State group names Tamarack Creek restoration Project of the Year

SOUTHFIELD — Late last year, the city of Southfield began work on its Tamarack Creek stream and wetland habitat restoration project.

In conjunction with the Alliance of Rouge Communities and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the project’s mission is to help “improve hydrology and in-stream flows by allowing water from the wetland to drain slower into Tamarack Creek. Native trees were planted for additional habitat value, and woody debris structures were installed to stabilize the banks and stream bed,” a press release states.

The project also helps construct habitat structures that allow for a diversity in species and to improve water quality within the Rouge River watershed. Grant funding for the restoration was provided by the GLRI through the Environmental Protection Agency, which totaled $2,718,183.

Southfield Stormwater Manager Brandy Siedlaczek said the project is about 90% complete. She stated the contractor needs to go out and conduct some final touch-ups and make sure the plantings survived the past winter and spring, and to replace the plants that died or were eaten.

“Construction always doesn’t necessarily turn out exactly what the plans call for,” she said. “So we have to go back and do a few more stream alignments, fix a couple of those, but nothing super major. So we’re kind of getting toward the end of the project and, hopefully, probably early fall, maybe we’ll do a ribbon-cutting ceremony after all of the work is complete.”

A press release states that large quantities of uncontrolled stormwater runoff drainage areas have resulted in bank erosion and sedimentation of in-stream habitat. The increased volume of drainage water in an urbanized area “destabilizes vital substrates that are important for fish and other habitats.”

When the project is completed, it will have provided 20 constructed habitat structures, 2 acres of restored wetland, 1,000 feet of restored flood plain and 1,800 feet of restored stream.

In the lead-up to the project, the Rouge River watershed had been designated an area of concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and it had three beneficial use impairments associated with the area’s habitat: degraded fish and wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat. The work done will help remove the three beneficial use impairments and increase fish and wildlife productivity.

Siedlaczek said it’s too early in the project’s lifespan to see any of the environmental improvements, but the city has seen wildlife in the area.

“There is wildlife out there, but for water quality benefits we haven’t really done testing downstream yet, but we work with Friends of the Rouge on occasion, and they sometimes monitor this stream,” she said. “We’ll probably get some of those results next spring or fall to see where we’re at, if there’s been any improvement.”

Alliance of Rouge Communities Habitat Restoration Manager and project Program Manager John O’Meara said the main activity here for the project, starting this spring and going forward, will be vegetation maintenance.

“This has a lot of natural vegetation that was planted,” he said. “Just like anybody who’s (redone) their landscape at their house, you need to spend a little bit of time at the beginning making sure everything gets established. And that’s what the next two years will be. … It’s an important time for it, but things can still develop beyond that.”

The project has been named the 2022 Project of the Year by the Michigan Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

The project won in the category of “Environment $1 Million to $5 Million,” with the assistance of the contractor Anglin Civil and the consultants Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc., a press release states.

Bob Belair, president of the Michigan chapter of the APWA and the director of public services in Northville Township, said nearly 30 projects were submitted for consideration for the awards, which were reviewed by a committee formed by the association.

For Southfield’s project, Belair said it was recognized for its “innovative approach” and the impact it had on the environment in the neighborhoods and surrounding areas. 

“It just had an overall great impact to the community,” he said. “We felt it met every category, exceeded the expectations, and the committee voted unanimously on that one, if I recall.”

O’Meara said that most people think of public works departments as strictly keeping the snow off the roads and other maintenance, but they’re also involved in maintaining the natural environment systems within their communities.

“It’s great that organizations like APWA recognize that type of work that they do, and that the public gets a chance to recognize that the public works agencies aren’t just roads and sewers,” he said.