential climate-related impacts and provide a suite of management practices, infrastructure improvements, and funding options.