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Frank
and Poet Streambed and Stream Bank Restoration Project
LATEST NEWS !! Introduction
The Frank and Poet Creek is one
of the largest creek systems that flows through the lower portion of
the Combined Downriver and northern most reaches of the Huron River
Watersheds. This creek originates around the Detroit Metropolitan
Airport and continues in a southeasterly course through several
communities including the cities of Trenton and Gibraltar, at which
point it empties into the lower Detroit River.
The Friends of the Detroit
River, the principles of this proposal, is a non- profit
organization whose primary goal is to protect and enhance the
natural resources of the Detroit River, its associated tributaries
and wetland areas.
To this extent, and in
association with joint efforts of the Detroit Remedial Action Plan,
local watershed groups, state and federal mandates and with our own
organization’s concerns with the loss of area wetlands, floodplains
and the ever increasing impacts of storm water borne water quality
problems, have determined that specific stream bank stabilization,
riparian corridor buffer zone and stream bottom restoration type
projects are essential to help protect and improve water quality in
our region.
Project Site
Proposals
The Frank and Poet Creek has
been severely impacted in the past from excessive storm water flow
resulting from increased residential and commercial development
along its course. It has also received, in the past, large amounts
of storm water run-off from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. All
have contributed to excessive flashy flows, which have severely
impacted temporal water quality, the aquatic habitat of the creek
and the stability of large portions of the creek’s stream bank
system.
In an attempt to maximize the
impacts of our project we set out to find sites on the creek that
exhibit a number of the problems mentioned above. We also looked for
sites that would be highly visible to the public, readily accessible
for construction purposes, sites that exhibited the required stream
bottom stability and sites that would be able to support indigenous
plant, animal and aquatic species once the project was completed.
The two sites that met all of
the criterion that was set forth in the selection process were found
in the communities of Trenton and Gibraltar. The initial project
will take place at the Trenton Site with our hopes that the
successful completion will lead to another project in Gibraltar.
West Road Site, City of Trenton
Located on the south side of
the West Road Bridge in the city of Trenton, the Frank and Poet
cross under this bridge after passing through the McLouth Park. This
area is a large floodplain where the last 2000 feet of creek bank,
just up stream of the proposed project site, is covered over by a
contiguous tree canopy buffer zone that lines both sides of the
creek. The actual project site would encompass both sides of the
creek, extending downstream from the bridge for a distance of
approximately 300 feet.
Project Scope
The project scope of this site
would be to re-establish the natural bank willow riparian corridor
that partially exists on the west (right) bank of the creek. This
will be accomplished by establishing a 50’ protected no mow zone
outward from the existing stream bank edge. If the current willow
stand is protected, it is believed that it should be able to supply
sufficient cuttings to expand this zone, with an approximate width
of 5-10’, down the west (right) side bank. Behind the emergent
willow and extending up and out of the flood plain will be planted
indigenous prairie type seed/plantings zone that will continue out
to the edge of the 50’ no mow zone boundary. Due to the gradual
preexisting slope on this side of the creek, no additional slope or
bank cut modifications are anticipated.
On the east (left) bank, due to
the erosive undercutting that exists on this portion of the creek,
some bank mitigation and stabilization will need to occur. We would
propose to cut back the bank slope 10 to 12 feet from the water line
to remove the undercut portion of the creek bank to create a more
gradual emergent shoreline. Along this side of the creek, the bank
would be stabilized utilizing several proven bank stabilizing
techniques, such as: fibrous matting, fascines, and or a new system
of using a geo sock type tube filled with fine gravel, soil and
emergent seed materials, backfilled and planted with indigenous
emergent shoreline type vegetation. The resulting emergent zone
created from the creek bank edge will be approximately 20’ wide
starting from the creek edge. Regardless of which type of
stabilization system and/or combination of systems that are
selected, all are expected to result in a stabilized bank which will
be engineered and constructed in a manor to eliminate the problems
that currently exists at this site.
Project
Consideration
Keeping in mind that the Frank
and Poet is not only a naturally occurring creek, which contains
some very important aquatic and floodplain habitat areas, but is
also utilized as a major tributary of the local drainage system, all
of the components of this project have been thought through in such
a manor so their implementation will not impede the flow of this
creek. With the added expectations that this and future projects
will provide results which will help reduce stream bank erosion,
reduce storm water influx and provide important habitat
restorations.
This project will be funded
through various grant opportunities and the support of the local
communities, governmental entities and NGO organizations that will
benefit from these projects. Support from these sources will entail
in-kind donations of equipment, manpower and technical assistance
where available.
Construction and bank
stabilization will start in the fall of 2007, with the majority of
the planting and landscaping to be finished in the spring of 2008.
Anyone interested in participating in one of our up coming volunteer
work days please contact us and we will inform you of the dates.
Contact
person
Robert Burns, Project Coordinator
Friends of the Detroit River
Detroit Riverkeeper
1-734-676-4626
RLB315@comcast.net |
