Huron to Erie Waterways for Wildlife Fall 2006 Newsletter

WHC Member Companies Naturalize River Shoreline

The bright red fruits of winterberry (Ilex verticillata) highlight the moisture-loving shrubs and trees installed along the Detroit River at DTE Energy’s River Rouge Power Plant, which has been WHC certified since 2004. Photo by David Mitchell, DTE Energy.

Parts of the Detroit River shoreline are being “greened” thanks to two corporate participants in WHC’s Huron to Erie Waterways for Wildlife Project.

This fall, DTE Energy’s River Rouge Power Plant naturalized about 200 feet of shoreline just downstream from the mouth of the Rouge River. The naturalization involved removing tons of old concrete rip-rap and replacing it with soil and native plants.

The new profile includes a near-shore reef (composed of some of the old concrete pieces) and a shallower vegetated shelf, both supplying cover for fish. The shoreline is now populated with native shrubs, wildflowers, grasses and sedges, while a few feet higher trees and perennials were planted to filter runoff and provide more habitat.

A host of partners provided many days of volunteer time to build the new shoreline, which will serve as an educational resource for River Rouge students and visitors to the adjacent Belanger Park.

The project was funded in part by the Five Star Restoration Matching Grants Program, a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties, Southern Company and Wildlife Habitat Council.

In Fall 2005, United States Steel Corporation's Gary Works naturalized about 1,200 feet of Detroit River shoreline in Ecorse, Michigan.

The project, performed in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, involved state-of-the-art “soft shoreline engineering” techniques to protect the shore from erosion while encouraging the growth of native plants.

Green Team members help plant native aquatic vegetation on the new shoreline shallows at DTE Energy’s River Rouge Power Plant. Photo by David Mitchell, DTE Energy.

United States Steel Corporation's 80-inch mill now overlooks native grasses and sedges along the Detroit River. The native plants protect against erosion, filter and reduce runoff and provide habitat for small animals. Photo by Chris Lehr, Nativescape.