Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities The Great Lakes are one of the world’s greatest natural resources, an incomparable freshwater ecosystem that provides drinking water for than 30 million people and supports one of the world’s largest regional economies.

Spanning 94,000 square miles, these inland seas are home to some of America’s best beaches, world-class fisheries, more than 30,000 islands and one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations: Niagara Falls. It is hard to believe that, decades after environmental protections were enacted, the Great Lakes remain threatened by toxic pollutants in harbors and tributaries that threaten the health of people and wildlife; invasive species that cost the region at least $200 million per year in damages and control costs; and habitat destruction that hurts water quality, wildlife, and the region’s outdoor recreation industry. Restoring the lakes may be a formidable task but it is a goal that is achievable. As this report demonstrates, communities across the Great Lakes region are working to heal the lakes. Through federal programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, private businesses and property owners are working together to clean up toxic hot spots, restore fish and wildlife habitat and protect the Lakes from invasive species. The fruit of their labor is becoming more evident by the day. Restoration projects have: Brought back the native Atlantic salmon fishery in Lake Ontario; restored in Buffalo; improved Lake Huron’s fishery by removing dams in rivers that flow into the lake; dredged 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Ottawa River in Ohio; and cleaned up part of the Grand Calumet River in Indiana — one of America’s most polluted rivers. These are just a few examples of Great Lakes restoration projects that are improving water quality, eliminating toxic hazards and improving fisheries. Restoration projects also create jobs and pump new revenue into communities. Several restoration projects in the Detroit area are featured in this report, for two reasons: Detroit is home to some of the region’s most successful Great Lakes restoration projects; and the Motor City was the site of the 2011 Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition’s Great Lakes Restoration Conference. Detroit is a leader in Great Lakes restoration, and the city’s efforts are paying huge dividends for the environment and the city’s struggling economy. The bottom line is that Great Lakes restoration projects deliver results and offer some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget. The successful restoration projects contained in this report can be replicated in communities throughout the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—if the federal government continues to support solutions to these urgent problems by funding important programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now is not the time to scale back our nation’s commitment to the Great Lakes, because there is still much work that needs to be done to clean up contamination, stop sewage overflows, and restore wetlands that keep polluted runoff from farms and cities out of the lakes. If restoration efforts stall, the problems will get worse and more costly to fix. This report highlights solutions to restore the Great Lakes, protect drinking water, safeguard public health, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of people. It’s time for federal public officials to act to protect this iconic resource now and for generations to come.

More than 120 organizations representing millions of people are uniting to restore one of America’s greatest natural wonders — the Great Lakes. The coalition seeks to stop sewage contamination, shut the door on invasive species, and restore wetlands and other damaged habitat, each of which is an essential component of restoring the health of the Great Lakes. For more information, contact:

Jeff Skelding Chad Lord Jennifer Hill Jordan Lubetkin Campaign Director Policy Director Field Director Communications Director 202-797-6893 202-454-3385 734-887-7104 734-887-7109 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Healing Our Waters®-Great Lakes Coalition • c/o National Wildlife Federation • 213 W. Liberty Street, Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Written by Jeff Alexander • DesignedTuan by Do Removing dams boosts brook trout population

Description The Flowing Well Trout Farm, built in the mid-1900s, erected 12 small dams to Flowing create fish rearing ponds. The dams, built on the North branch of the Manistee River and the Flowing Well Creek, diverted the natural flow of a trout stream, Well Trout caused unnaturally high water temperatures, blocked fish passage and Farm disrupted the natural movement of sediment and woody debris in the river. Approximate cost of project Restoration $626,000. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project. Project Resource challenges addressed Kalkaska, Michigan Fish passage, excessive warming of water temperatures, fragmentation of a river ecosystem, the loss of wetlands and the loss of fish spawning habitat.

Key partners (public and private) The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Lake Restoration Initiative, Elliott Donnelly Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Paul Young Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Sustain Our Great Lakes grant (administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Conservation Resource Alliance’s River Care program.

The north branch of the Manistee River before the dams were removed. (Photo courtesy of Conservation Resource Alliance)

Project Summary Removing several dams from a defunct fish farm in northern Michigan restored natural conditions in 37 miles of a trout After the dams were removed. (Photo courtesy of Conservation Resource Alliance) stream, which increased the native brook trout population. Types of jobs created Biologists, ecologists, environmental engineers, civil engineers, truck drivers, excavators, project monitors and administrative support personnel.

Results and accomplishments The project restored natural conditions in 37 miles of a trout stream, increased the native brook trout population, lowered water temperatures, eliminated sediment buildup, removed the risk of dams failing and restored 100 acres of wetlands.

Web site www.rivercare.org

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 1 Written by Jeff Alexander • DesignedTuan by Do Reducing erosion improves a New York trout stream

Description Brook trout historically lived in rivers and streams across New York, but their Clear Creek distribution and abundance were severely reduced by competition from other species, the loss of fish habitat, and the fragmentation of rivers. In Clear Creek, Habitat excess stream channel erosion and sediment inputs, in-stream barriers, elevated water temperatures and competition from non-native fish species restricted Restoration brook trout to a few tributaries in the watershed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other organizations used a combination of approaches to restore Project 1,200 linear feet of in-stream habitat and re-establish fish passage over a Freedom, New York sheet-pile grade control structure, which reconnected six miles of trout habitat in Clear Creek.

Approximate cost of project $106,211. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenges addressed Stream bank erosion and sedimentation, the loss of in- stream habitat and deep pools that trout favor.

