If there are any power outage emergencies March 28 through March 31, Powell Township Hall will open during the day or night. Township residents and guests will be welcome. The hall will have power to include heat, light, outlets (for reasonable needs), and water. During these times, if there are issues accessing the hall, or transportation needs to get to the hall, call or text 906-204-6833.
Powell Township, established in 1904, welcomes you to the Township website. The most common way to reach Powell Township’s town of Big Bay is to drive to the end of County Road 550, also known as “Big Bay Road”. Powell Township is a great place to live; Powell Township School (which received the 2011 Excellence in Education award) serves pre-schoolers through 8th graders, community events and trails provide year-round opportunities, and the peaceful pace offers a place to retire and enjoy the beauty and wonders of nature. With the “big city” of Marquette, Michigan 25 miles away on the opposite end of County Road 550, Powell is a township removed but so easily connected.
The 2010 Census and Voter Registration files indicated a Powell Township population of 816, with about 70% being year-round residents. The Township has several lakes and rivers, ideal for recreation, and approximately 45 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. Within the Township is the community of Big Bay. Big Bay’s stores and restaurants include Cram’s General Store and Hungry Hollow Cafe, the Historic Thunder Bay Inn & Restaurant, the Lumberjack Tavern, Big Bay Pointe Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, Picture Bay Motel, and Big Bay Motel. Additionally, for camping, Powell Township houses Perkins Park on Lake Independence, operated by Marquette County. Dock of the Bay, also operated by Marquette County, enables access to Lake Superior by boat. Powell Township maintains four additional parks: Draver Park and Ballfield, Thomas Rock Scenic Overlook, Burns Landing, and the Bill Dionne/Halfway Fire Hall Kids’ Park. Powell Township’s Parks and Recreation Committee also maintains multiple Noquemanon Trail Network trails to enable year-round use.
Residents can find information about the Powell Township Board, Monthly Board Meeting minutes, applications for voting, zoning permits, and general questions (Transfer Station hours, tax due dates, etc.) and more on this website. In addition to this site’s Tax & Assessing page, residents and owners can view their assessing and tax information for free at this link.
Powell Township Office Hours:
General Office: Monday & Thursday, 09:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Treasurer: Monday & Thursday, 09:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M., or by appointment (email treasurer@powelltownship.org)
Assessor: Thursday, 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Zoning Administrator: by appointment only (email zoningadmin@powelltownship.org)
A complete and interactive map with the most current trail conditions is available at Noquemanon Trail Network. Powell Township’s trails are part of this network.
Powell Township residents, please keep these annual township events in mind. Further details, including times, are in local newsletters (including the site newsletter), on the site calendar, and/or will post as they become available.
The Marquette County Road Commission will impose and enforce seasonal load and speed restrictions on all roads and streets under its jurisdiction beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025. Restrictions apply to all motorized vehicles and loads. Normal legal loads are permitted on all roads designated as “All Season.” This notice was dated February 27, 2025, from the Marquette County Road Commission, 1610 North Second Street, Ishpeming, Michigan 49849, Phone: (906) 486-4491, Fax: (906) 486-4493. Weight restriction information and updates may be obtained by calling the Marquette County Road Commission at 486-4491 ext. 2.
From the Powell Township Assessor: All March Board of Review (MBOR) decision letters were mailed on March 18, 2025, from the Powell Township Assessor to every taxpayer who petitioned the 2025 MBOR.
Powell Township Food Bank Now Open EXTENDED DATES IN APRIL
The Food Bank is open the following EXTENDED DATES IN APRIL from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.:
Food Bank Donations
The dam between Lake Independence and the Iron River is scheduled for inspection on May 20, 2025. The inspector will stay for the 7:00 P.M. Monthly Board Meeting following the inspection to answer questions from the public.
Fourteen (14) items were approved at the February 18 and March 18, 2025 Board Meetings. They are also posted in full detail here. Additional poverty exemption updates, facts, procedures, and forms are available at the Tax & Assessing page here.
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