| |
Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative
Restoring River Shoreline
 Over the years, 97% of natural coastal wetland habitats along the U.S. side of the Detroit River have been lost to development. Most of the shoreline was stabilized with concrete and steel to protect developments from flooding and erosion, or to accommodate commercial navigation and industrial uses. While often required for those purposes, in some cases these hardened shorelines have become unnecessary.
Today, shorelines are being rehabilitated using “soft-engineering” techniques that help create natural habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other species while reducing erosion, beautifying the shoreline, and making the waterfront more accessible.
Shoreline Successes
In recent years, there have been 24 soft-shore engineering projects up and down the Detroit River, and MAC has had a hand in many of these efforts. For example, through the AHR Initiative, MAC:
-
Helped restore 180 feet of Detroit River shoreline at DTE Energy’s River Rouge Power Plant near Belanger Park, the only public park in the City of River Rouge, and create better recreational fishing opportunities for residents and visitors.
|
|
Before and after images of shoreline rehabilitation work at DTE Energy’s River Rouge Power Plant. The broken concrete and rip-rap was restored to a natural shoreline utilizing native plants and shrubs and reestablished fish habitat (Images: Chris Lehr, Nativescape LLC). |
-
Assisted the City of Trenton rehabilitate Detroit River shoreline at Ellias Cove – once known as Black Lagoon, one of the most contaminated sites in the Great Lakes system, prior to a major clean-up – to a natural state, establishing a backwater nursery habitat for fish and increasing recreational opportunities.
Restoration Projects Underway
MAC provided a challenge grant to help the City of Monroe and other partners obtain a 5-Star Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to restore shoreline along the River Raisin at the DTE Energy Monroe Power Plant. Once completed, this significant shoreline restoration project will transform about 500 feet of shoreline to a more natural condition, create fish and migratory bird habitat, and enhance recreation opportunities in this area.
Learn More About Soft-Shore Engineering
Download Best Management Practices for Soft Engineering of Shorelines.
© 2011 Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC)
Terms
|
|
|
