The borough is hoping that more boats find their way to town for marine services, shopping and moorage — and not just cruise ships.

And to promote the town’s waterfront services, while also providing easier access to information for locals, the Port and Harbors Department earlier this month unveiled an all-new website.

Visitors to the site will immediately notice a new feature that was not on the old website: Constant updates of Stikine River water levels.

The water level is automatically updated from the U.S. Geological Survey water gauge on the river, said Kate Thomas, the borough’s economic development director and the lead for website upgrades.

Matt Henson, a former department employee, added coding to the website to pull the USGS data every 15 minutes, Thomas said.

The river level is up front on the website home page, next to tides and weather. “It’s a one-stop shop for information,” she said.

The borough’s general website is geared more toward government functions and services, such as meeting notices, municipal code, the budget and such. It’s inadequate for the “branding and features” needed to promote waterfront services and industry, Thomas said.

“We wanted something special and distinguished” for Port and Harbors.

The one-time design and setup cost was only a few thousand dollars, she said.

The new website provides information on the Marine Service Center, the hub of Wrangell’s maritime services industry, including a detailed list of vendors that provide goods and services for boats and boat owners.

“The idea is to make those services we provide very accessible” — particularly out-of-town boaters — looking for information, Thomas said.

The website is wrangellportsandharbors.com.

For locals, a new feature allows them to complete Port and Harbor forms directly online, filling in the answers on the screen, rather than having to print out and scan or mail the completed form.

The Economic Development Department’s JR Meek handled the task of updating all the forms.

The borough is looking to draw in more transient vessels to buy their goods and services in town, Thomas said, both recreational and commercial boats.

“My office has always been asked: ‘What are you doing besides tourism?’” Building up the Port and Harbors website and going after more marine service work in town is high on the list, she said.

To spread the word, Port and Harbors staff will attend the Seattle Boat Show, which starts Jan. 30. And the Economic Development Department staff will attend the Seattle Travel & Adventure show, which starts Jan. 10.