Key partners (public and private) Excess stream bank erosion and sediment U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New deposition before the restoration project. York Department of Environmental (Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Trout Unlimited – Service) Western New York Chapter, Trout Unlimited – Red House Brook Project Summary Chapter, Seneca Trail Resource Stabilizing eroding stream Conservation and Development banks and improving fish Council and the Great Lakes passage in New York’s Clear Restoration Initiative. Creek could improve the trout stream by reducing the amount of sediment washing into the Improved natural stability of the stream channel Types of jobs created waterway. The project is part after the restoration. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ecologists, biologists, excavators of a growing effort to help Service photo) and truck drivers. New York reclaim its heritage as a state teeming with healthy Results and accomplishments trout streams. The project begins to restore prime habitat in a section of stream where trout were once abundant by restoring natural stream function. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation maintains 5.5 miles of easement along Clear Creek, along the project site, to support recreational fishing. An additional 1,200 linear feet of habitat will be restored immediately downstream of the completed project during summer 2012.

Web site http //1.usa.gov/zelDR8

2 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Nature returns to an urban creek in Cleveland

Description A group of government agencies and private engineering firms developed a Big Creek plan to restore nearly one mile of Big Creek, which was disfigured by decades of urban development. Intense development increased the volume of polluted Watershed stormwater that flowed into the creek, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. Human activities also straightened the creek, separated it from natural Stormwater floodplains and destroyed wetlands. The restoration work removed large debris from the creek, stabilized eroding stream banks, replaced defective culverts, Management created wetlands, reconnected the creek to the floodplain and restored its natural meander. Crews also planted native vegetation along the restored Improvement stream banks. Cleveland, Ohio The same section of the creek after Approximate cost of project the restoration work was completed. $923,758 (Photo courtesy of Biohabitats)

A section of Big Creek before the restoration project began. (Photo courtesy of Biohabitats) Resource challenges addressed Soil erosion, non-point and point source pollution, excessive stormwater runoff, loss of wetlands and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Project Summary Urban development in Key partners (public and private) Cleveland left Big Creek, a The cities of Parma and Cleveland, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the city of Cleveland’s tributary of the Cuyahoga Division of Water Pollution Control. The engineering firms DLZ and River, a polluted mess that Biohabitats designed the restoration project and managed construction was prone to flooding. An activities. Biohabitats prepared stream channel restoration designs for 4,500 ambitious restoration project linear feet along the Chevrolet Branch of Big Creek. returned the creek to a more natural state. The project Types of jobs created reduced polluted runoff and Environmental engineers, hydrologists, ecologists, biologists, excavators, created wetlands and other landscape architects and landscapers. habitat that benefited fish, wildlife and people who live Results and accomplishments near the creek. The restoration work created wetlands and other habitat for fish and wildlife and restored a more natural flow in the creek. The work also curtailed flooding and reduced the volume of sediment and other pollutants that wash into the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie following rain showers or periods of snow melt.

Web site http //bit.ly/zNBDKU

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 3 Crews hit the road to improve a Michigan trout stream

Description The conservation group Huron Pines led a coalition that undertook an effort to Silver Creek improve fish passage and aquatic habitat in Silver Creek, the highest quality tributary of the Ocqueoc River, which flows into Lake Huron. The coalition Super improved 10 road-stream crossings that either blocked fish passage or were major sources of sand and silt washing into the river and burying prime fish Project spawning areas. New culverts were installed at six sites and all of the roads over Presque Isle County, the creek were paved. The culverts and paving reduced sediment runoff into Michigan the creek and allowed fish and other aquatic life to move freely throughout the waterway and the Ocqueoc River. The scope of the project was also expanded to remove invasive plants and reduce sediment runoff from private property along the creek. The project is slated for completion in 2012.

Approximate cost of project $600,000. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenges addressed Fish passage and sedimentation. The old road-stream crossings blocked the natural movement of fish and other aquatic life and flushed sediment into the creek, where it blanketed gravel beds where fish spawn.

Key partners (public and private) Huron Pines, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Crews work on a Silver Creek road crossing Presque Isle County Road to remove obstructions to fish passage and Commission, U.S. Fish & reduce sediment runoff into the creek. Wildlife Service, Great Lakes (Photo courtesy of Huron Pines) Commission, Wolverine Power Cooperative, Natural Resources Conservation Project Summary Service, Michigan Department Improvements at 10 road- of Environmental Quality, stream crossings over Silver Trout Unlimited, Michigan Creek improved fish passage Fly Fishing Club, Presque Isle and reduced the amount of Improvements to road crossings allowed fish to move Conservation District and the sediment washing into the freely throughout the creek and reduced soil erosion that Ocqueoc River Watershed trout stream, which is a harmed fish spawning beds. Commission. tributary of the Ocqueoc River and Lake Huron. Types of jobs created Excavators and other heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, civil engineers, environmental engineers, biologists and aquatic ecologists.

Results and accomplishments The project allowed trout and other fish to move freely throughout the creek, reduced the amount of harmful sand and silt washing into the creek, and increased public awareness and stewardship of the waterway.

Web site http //www.huronpines.org/project/93

4 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities New bridge restores a trout stream’s natural flow

Description The Burnt Mill road crossing, located near the headwaters of the 90-mile-long Platte River Platte River, featured a culvert that restricted the river’s natural flow. Water that backed up behind the culvert caused stream-bank erosion, which caused trees & Burnt Mill to fall into the river and unleashed sediment that buried rocky spawning areas favored by trout and salmon. The river’s altered flow increased water temperatures, Bridge which threatened the trout population. Replacing the undersized culvert with a Benzie County, wooden bridge restored the river’s natural flow, the natural movement of Michigan sediments and aquatic life, and provided a safer river crossing for motorists.

Approximate cost of project $328,000

Resource challenges addressed Altered flow of the Platte River, a blue ribbon trout stream; excessive sedimentation, which suffocated valuable fish spawning habitat; and unnatural warming of water temperatures in the river.

