SVSU to Build Lake Huron Research Station in Bay County

Following a state budget approval, Saginaw Valley State University will build a $10 million research station near the mouth of the Saginaw River.

The environmental science research station will provide a standout learning laboratory for students and faculty, and partner agencies throughout the community, according to SVSU president George Grant. Those agencies include the Bay County Health Department and other agencies to test water quality at public beaches. Federal agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and state agencies such as the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy are also partners with SVSU in studying and improving the watershed through the Saginaw Bay Monitoring Consortium.

The research station will be built in Bangor Township on the west side of the Saginaw River, south of the DNR boat launch, on property owned by Dow. The state will cover $7.5 million in capital outlay funding while SVSU pays the remaining $2.5 million in existing capital reserve funds. Construction of the 10,000 square foot facility is expected to begin in the fall of 2025.