Rep. McDonald Rivet Calls for More Resources for Saginaw River Coast Guard Station

WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) recently sent a letter to the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, urging the immediate restoration of a fully operational and fully staffed Saginaw River Station.

“Nationally, the Coast Guard has received record funding and posted some of their strongest recruitment numbers in decades. After years of cutting operation hours and staffing and recent structural damage, it’s time for those record resources to come to the Saginaw River station,” said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. “Our brave Coast Guardsmen do everything they can to keep mid-Michigan families safe, and they need the federal investment to restore 24/7 coverage.” 

Over the last two years, the Coast Guard downsized the Saginaw River Station due to personnel shortages, cutting 24/7 Search and Rescue coverage, leaving only 40 hours per week of coverage. Despite the Coast Guard receiving the “largest single commitment of funding in Service history” and its largest recruitment class in over 30 years in 2025, the reductions in Search and Rescue coverage have not been reversed. 

The letter from Congresswoman McDonald Rivet reads, in part, “The need for a fully operational station in our region has only intensified. Since the downsizing, local stakeholders and first responders have documented a rise in maritime incidents throughout the Saginaw River and surrounding waterways. These include over 20 ice rescues conducted by the local sheriff's office this past winter alone. These incidents are exacerbated by longer response times due to the absence of a fully staffed local Coast Guard presence, leaving district residents waiting nearly two hours for aid in some instances. This trend poses growing risks to public safety, economic activity, and environmental protection.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.