Key partners (public and private) Conservation Resource Alliance, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Benzie County Road Commission, Michigan An undersized culvert at the old Burnt Mill Department of Natural crossing constricted the flow of the Platte Resources, Natural Resources River. (Photo courtesy of Conservation Conservation Service, U.S. Resource Alliance) Fish and Wildlife Service, Platte River Watershed Council, Benzie Conservation Project Summary District and McDowell Replacing a narrow culvert Construction. that restricted the Platte River, The new Burnt Mill Bridge restored the Platte River’s a blue ribbon trout stream in natural flow. Types of jobs created northern Michigan, restored Biologists, ecologists, the river’s natural flow and landscape architects, civil engineers, excavators and carpenters. reduced stream bank erosion that was suffocating prime Results and accomplishments spawning areas for trout and Restored the river’s natural flow, which will help the native brook trout salmon. The bridge that population; reduced the volume of sediment washing into the river by 5 tons replaced the culvert also annually; and restored the natural movement of nutrients and aquatic life increased public safety by above and below the road crossing. providing a safe road over the river. Web site www.rivercare.org

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 5 Alteration to dam improves fishery in Lake Huron

Description A dam built in 1947 on the Potagannissing River was designed to create a Potagannissing marsh for waterfowl. But the dam unintentionally blocked fish passage, which contributed to a decline in the northern pike population on Drummond Island Dam Modifications and in the St. Marys River, which links Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources installed a fish ladder in 1999, but Drummond Island, northern pike were unable to navigate the structure. So the DNR removed three northern Lake Huron feet from the top of the dam and built a series of four rock-ramp structures, which allowed all species of fish to swim over the dam and reach prime spawning habitat areas upstream. The Potagannissing Dam under construction. Approximate cost of project $50,000

Resource challenge addressed Fish passage, loss of spawning habitat and altered stream flow.

The finished product.

Rock steps were placed in the river to allow Key partners (public and private) fish passage over the dam remnants. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Drummond Island Sportsmen’s Club and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Passage Program.

Project Summary Types of jobs created A 60-year-old dam on the Excavator, biologists, ecologists, landscape architects and environmental Potagannissing River, located engineers. on northern Lake Huron’s Drummond Island, was Results and accomplishments modified to permit fish Providing fish passage at the dam was expected to increase the number of passage and bolster the northern pike in the Potagannissing River and Potagannissing Bay, which is region’s northern pike fishery. part of the St. Marys river. Modifying the dam gave fish access to 800 acres of high quality habitat on Drummond Island. Biologists said it would take several years for the northern pike fishery to realize the benefits of the dam modifications.

Web site http //1.usa.gov/u13VJB

6 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Removal of two dams in Michigan restores river

Description Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds, along with state and local funds, were Watervliet used to remove two dams and a spillway in the Paw Paw River, just east of the city of Watervliet in southwest Michigan. The dams restricted fish passage and Dams prevented migratory fish from Lake Michigan from reaching the upper 100 miles of river. The dams and spillway were built in 1918 to support a paper Removal mill. The paper mill closed in 1968 and the dams fell into disrepair, which presented a safety hazard to boaters and anglers. Removing the dams restored Watervliet, Michigan the river’s natural channel, improved water quality and created fish and wildlife habitat by turning a stagnant stretch of the river into a vibrant Workers remove an old dam on Michigan’s waterway. The project was significant because the Paw Paw River, which Paw Paw River. (Photo courtesy of supports 40 species of fish, is a high quality tributary of Lake Michigan. Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc.)

Approximate cost $1,103,957. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenges addressed Impaired water quality, loss of fish and wildlife habitat and ecosystem fragmentation.

Key partners (public and private) Funding was provided by the The finished product. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ($922,759), with additional funding from Berrien County ($25,000), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ($56,198), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ($100,000). Other partners included The Nature Conservancy, Two Rivers Coalition and the city of Watervliet. Project consultants were Environmental Consulting & Technology After the closing of an old paper mill in and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. 1968, a dam on Michigan’s Paw Paw river fell into disrepair, posing a safety hazard to boaters and anglers. (Photo Types of jobs created courtesy of Environmental Consulting Civil engineers, excavators and other heavy equipment operators, chemists, & Technology, Inc.) biologists, ecologists, environmental engineers and community planners. A total of 21 jobs were created.

Project Summary Federal Great Lakes Results and accomplishments restoration funds supported Removing the dams liberated and restored a stretch of the Paw Paw River that the removal of two obsolete, had been submerged by dam impoundments for five decades. The project reconnected 100 miles of free-flowing stream to Lake Michigan, created new crumbling dams on the Paw fish and wildlife habitat and increased recreational opportunities for anglers Paw River, in southwest and paddlers. The project eliminated a financial strain on taxpayers by ending Michigan, removing fish the Berrien County’s need to maintain the dams. Restoring the river is also barriers, restoring the river’s expected to generate economic benefits for communities along the river by natural channel and re-establishing a fishery for salmon and other migratory species. providing more recreational activities. Web site http //www.swmpc.org/watervlietdam.asp

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 7 restoration improves fish & wildlife populations

Description Protection and restoration of the Oxbow Wetland was an effort to return native Oxbow plant and animal species to a 15-acre site located at an oxbow in the Buffalo Creek. It is part of a larger project to restore and protect 34 acres of floodplain Wetland and wetland habitat along Buffalo Creek, in the Town of West Seneca. The restored oxbow will play an important role in increasing fish and wildlife Restoration populations in the Buffalo River Area of Concern. West Seneca, New York Approximate cost of project $65,000

Resource challenge addressed In the 1950s, the oxbow wetland was cut off from Buffalo Creek as part of a flood control project designed to protect farmland. The alterations allowed Japanese knotweed and other invasive plants to colonize part of the oxbow, driving out native species and reducing habitat for several species of fish and wildlife. Restoring the oxbow was significant. It is the first major wetland in the Buffalo River system upstream from the river’s mouth at Lake Erie. The site supports several New York State “species in conservation need,” including red-headed woodpeckers and snapping turtles, as well as many wetland plant species. As early as 1975, the site was identified as a unique and critical Buffalo River habitat in need of protection. Replacing invasives with native plant species here helps re-set the successional trajectory in support of downstream habitat restoration efforts.

