Macomb County hopes for additional butterfly flyway area along drain

STERLING HEIGHTS — Butterflies could soon spread their wings with more space meant for them if a concept to expand the Sterling Relief Drain’s butterfly flyway takes off.

According to the Macomb County Public Works Office, the county is working on a new plan to put a butterfly flyway on an additional 1 1/2 miles of the drain, only this time west of Mound Road. To do this, the county hopes to put myriads of new plants over there, including ones that can feed the insects.

The Sterling Relief Drain is a stormwater drain, roughly 5 miles in length, that resembles a ditch and runs from west of Ryan Road to east of Schoenherr Road, just south of Metropolitan Parkway. It collects excess stormwater and takes it to the Red Run Drain, the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

According to the Public Works Office, the original habitat restoration and butterfly flyway project — which largely took shape in late 2018 and 2019 — covered around 2 miles roughly between Van Dyke Avenue and east of Schoenherr Road.

As part of the habitat restoration and flyway, work crews did drain improvement work as well as planted trees, shrubs and pollinator plants that butterflies enjoy, such as milkweed. The county says the plantlife and “green infrastructure” offer the side bonus of absorbing rain and stormwater, as well as keeping phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment from getting into Lake St. Clair.

The project’s original phase was funded through grants, namely $1.25 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and an estimated $602,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

In an email, Public Works Office communications manager Norb Franz said the estimated cost of the project’s possible second phase is “still being finalized.” But county officials say they hope to fund the flyway extension through grant money too, adding that the county has applied for grant money via the National Fish and Wildlife Federation’s Sustain Our Great Lakes program.

“With grant funding being sought and still pending, there’s no timeline set yet on when the Phase II daylighting and green infrastructure work would begin or how long it would take to complete,” Franz said.

Franz added that the portion of the drain between Mound Road and Van Dyke Avenue would theoretically be a future Phase III to the plan, and there is “no timeline on that.”

Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor has advocated for butterflies before, as he signed the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge in 2022, which vows to help create habitats for migrating butterflies as well as teach the public about them.

Taylor told the Sentry that he would love to see the butterfly flyway expanded.

“I’ve spoken with (Macomb County Public Works Commissioner) Candice Miller multiple times about this,” he said.  “And I know that she and I share an interest about spreading butterfly flyways, and I know she has been very focused on the property that the county owns and is under her jurisdiction. We’ll always look for ways to partner with the county on this.”

Macomb County Commissioner Joseph Romano, R-Sterling Heights, said he lives near the drain and is “extremely pleased” with how the habitat restoration and butterfly flyway have turned out.

“I can see the benefits,” he said. “It has attracted not only the butterflies, but it has impacted a lot of other animals: squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, also deer. … I’m very happy with what (Miller) has done. I’m 100% in favor of it.”

Find out more about the Macomb County Office of Public Works by visiting publicworks.macombgov.org.