Projects

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

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