Key partners (public and private) Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeeper, Town of West Seneca Environmental Commission, Oxbow Wetland the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ecology and Environment Inc., the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Western New York Land Conservancy, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Project Summary the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program, Tifft Nature Preserve, and various Removing invasive plants and local fish and wildlife groups. restoring a 15-acre oxbow wetland on Buffalo Creek, a natural feature rarely found in Types of jobs created urban streams, dramatically Ecologists, educators, biologists, hydrologists, heavy equipment operators, improved fish and wildlife nursery growers and suppliers, and planners. populations in the creek. Those improvements will bolster the Results and accomplishments larger effort to restore the Work crews removed thousands of knotweed plants and other invasive species Buffalo River Area of Concern. from 12,000 square feet of land on the oxbow and replanted several areas with native plants, greatly increasing species diversity on the site. The Riverkeeper organization facilitated the transfer and conservation easement on the original 14 acres from a private donor to the town of West Seneca and is currently working on a second land transfer that will protect a total of 30 acres in perpetuity. They also developed booklets that have prepared government officials and property owners better protect their stream corridors within the Buffalo River Watershed.

Web site www.bnriverkeeper.org

8 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities River clean-up removes contaminated sediments

Description Nearly 260,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment was dredged from a Ottawa 5.5-mile stretch of the Ottawa River in Toledo. For decades, the river was a major source of chemical pollutants entering Lake Erie’s Maumee Bay, where River the contaminants harmed fish and wildlife. Crews worked around the clock to Sediment finish the project in six months; it was scheduled to take two years. Project cost Cleanup $47 million ($2 million under budget). Great Lakes Legacy Act funds helped Toledo, Ohio support this project.

Resource challenge addressed Legal and illegal industrial waste discharges into the Ottawa River prior to the 1970s deposited large quantities of toxic chemicals in river bottom sediments. The pollutants made the river unsafe for humans and contaminated western Lake Erie, prompting advisories that urged people to limit their consumption of fish from the lake.

Key partners (public and private) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency split the cleanup cost 50-50 with a consortium of businesses that included Allied Waste Industries, Chrysler LLC, the city of Toledo, DuPont Co., GenCorp Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Illinois Tool Works Inc., and United Technologies.

Types of jobs created Dredge operators, truck drivers, environmental engineers, chemists, ecologists and biologists.

Ottawa River hydraulic dredge Results and accomplishments The project brought about the removal of 260,000 cubic yards of toxic mud Project Summary from the river bottom, which improved water quality in the river and reduced Federal Great Lakes the volume of pollution flowing into Lake Erie. Crews removed more than restoration funds support 7,500 pounds of PCBs and more than 1 million pounds of heavy metals from removal of 260,000 cubic the river. yards of toxic sediments Those contaminants had made the river unfit for human use and along a 5-mile stretch of contributed to advisories urging people to limit their consumption of fish from the Ottawa River in Toledo, the river and its receiving water, Lake Erie’s Maumee Bay. The restoration Ohio, that posed a risk to project helped reduce the health risks to people and wildlife. Because more fish people and wildlife— are caught every year in Lake Erie than in the other four Great Lakes combined, including major sportfish the cleanup was particularly significant for the lake’s thriving walleye and such as walleye and perch. perch fisheries.

Web site http //www.epa.gov/glla/ottawa/

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 9 Restoration project removes harmful pollutants

Description Two separate cleanup projects removed a combined total of 67,000 cubic yards St. Marys of contaminated sediment from the St. Marys River, one of 43 Great Lakes River Area Areas of Concern. Approximate cost of Concern The combined cost of the two projects was $12 million. Great Lakes Legacy Act Cleanup funds helped support this project.

The St. Marys River, Resource challenge the connecting Historic pollution discharges from a tannery and a manufactured gas plant on channel between the U.S. side of the St. Marys River contaminated a large area of the river Lake Superior and bottom with mercury, chromium and toxic chemicals that were toxic to fish Lake Huron and other aquatic life. Mercury and other pollutants in the sediment accumulated in fish, posing health threats to humans and wildlife that consumed the tainted fish. Project Summary Federal Great Lakes restoration Key partners (public and private) funds helped support the The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State of Michigan, Phelps Dodge removal of more than 500,000 Corp., Consumers Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the city of Sault Ste. pounds of harmful pollutants Marie and the St. Marys River Binational Public Advisory Council. from the St. Mary’s River that helped make the river safer for Types of jobs created fish and, ultimately, the people Biologists, ecologists, chemists, landscape engineers, environmental engineers, who eat those fish. dredge operators and truck drivers.

Results and accomplishments In 2007, dredging in an area of the St. Marys River known as Tannery Bay removed 40,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment that contained 500,000 pounds of chromium and 25 pounds of mercury. The contaminated sediment that was removed would have covered an area the size of a football field to a height of 24 feet. In 2010, crews dredged another 26,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in an area of the river near the MCM Marine Facility. That area was contaminated in the early 1900s by a manufactured gas plant.

Web site www.epa.gov/glla

10 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Dam removal a huge step toward river’s recovery

Project Summary Removing a dam from Paint Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River in Paint Creek suburban Detroit, will bolster efforts to save one of the last remaining trout streams in southeast Michigan and help restore the Clinton River Area of Dam Concern.

Removal Description Oakland County, Paint Creek is one of two remaining coldwater trout streams in suburban in suburban Detroit, Detroit. The creek flows into the Clinton River, which is one of 43 Great Lakes Michigan Areas of Concern. Historically, the Paint Creek Dam — which was built in 1835 — provided power for a grain mill. But in doing so, the dam blocked fish passage and caused sediment in the creek to accumulate behind the concrete Before dam removal structure. The resulting changes to Paint Creek were one of many problems facing the Clinton River. Urbanization of the watershed in recent decades caused sewer overflows and pollution from storm water runoff. Heavy metals, PCBs and other pollutants discharged into the river now linger in the sediments, where they pose health risks to humans, fish and wildlife. Removing the Paint Creek Dam in 2011 was a major step toward restoring the Clinton River system.

