Dearborn, Michigan
Project Goals and Objectives: Recreated an oxbow, including restoring fish and wildlife habitat, and restoring functioning wetlands due to channelization
Project Description: Project partners restored 671 meters (2,201 feet) of natural shoreline at a 5-32 meter (16-105 foot) width and a 1-2 meter (3-7 foot) depth. Partners also restored 1.2 hectares of submergent and emergent wetlands, restored four hectares of upland, and utilized soft engineering techniques to stabilize shorelines.
Cost: $2 million
Timeframe: Oxbow Construction: 2002; Stocking: 2003
Partners: Wayne County, Then Henry Ford, Clean Michigan Initiative, Rouge River Gateway Partnership, University of Michigan- Dearborn, Ford Motor Company, City of Dearborn, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Ecological Effectiveness: Immediately after oxbow construction in 2002 and before stocking, 14 species of fish were identified in the oxbow. High abundance fish species included common carp, black bullhead, yellow bullhead, bluntnose minnow, fathead minnow, bluegill, and gizzard shad. Medium abundance fish species included green sunfish and white sucker. Low abundance fish species included largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, goldfish, golden shiner, and channel catfish. Naturalists reported diverse wildlife sightings throughout the restored uplands and wetlands, including coyote, fox, raccoon, deer, raptors, owls, bats, ducks, herons, turtle, frogs, etc.
Restoration Contact: Wayne County
Monitoring Contact: University of Michigan- Dearborn