Upper Peninsula Rowing of Marquette, MI

Upper Peninsula Community Rowing Club (UPCRC) rowing in Marquette's Lower Harbor
Welcome! We are U. P. Rowing in Marquette, Michigan. We row on beautiful Lake Superior from Founders Landing.

The Proposed Community Boat Storage Project, Marquette, MI
Goal: To preserve and increase public access to Lake Superior

Thank you for visiting our public information page for a proposed human-powered boat storage facility on the former BLP power plant property. We are in the early planning stages, so please check back for updates as we share them. For now, please check out our FAQ. If you still have questions or concerns about the proposed project after reviewing the material here, please feel free to e-mail U.P. Rowing by clicking on the mail link at the top of the page. Check back often as we continue to add information.
The proposed location of the community boat storage facility would be on the south portion of the former Shiras Power Plant property, north of South Beach (see map below). It would house equipment for U.P. Rowing, the NMU Crew Club, as well as offer public storage opportunities for anyone interested in storing their human-powered watercraft (such as kayaks and SUPs). The storage of human-powered watercraft at the former power plant location could serve as a safe launching area for anyone looking to paddle and row beautiful Lake Superior.
Showing the approximate location of the proposed storage facility location, north of the fence line within the BLP property.
FAQ:
Are you really constructing boathouse on South Beach and a 7,000 square foot parking lot?
No. There are a number of untruths within that question.
  1. We have only just proposed this idea to the Board of Light and Power as an opportunity to repurpose the industrial land where the power plant recently stood. Nothing is approved, or finalized, including the design of the structure. We are in the investigative stage.
  2. The term "boathouse" is misleading because the structure will not have heat or water. It will simply be a storage facility for human powered watercraft that the public would be able to utilize.
  3. It will not be on South Beach. The facility will be within the industrial border of the BLP property, inside the area that has been fenced in, set back more than 300 feet from the shoreline.  
  4. The 7,000 square foot parking lot already exists! It was used for staff and employee parking at the power plant. This parking area could be opened up as public parking for South Beach users if this proposal is approved.

Who is the Upper Peninsula Community Rowing Club?
U.P. Rowing is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the sport of rowing to youth and adults in the Marquette community. U.P. Rowing provides all equipment and training to its members who pass the safety requirements. We have a youth rowing program and we welcome men and women of all ages, and offer scholarships to anyone who is financially challenged. We are very proud of the fact that some of our graduating youth have gone on to earn winning collegiate rowing success and to even represent our country in the U.S. World University Games!

Why does the storage facility need to be near the shore?
Rowing equipment is unique in that it is long, heavy and fragile. The boats are carried from their storage location and placed directly into the water to row. To carry a 60-foot, 200 pound, fragile boat across roads, sidewalks, and bikepaths could put equipment, rowers, pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists at risk of damage or injury.

Why is the former power plant location ideal?
Rowing is a "calm water sport" with specialized and expensive equipment. Due to the large size of the boats (up to 60 feet long), they require space to maneuver (in and out of the water), and due to their low profile in the water (only about 6 inches above the waterline), they require calm water that is free of waves, motorboat wake, and heavy boating congestion. The Founders Landing cove where the Shiras power plant recently stood fits the unique criteria for safe and successful rowing. And for other human-powered watercraft.

Will access to South Beach be decreased?
No. The public will be able to continue using the beach as they do today. The storage facility would be constructed where the old power plant once stood, set back from the shoreline, with a walking path to the water, north of the South Beach recreation area. Having the boat storage facility here would free up the Founders Landing location where U.P. Rowing currently rents space from the City of Marquette.