Approximate cost of project $704,725. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenges addressed Fish passage, unnatural fluctuations in water flow and water temperature, loss of fish and wildlife habitat and ecosystem fragmentation.

Key partners (public and private) Clinton River Watershed Council, Clinton River AOC Public Advisory Council, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Oakland University, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., Trout Unlimited and Lawrence Technological University. After dam removal Types of jobs created Civil and environmental engineers, biologists, heavy equipment operators, Project Summary truck drivers, landscape architects and general laborers. Federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds are helping Results and accomplishments community in Oakland County, Removing the dam opened up 16 miles of free flowing water in Paint Creek and Mich., remove an old dam to the Clinton River. Once completed in 2012, the project also will restore 1,500 improve water, fish habitat and feet of stream channel, reconnect 2.5 acres of wetlands and reduce bank recreational opportunities. erosion by more than 95 percent in this stretch of the creek.

Web site www.crwc.org

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 11 Dam removal improves water quality, fish habitat in urban stream

Description The Euclid Creek East Branch Dam in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, was removed in Euclid December 2010. The project restored the natural stream flow to a portion of Euclid Creek for the first time in 80 years. The dam was the first of six targeted Creek Dam for removal as part of a watershed restoration plan.

Removal Approximate cost of project Euclid, Ohio $526,585 (funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Resource challenge addressed BEFORE: Euclid Creed dam was an The Euclid Creek East Branch Dam was located on the East Branch of Euclid impediment to fish passage. Creek, a heavily industrialized tributary to Lake Erie that is affected by urban runoff and habitat degradation. The project removed a low-head dam that was constructed in the early 1930s to impound water for swimming at a YMCA camp. The original pool behind the dam was completely filled with sediment and the dam no longer served any purpose. The structure was an impediment to fish migration upstream from the main branch of Euclid Creek.

Key partners Ohio Department of Natural Resources, City of Euclid, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga County Engineer, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Friends of Euclid Creek

Types of jobs created The project created 38 jobs. • 20 people worked on design, surveying, field administration and constructions services; • 11 people worked on the construction portion of the project; and, • 7 worked on replanting the shoreline after the dam removal was complete.

Results and accomplishments Removing the dam and abutments restored the natural flow to 500 linear feet AFTER: Removal of the dam has provided of Euclid Creek upstream of the dam and allowed fish and other aquatic life fish with new habitat and increased recreational fishing opportunities. in the creek’s main branch to reach waters in the East Branch. This resulted in new habitat for fish and other aquatic life and increased recreational fishing opportunities. The improved water quality also will help Euclid Creek meet Ohio’s water quality standards. Project Summary Federal Great Lakes restoration funds removed an old dam Continued Support from Congress, White House Essential from Euclid Creek, which Federal support paved the way for the successful removal of the Euclid Creek allowed for the return of fish dam. Unfortunately, there are countless communities around the region which and other aquatic life to the continue to struggle with drinking water restrictions, beach closings, fish waterway. The project consumption advisories, depressed property values and other impacts from increased recreational fishing unhealthy lakes. That is why it is essential for the U.S. Congress and the White opportunities and improved House to support federal programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. If water quality, helping the we cut funding now, it will only cost more later because all of these projects creek to meet water quality will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait. standards.

12 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities River cleanup attracts fish, wildlife, economic development

Description The Black Lagoon project was the first cleanup completed under the Great Detroit Lakes Legacy Act, a federal program established to remove contaminated sediments at toxic hotspots in the Great Lakes. The lagoon lies within the U.S. River – Black Fish and Wildlife Service’s International Wildlife Refuge, which supports numerous species of fish and wildlife. The cleanup removed 115,000 Lagoon cubic yards of toxic sludge from the bottom of the Black Lagoon, which improved water quality and spurred economic development along the Detroit Cleanup River shoreline. Subsequent work restored wildlife habitat around the Black Lagoon. In 2007, the city of Trenton, Mich., officially changed the name of the Detroit, Michigan lagoon to Ellias Cove in honor of the successful restoration effort.

Project cost BEFORE: Oil, grease and hazardous $9 million. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Great Lakes Legacy Act funds chemicals pollute the Detroit River’s helped support this project. Black Lagoon.

Resource Challenge Addressed The Black Lagoon is an inlet in the Detroit River. For decades the oil, grease and hazardous chemicals that industry discharged into the Detroit River settled in the Black Lagoon. The inlet was called the Black Lagoon when the water turned black due to the high concentration of oil and grease in the water and sediments. The lagoon was an ongoing source of pollutants entering the lower Detroit River and western Lake Erie.

Key Partners (public and private) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The EPA provided 65 percent of the funding for the cleanup; the Michigan DEQ provided the remaining 35 percent.

Types of Jobs Created Dredge operators, truckers, chemists, ecologists, landscape engineers, environmental engineers

Results and Accomplishments Crews removed 115,000 cubic yards of polluted sludge from the Black Lagoon in 2004 and 2005. The cleanup removed more than 470,000 pounds of contaminants from the lagoon, including 160 pounds of PCBs, 38,000 pounds of lead, 360 pounds of mercury, 300,000 pounds of oil and grease and 140,000 AFTER: Removing thousands of pounds of pounds of zinc. The project improved water quality in the lagoon and the lower pollutants from the lagoon has improved Detroit River and fish and birds have returned to the lagoon. It also sparked water quality, attracted fish and birds, and economic development along that stretch of the Detroit River — the city of sparked economic development—inspiring Trenton plans to develop a marina in the lagoon. Because water in the lagoon is city officials to rename the water body no longer black, the city of Trenton renamed the lagoon Ellias Cove. Ellias Cove. In 2010, Trenton received $14,286 as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The funds will allow the city to plant aquatic vegetation around the Project Summary restored Ellias Cove, providing critically needed spawning and nursery habitat Federal Great Lakes restoration for native fish species in the Detroit River. funds removed contaminants Continued Support from Congress, White House Essential in a lagoon on the Detroit Federal support paved the way for the successful restoration of Ellias Cove. River, improving the water Unfortunately, there are countless communities around the region which quality and allowing fish and continue to struggle with drinking water restrictions, beach closings, fish birds to return. The project consumption advisories, depressed property values and other impacts from also sparked economic unhealthy lakes. That is why it is essential for the U.S. Congress and the White development along the House to support federal programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. If restored river. we cut funding now, it will only cost more later because all of these projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 13 Project helping to restore habitat, clean up Area of Concern

