River Rouge, Michigan
Project Goals and Objectives: Restore a natural shoreline using soft engineering techniques, including removing invasive species and creating a buffer zone using native plants
Project Description: This project restored 335 linear meters (1,099 feet) of Detroit River shoreline, created wetlands that provided spawning and fingerling habitat, and created an upland buffer area to provide water quality protection. It included removing two exotic species (Phragmites and reed canary grass) and creating a buffer zone that included planting 53 native species, including butterfly weed, white false indigo, rough blazing star and cardinal flower.
Cost: $211,000
Timeframe: 2004-2005
Partners: U.S. Steel, Nativescape and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ecological Effectiveness: No quantitative post-project assessment: only visual observation
Restoration and Monitoring contact: Nativescape LLC