How can you ensure the rowers won't interfere with the families and/or people at the beach?
  1. We would launch and land at an area that is not currently used for recreation. It is to the north of the public beach, a space previously used by the BLP for cooling water discharge. See the map of the area, below. This area is outside the designated swim area, as marked with lifeguard buoys.
  2. We would carry our boats from the storage structure to the water on a plank path to the beach. It is approximately a 300 foot carry. We are only on the beach for a few minutes taking off and landing.
  3. We primarily row in the morning (6:00 am, 8:00 am) and the evening (5:30 pm, 8:00 pm), outside the time of most swimmers.
  4. We currently launch from Founder’s Landing where there are sometimes sunbathers and swimmers. We don’t seem to get in the way of each other.
  5. We are conscientious of the swimmers and beach goers and take care as to not interfere with their recreation. When the water is calm enough to row south of the break wall we will sometimes stop at South Beach (outside the swim area) to swap out rowers and coxswains (so that everyone gets a chance to row). We are careful as to not impact the swimmers in any way and never go within the buoyed swimming area.

How will the proposed area be used?
The area being considered is currently an industrial space on BLP property. It is the area where the power plant dumped their cooling water into the beach area. It is currently used for industrial storage and parking. We aren’t actually “developing” the area, we are re-purposing industrial property by placing a storage facility on the site. The BLP has put a priority on reclaiming the area for recreation. The rowing club is a community recreational resource, open to everyone. The facility will be constructed as a temporary structure so it can be removed if and when the BLP chooses to exit the agreement. The current BLP employee parking area would be an extension of the South Beach parking area to provide more parking to the beach area.  

Who will pay for the facility?
U.P. Rowing will conduct fundraising to raise the funds for the entire project, and any future maintenance.

Will you be purchasing or renting the property?
The current discussion is for U.P. Rowing to rent the space from the BLP.

How did you decide on the dimensions of this building?
Rowing is a unique sport with very large equipment. The largest boats are 60 feet long. Currently the NMU Crew Club and U.P. Rowing have six 60-foot boats, six 40-foot boats, two 30-foot boats, and four 20-foot boats. The oars for these boats are 12 feet long. There are also three 14-foot chase boats. The building is designed to house as much of this equipment as possible, while also offering exterior protected storage to the public of their human-powered watercraft. This vertical storage configuration will use a smaller footprint than the horizontal storage that is currently being used at Founders Landing, freeing up space at Founders Landing. 

Why are you using shipping containers for the building?
We understand that the words "shipping container" can bring up visions rusty old Cosco containers lurking in rural fields and commercial property. We assure you that that is not our vision. The containers are perfectly suited for a temporary storage structure and our design would be single-story, contemporary, and modern. The containers would be freshly painted with a timber trussed roof spanning them. We hope to have a professional rendering to share with the community soon!

Did You Know?

U.P. Rowing:
  • Has been providing our community rowing opportunities and instruction for 21 years
  • Is a 501(c)(3) non-profit local organization
  • Is 100% volunteer run (including trained coaching personnel and administration)
  • Is open to both male and female participants
  • Is multi-generational (ages 13-80)
  • Offers a Youth Rowing program
  • Supports and mentors NMU's Crew Club
  • Offers scholarships to anyone who is financially challenged
  • Provides all equipment needed to participate in rowing opportunities
  • Has taught over 500 of our community members how to row 
U.P. Rowing is a non-profit all-volunteer rowing club. Since 2004, U.P. Rowing has provided public group outdoor recreation in the sport of rowing in the Marquette, MI area. Thanks to our volunteers, we provide specialized training, access to equipment, and safety measures so you can experience group rowing. Programs are open to adults ages 18 and over who are interested in sweep rowing and sculling. We also run a youth program for high school students. Our youth have gone on to row with collegiate crews, and the Summer World University Games! We host an annual regatta or exhibition, and have had outreach programs to place rowing machines in local schools.

Most of our rowing is done on beautiful Lake Superior. While our on-water rowing season runs from June through late October, we also get together for erg training in our clubhouse and other athletic and social pursuits during the rest of the year. 

Rowing is one of the only forms of exercise that is a non-impact activity and still exercises every major muscle group. We provide an opportunity for co-ed, multi-generational fitness, collaboration, fellowship, and fun.

To learn more about membership, e-mail Gail Brayden at [email protected]. Or you can stop by our Clubhouse under the observation deck at Founders Landing if we're there.
U.P. Rowing is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, so your donation is tax-deductible!
Copyright © 2014-2024 U.P. Rowing. All rights reserved.
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