Description The project will restore 1,100 feet of shoreline, 1.7 acres of emergent wetlands, Detroit River 750 feet of rock shoal, and create an acre of fish spawning area in the Detroit River Area of Concern. About 4.6 acres of upland habitat also will be restored Area of adjacent to the shoreline in front of U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Works facility; Concern invasive plants will be removed and replaced with native vegetation. Approximate cost of project Habitat $1.4 million. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project. Restoration Resource challenge addressed Ecorse, Michigan The project will help meet the need for high quality fish and wildlife habitat in the Detroit River. Industrial development along the U.S. side of the Detroit River over the past century hardened much of the natural shoreline and destroyed coastal wetlands. The U.S. Steel project, which was specifically listed Project Summary as a target in the Detroit River Area of Concern delisting criteria for beneficial Great Lakes Restoration use impairments, will transform an unused industrial riverfront site into viable Initiative funds are helping to shoreline habitat for fish, amphibians and waterfowl. restore natural shoreline along the Detroit River to improve Key partners (public and private) coastal habitat, respond to U.S. Steel, Wayne County, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, U.S. climate change and changing Environmental Protection Agency and Friends of the Detroit River. water levels in the Great Lakes and advance efforts to Types of jobs created eliminate beneficial use Landscape architects, excavators, ecologists, biologists and botanists. impairments in the Detroit River Area of Concern. Results and accomplishments The project is underway. When complete, it is expected to increase populations of fish, amphibians and waterfowl species that are native to the Detroit River.

Web site www.detroitriver.org/

14 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Removal of abandoned boats and debris sets stage for further restoration

Description Fordson Island was created in 1917 by the dredging and channeling of the Fordson Rouge River to the Ford Rouge Plant. The dredging created a deeper channel, which allowed Ford Motor Co. to transport submarine chasers (Eagle Boats) Island Oxbow from the Rouge River to the deeper water of the Detroit River during World War II. Over time, debris from commercial, industrial, and recreational use of the Restoration island and surrounding waterway accumulated in the shallow river west of the island. The cleanup project removed 18 abandoned boats and tons of other and Marine debris from the shoreline and river. The project will include ecological and habitat surveys, which could lead to the 8.5-acre island becoming a park amid Debris a heavily industrialized area. Removal Approximate cost of project Project $150,000. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Rouge River, Michigan Resource challenge addressed The use of Fordson Island as a makeshift dump for boats left an unsightly mess that degraded fish and wildlife habitat on the island. The abandoned boats likely contributed to soil and water contamination in the lower Rouge River.

Key partners (public and private) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, Friends of the Rouge, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, Detroit Riverkeeper, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wayne County, City of Detroit Department of Environmental Affairs, Gateway Community Development Collaborative, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Marine Pollution Control, Waste Management, Friends of the Detroit River, University of Michigan–Dearborn and AKT Peerless Environmental Services.

Types of jobs created Backhoe operators, barge operators, truck drivers, environmental scientists, chemists, biologists and zoologists.

Results and accomplishments Project Summary Great Lakes Restoration Crews removed 18 abandoned boats from the island. Studies are planned to Initiative funds are helping determine the biological health of the island and nearshore areas, and what to clean up marine debris could be done to make the site a more attractive recreational area. and abandoned boats to increase recreational Web site opportunities on island. www.therouge.org

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 15 Projects working to improve fish, bird habitat

Description The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a $1,459,649 grant to the Belle Isle Friends of the Detroit River to restore the natural flow of water in Belle Isle’s Blue Heron Lagoon. The 41-acre lagoon discharges to the Detroit River, but fish Habitat access to the lagoon is blocked by sheet pile walls, grates and drop structures. The EPA granted another $528,289 to the Friends of the Detroit River for a Restoration project known as the Belle Isle South Fishing Pier. That project will create 2.5 acres of protected coastal wetland along the island, immediately downstream Projects of the sturgeon reef that was installed in 2004. The Detroit Zoological Society, Blue Heron Lagoon, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife the South Fishing Pier Service are working to restore common tern habitat on the north end of Belle and the northern tip Isle. The migratory birds are a threatened species. of the island Combined cost of projects $2 million. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenge addressed Alteration of the natural shoreline on Belle Isle and the loss of fish and wildlife habitat on and around the island. Those changes contributed to decreases in fish and bird populations on and around the island.

Key partners (public and private) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center, the Friends of Belle Isle, Friends of the Detroit River, the Detroit Zoological Society and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department

Types of jobs created The projects will require the service of fish biologists, wildlife biologists, landscape architects, excavators and truck drivers. Blue Heron Lagoon. (Photo by Bob Burns) Results and accomplishments Project Summary Common terns have already returned to nest at the north end of Belle Isle. Great Lakes Restoration Work was just beginning in 2011 on the Blue Heron Lagoon and South Fishing Initiative projects are helping Pier projects. The wetland and habitat restoration projects will increase fish and to restore fish and wildlife wildlife habitat in the Detroit River and bolster efforts to eliminate beneficial habitat on Belle Isle, a city- use impairments in the Detroit River Area of Concern. owned park in the Detroit River. Belle Isle, which spans Web site 985 acres, is the nation’s http//bit.ly/GLRIBelleIsle largest island park.

