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VISIONS of ARGO Alternative Futures for Ann Arbor’S Riverfront

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VISIONS of ARGO Alternative Futures for Ann Arbor’S Riverfront VISIONS of ARGO Alternative Futures for Ann Arbor’s Riverfront Amy Beltemacchi Amy Hiipakka-Squires Yasuhiro Ishihara Oliver Kiley Alicia LaValle Michael Wagman School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Michigan Visions of Argo * 2008 i 2008 ii 2008 * Visions of Argo VISIONS OF ARGO ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR ANN ARBOR’S RIVERFRONT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Th e Visions of Argo Master’s Project Team would like to thank the following individuals and groups for their advice, support, and valuable feedback. Without these individuals, this project would not have been Joan I. Nassauer Dave Allan. Project Adviser, Professor of Landscape Project Adviser, Professor of Aquatic Sciences and Archirecture, School of Natural Resource and Associate Dean, School of Natural Resources and Environment Environment Matt Naud Laura Rubin Project client and Environmental Coordinator for Project client and Director of the Huron River the City of Ann Arbor Watershed Council. In addition, we would like to thank the Huron River Impoundment Management Plan Committee (HRIMP) Members, the many city staff and researchers consulted throughout the course of this project, as well as our fellow classmates, friends, and family for their advise, encouragement, and recognition. ABSTRACT Visions of Argo explores the current and historical state of an urbanized reach of the Huron River in Ann Arbor, Michigan and proposes and evaluates three alternative futures for sustainable riverfront redevelopment. Th e legacy of historic industrial land use, in conjunction with current physical impacts on hydrologic condi- tions and river morphology, has clearly impacted the ecological health of the Huron River. Th e city initiated, Huron River Impoundment Management Plan (HRIMP) Committee, began exploring the complex web of issues aff ecting the Ann Arbor reach of Huron River in 2007. One key issue that has been under consideration by the city for over a decade and now faces the HRIMP Committee is a decision over whether to remove Argo Dam. Argo Dam does not currently provide many of the functions for which it was created. Increasing maintenance costs, safety hazards, and environmental concerns have initiated discussions about the feasibility and desirability of dam removal. Removing Argo Dam would restore the Ann Arbor portion of the Huron River to a free fl owing river and improve ecological conditions, while also exposing riparian land for new uses. Given the opportunity to radically transform the Argo Riverfront under a dam removal scenario, the HRIMP committee is now faced with the question, how should the river be re-imagined? Visions of Argo, describes three plausible visions, diff erentiated by alternative sets of resident desires and assumptions about future con- ditions. Th e scenarios developed in this project are the: (1) Biodiversity + Heritage Corridor, (2) Rainwater Adventure Park, and (3) Sustainable Live/Work Community. Each scenario is used to create designs of their future, which are compared and assessed according to their ecological health, stormwater management, human engagement, and development outcomes. Th e future visions each succeed in demonstrating how complex issues and diff erent resident desires can lead to a coherent future; thereby enhancing the amenity value of the Huron River, the ecological health of the riparian corridor, and the sense of place along the Argo Riverfront. Visions of Argo * 2008 iii VISIONS OF ARGO ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR ANN ARBOR’S RIVERFRONT iv 2008 * Visions of Argo VISIONS OF ARGO ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR ANN ARBOR’S RIVERFRONT Table of contents Chapter1 – Introduction A Context for Change .................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Visions for Argo .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2 – Multi-Scale Analysis Landform, Climate, River Morphology and Hydrology .............................................................................................................. 16 Water Quality.............................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Human History ........................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Land Uses Today ....................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Terrestrial Habitat and Natural Communities ............................................................................................................................. 39 Aquatic Habitat: Historic and Current Biodiversity .................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 3 – Management and Policy Issues Dams and Impoundments ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 Contamination and Remediation ............................................................................................................................................... 55 Stormwater and Creekshed Management ................................................................................................................................ 58 Connectivity ............................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Recreation Management ........................................................................................................................................................... 66 Existing Education and New Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 70 City and State Plans and Initiatives ........................................................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 4 – Project Methods The Alternative Futures Process ................................................................................................................................................ 78 HEC-RAS Hydraulic Model ........................................................................................................................................................ 86 Chapter 5 – Scenarios and Futures Descriptions Scenarios for the Argo Riverfront............................................................................................................................................... 92 Biodiversity + Heritage Corridor ............................................................................................................................................... 96 Rainwater Adventure Park. ...................................................................................................................................................... 110 Sustainable Live/Work Community ........................................................................................................................................ 124 Chapter 6 – Anticipated Outcomes Chapter 7 – Conclusions and Recommendations Summary .................................................................................................................................................................................. 146 Lessons Learned ..................................................................................................................................................................... 147 Future Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................................... 148 About the Authors .................................................................................................................................................................... 152 References ............................................................................................................................................................................... 154 Appendix 1 – Species of Special Concern in the Argo Riverfront Site Parklands Appendix 2 – Fish Presence in the Argo Area Appendix 4 – Relevent Planning Documents Appendix 3 – Stakeholders and Topical Experts Appendix 5 – GIS, Geographic Information System Appendix 6 – Image Comparison Board Visions of Argo * 2008 v VISIONS OF ARGO ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR ANN ARBOR’S RIVERFRONT List of Figures Figure 1: The Argo Riverfront Site Scale (Site Scale). ..................................................................................................................9 Figure 2: Creeksheds + Ann Arbor City Scale (City Scale) .......................................................................................................11 Figure 3: Upper/Middle Huron Watershed Scale (Watershed Scale) ........................................................................................13 Figure 4: Topography of the Argo Riverfront Site .......................................................................................................................16
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