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 2022 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 U.S. Census Bureau estimated Powell Township’s population as 830 in 2023, 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, enabling 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)
This meeting is open to the public. Board members and Trustees will also be present. The meeting purpose is to discuss items on the below agenda. No decisions requiring Board voting will be made. A committee of the whole is a meeting where multiple committees meet together, sometimes including the entire board. This type of meeting allows for more interaction between committees and board members. Due to schedule conflicts, this meeting is on Monday, May 12, but Committee of the Whole Meetings usually occur on the second Thursday of each month to discuss the upcoming Board Meeting’s Agenda.
AGENDA:
Trail maps are available at Noquemanon Trail Network. Powell Township’s trails are part of this network. Additionally, a trails traffic report is available here.
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.
At 8 A.M. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, weight restrictions will be lifted on all roads south of U.S. 41 and M-28 and east of M-95, including all of Chocolay, Marquette, and Humboldt Townships. Weight restrictions will continue to apply and will be enforced on all other county roads and streets until further notice. Restrictions apply to all motorized vehicles and loads. Normal legal loads are permitted on all roads designated as “All Season.” Weight restriction information and updates may be obtained by calling the Marquette County Road Commission at 486-4491 ext. 2.
Powell Township Food Bank Open EXTENDED DATES IN APRIL AND MAY
The Food Bank is open the following EXTENDED DATES IN APRIL & MAY:
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.
The Eagle Mine will host an Eagle Mine Community Forum on June 3, 2025, at Powell Township Hall. Mine information is available at the Eagle Mine website.
Fifteen (15) items were approved at February – April 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.