16 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Efforts help restore iconic Rouge River

Description The Danvers Dam project will remove the Danvers Pond Dam, which is located Danvers Pond on Pebble Creek, a tributary of the Rouge River. The project will restore a more natural river channel, which will reduce flooding downstream. Restoration of Dam Removal the stream bank will create habitat for fish and wildlife. The project known as “Transforming the Rouge River Area of Concern” will and Stream restore stream banks, wetlands and upland habitat to advance efforts to Restoration eliminate beneficial use impairments in the watershed. The project will create 25 acres of native vegetation and restore seven acres of wetlands in the main, and Trans­ upper and lower branches of the Rouge River, which is a major tributary of the forming the Detroit River. Approximate cost of projects Rouge River $499,254 for the Danvers Dam project and $648,750 for the Rouge River habitat restoration work. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support these Area of projects. Concern Resource challenges addressed Several sites in and Loss of wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat, alteration of natural along the Rouge River, stream flows, excessive storm water runoff and degradation of water quality. which flows through communities located Key partners (public and on the south and west private) sides of Detroit The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Wayne County Water Resources Office, Friends of the Rouge, Alliance of Rouge Communities and several cities along the river.

Types of jobs created Biologists, hydrologists, civil engineers, aquatic ecologists, landscape architects, excavators and Fishing on Rogue River.(Photo by Jeff Alexander) truck drivers.

Results and accomplishments Initial work is just beginning on the Danvers Dam removal and stream bank Rogue River mouth. (Photo by Bob Burns) restoration projects. But the Rouge River has already improved dramatically since the 1960s, when the lower river was so polluted it caught fire. Over the Project Summary past three decades, local, state and federal agencies have invested $1.6 billion Two upcoming Great Lakes on a multitude of projects aimed at restoring the Rouge. Restoration Initiative projects The projects reduced storm water runoff and sanitary sewer overflows, in the Rouge River will restore restored fish and wildlife habitat by removing small dams, stabilized erosion- damaged stream banks, prone stream banks and created new fish spawning sites. The Rouge is far from restore wetlands, reduce being a pristine river, but past efforts have allowed several species of fish and stormwater runoff, decrease wildlife to return to the river. Water quality also has improved to the point that flooding and create fish and people now fish and kayak in the river. wildlife habitat. Web site www.allianceofrougecommunities.com and www.therouge.org

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 17 Preserving Humbug Marsh receives global recognition

Description Humbug Marsh is the centerpiece of the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge, Humbug which is North America’s first international wildlife refuge. The marsh—which was to be filled in and developed—was saved when thousands of area residents Marsh joined with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to preserve one of the last natural areas on the U.S. side of the Detroit River. Preservation The marsh is home to 154 species of birds, 51 species of fish, 90 species of Gibraltar, Michigan plants, seven species of reptiles and amphibians, and 37 species of dragonflies and damselflies. In 2010, it was designated Michigan’s first Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. Humbug Marsh is one of just 27 wetlands in the U.S., and 1,886 wetlands worldwide, that have been recognized by the Ramsar Convention.

Approximate cost of project $8.6 million. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds helped support this project.

Resource challenge addressed Industrial, commercial and residential development along the Detroit River over the past century eliminated 97 percent of coastal wetlands on the U.S. side of the (Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and 32-mile long river. Those losses robbed the river of critical fish and wildlife Wildlife Service) habitat, which contributed to population losses.

Project Summary Key partners (public and private) Preservation of the Humbug U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Marsh protected the last mile Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Detroit River. of natural shoreline on the U.S. side of the Detroit River. Types of jobs created The largely pristine, 410-acre Biologists, ecologists, landscape architects, excavators, architects, structural marsh is home to numerous engineers, carpenters, plumbers and botanists. fish and wildlife species and stands of old-growth white Results and accomplishments oaks. The Humbug Marsh project preserved the last mile of natural shoreline along the U.S. side of the Detroit River. It has become the centerpiece of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge—a destination for people to watch wildlife, to fish and to go boating. More than $2 million has been spent to clean up pollution on land adjoining Humbug Marsh, erect an environmental education shelter and build 1.5 miles of trails around the perimeter of the marsh. Site work began in 2011 on the Refuge Gateway project. When complete, the Refuge Gateway will include a visually stunning visitor’s center, interpretive trails, fishing piers and kayak launch sites.

Web site http //1.usa.gov/humbugmarsh

18 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities Ford Motor Co.’s Green Roof

Description The 10.4-acre living roof was part of a $2 billion makeover that was aimed at Ford Rouge making Ford’s Rouge truck manufacturing facility more environmentally friendly. The project demonstrated that corporations could conserve energy Plant Living and reduce stormwater runoff by installing living roofs on large manufacturing Roof facilities. Dearborn, Michigan Approximate cost of project $18 million

Resource challenge addressed Stormwater runoff, which contributed to pollution of the Rouge River and Detroit River. Rain and snowmelt carries pollutants to the river, where oil, grease and chemicals can harm fish and other aquatic life.

Key partners (public and private) Ford Motor Co., William McDonough & Partners (architect), ARCADIS (environmental consultant), (Photo by Jeff Alexander) Michigan State University and several companies that provided plants and construction materials. Project Summary A vegetated, living roof Types of jobs created installed atop Ford Motor Co.’s Architects, landscape designers, plant and soil scientists, chemists, biologists massive Rouge plant, in and civil engineers. suburban Detroit, was the largest project of its kind when Results and accomplishments completed in 2003. The living The living roof, which keeps the factory cooler in the summer and warmer in roof conserves energy and the winter, decreased energy use at Ford’s Rouge plant by 7 percent. The living reduces stormwater runoff, roof was also a cornerstone of green infrastructure that can filter up to 20 which is a major problem for billion gallons of stormwater annually at the manufacturing facility. the nearby Rouge River.

Web site http //myfrd.co/oColbR

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 19 Removing toxic mud paves way for healthy fishery

Description The Rouge River was once a vibrant waterway that provided a variety of uses to Newburgh people, plants, animals, and insects. Newburgh Lake was created in the 1930s as part of Henry Ford’s “Village Industries” on the Rouge River. Over the course Lake of 60 years, contaminated sediments accumulated in the impoundment. During routine fish monitoring in 1988, state officials found high concentrations Cleanup of PCBs in fish. Those officials identified a polluted stormwater ditch, where an Livonia, Michigan industry discharged wastewater, as the source of the contaminants. The PCBs settled in sediments in Newburgh Lake and polluted the lake’s food chain, making fish unsafe to eat. A cleanup project removed 400,000 cubic yards of sediments, containing 3,400 pounds of PCBs and other toxic compounds, from the lake. That cleanup, coupled with an intentional fish kill that eliminated 28,000 pounds of contaminated fish, brought about a 90 percent reduction in fish contaminants. Crews also restored 10 acres of critical fish habitat in the impoundment, which helped the fishery recover.

Approximate cost of project $11.8 million

Resource challenge A cleaner Rouge River now attracts kayakers. addressed (Photo by Bob Burns) Toxic lake bottom sediments were contaminating fish, which posed a health threat Rogue River discharge. (Photo by Bob Burns) to people who ate the tainted fish.

Key partners (public and Project Summary A 1998 sediment cleanup in private) Newburgh Lake, an U.S. Environmental impoundment in the Rouge Protection Agency, Michigan River, removed 544,000 tons Department of Environmental of toxic mud and restored a Quality, Wayne County Water healthy fishery. Resource Commissioner’s office, Friends of the Rouge.

Types of jobs created Dredgers, barge operators, truck drivers, chemists and biologists.

Results and accomplishments The project reduced PCB concentrations in fish by 90 percent. Coupled with the restoration of fish habitat, the cleanup resurrected the once-popular fishery in Newburgh Lake, which is located in a heavily populated urban area. The cleanup also contributed to the larger effort to improve water quality and restore fish and wildlife habitat in the Rouge River, which is a Great Lakes Area of Concern.

Web site http //www.therouge.org

20 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities $50 million cleanup to make the Grand Calumet River grand again

Description The Grand Calumet River is one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. It flows Grand 13 miles through the heavily industrialized cities of Gary, East Chicago and Hammond, Ind., before flowing into Lake Michigan via the Indiana Harbor and Calumet Ship Canal. The river and harbor — which drain an area that is home to 57 severe pollution sites and wastewater treatment plants that still discharge River untreated sewage into the river — contain between 5 million and 10 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment. About 150,000 cubic yards of that Cleanup polluted sediment washes out of the river and into Lake Michigan annually. East Chicago, Indiana The river bottom was fouled by a witch’s brew of toxic wastes, including oil and grease, heavy metals and PCBs, according to government records.

Approximate cost of project $50 million. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Great Lakes Legacy Act funds helped support this project. Cleaning up the entire Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal will cost more than $100 million.

Resource challenges addressed Contaminated sediment, some of which washes into Lake Michigan; loss of native fish species and other Grand Calumet River before cleanup Grand Calumet River after cleanup aquatic life, loss of wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat; and invasive plant species that clogged the river.

Project Summary A Great Lakes Restoration Key partners (public and private) Initiative cleanup project is The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program removing 232,000 cubic yards Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Indiana Department of of toxic sediment from the west Environmental Management and the Indiana Department of Natural branch of the Grand Calumet Resources. and restoring one of the largest wetlands in the river, the Types of jobs created 19-acre Roxana Marsh. Biologists, ecologists, toxicologists, chemists, environmental engineers, dredge operators and truck drivers.

Results and accomplishments Since last year, crews working for the U.S. EPA and Indiana Department of Environmental Management have dredged 232,000 cubic yards of toxic sediment from the west branch of the Grand Calumet and the 19-acre Roxana Marsh. Workers also removed several acres of the invasive reed Phragmites. In February, workers began depositing a layer of clean sand, clay and fabric on the river bottom that will serve as a cap atop 345,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments that will be left behind. The sand and clay cap will isolate the remaining pollutants from the river and allow the waterway to heal.

Web site http://1.usa.gov/5TCXkS

Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities 21 Removal of obsolete dam restores coldwater trout stream

Description In 1867, a pioneer named John Wheeler built a dam to power a sawmill near Wheeler the confluence of the Manistee River and the creek that now bears his name. The Wheeler Creek Dam contributed to Michigan’s timber industry but did Creek Dam so at the expense of a coldwater creek that had a self-sustaining population of brook trout. For nearly 150 years, Wheeler Dam served as an ecological Removal divide between Wheeler Creek and the Manistee River — a major Lake Near Mesick, Michigan Michigan tributary that is also a state designated Natural River and a federally designated Wild & Scenic River. When the 20-foot-tall dam began to crumble, the Conservation Resource Alliance worked with several partners to remove the dam and restore Wheeler Creek and its natural connection to the Manistee River.

Approximate cost of project $246,000

Resource challenge addressed Fish passage, thermal pollution, sedimentation of Wheeler Creek, fragmentation of the creek and the loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Key partners (public and private) Conservation Resource Before dam removal Alliance, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Project Summary Removing an obsolete dam Administration, U.S. from Wheeler Creek, a After dam removal Department of Agriculture’s tributary of the Manistee Natural Resources River, restored the natural Conservation Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Grand Traverse Band of conditions in several miles of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Wade Trim, Molon Excavating, and Kanouse a coldwater trout stream and Outdoor Restoration. removed a safety hazard. Types of jobs created Biologists, environmental engineers, ecologists, heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, landscape architects and landscapers.

Results and accomplishments The project restored natural conditions in seven miles of Wheeler Creek; reestablished the creek’s natural connection to the Manistee River; removed 1,446 cubic yards of sediment from the creek; restored the natural movement of sediment and nutrients in the creek; and provided miles of new habitat for the native brook trout population.

Web site www.rivercare.org

22 Great Lakes Restoration Projects: Producing Results for People, Communities