1. Project Title: Belle Isle Canal Rehabilitation
2. Contact
Douglas L. Denison, Principal
Catherine M. Riseng, Aquatic Ecologist
Lee P. Rausch, Civil Engineer
Johnson Johnson & Roy Inc., 110 Miller, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
Tel.: (313) 662-4457; Fax: (313) 662-7520
3. Agencies Involved
City of Detroit, Recreation Department
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Fisheries Division, Land and Water
Management Division, and Recreation Division
U.S. Department of Interior, National Biological Survey.
4. Restoration Goal
Restore the lakes and canals on Belle Isle to:
Improve aquatic habitat
Reintroduce sport fishing and recreational canoeing
Create positive water flow
Improve island water circulation
Improve visual aesthetics
Reduce maintenance burden
5. Project Type
The project is a 13-stage Rehabilitation Program which includes hydraulic improvements, treatment of exotic vegetation, point and non-point source discharge modification, and wetland and deep water habitat creation.
6. Background and Rationale
Belle Isle is a 398 ha island park located in the Detroit River within close proximity to the downtown district of the City of Detroit. The island has been one of the most revered and heavily used parks in the City. The lakes and canals on the island have traditionally been a prime focus of recreational activities and provide valuable wildlife and fisheries habitat as well as aesthetic value. The lakes and canals had become seriously degraded resulting in deterioration of aquatic habitat and elimination of recreational opportunities. The City of Detroit initiated a detailed investigation of the lakes and canals which culminated in a Rehabilitation Program.
The rehabilitation of the lakes and canal system requires a long-term management strategy integrating a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach, incorporating science and technology from engineering, biology, hydrology, aquatic chemistry and land use. The proposed Rehabilitation Program includes 13 stages to be implemented over several years.
7. Regulatory Considerations
Several regulatory actions were required to initiate this project as follows:
Completion of an extensive study of existing hydrological, ecological and land use conditions on the island;
Completion of an Army Corps of Engineers Section 404/Michigan DNR P.A. 203 Permit Application for dredge and fill activities within the waterways of the State;
Completion of a Michigan DNR Permit Application to apply herbicide for the removal of invasive, exotic plant species.
8. Criteria
The following criteria have been established by the Rehabilitation Program:
Installation and relocation of new pumps to deliver 37,850 liters/min;
Removal of invasive, exotic vegetation and introduction of desirable native wetland vegetation;
Improve circulation within the system by reducing flushing time to 5 days;
Remove point source discharges;
Create approximately 1.2 ha of deep water habitat;
Create emergent wetland habitat adjacent to the deep water habitat;
Provide a direct connection to the Detroit River to create additional spawning, nursery and cover habitat for the river fishery;
Implement a fish stocking program within the isolated lakes and canals in cooperation with the MDNR Fishery Division.
9. Project Design
The Rehabilitation Program will restore historical recreational uses of the lakes and canals. In addition, the program will provide new aquatic habitat which will support a limited fishery on the island and add habitat diversity. The program will duplicate the historical depth and width of the canals and lakes and add deep water habitat in two locations. Design flow will be achieved by installation and relocation of new pumps and dredging of the canals.
10. Implementation
The Rehabilitation Program is designed to be implemented over several years. Vegetation treatment began in 1992 and continued through 1994. New pumps have been purchased and are expected to be installed in the spring of 1995. Dredging construction documents have been completed and dredging will occur in the winter of 1995. The remaining activities are scheduled to be implemented over the next 2 years.
11. Degree of Environmental Intervention
No primary environmental perturbation will occur as a result of the dredging activities. Dredging activities will include a limited clean-out and deepening of the canals. The dredged material will be used to rebuild the eroded banks. Two 0.6 ha deep water habitat areas will also be created resulting in a total of approximately 29 054 m3 of dredge material. Some of this material will be used to stabilize eroded banks; other material will be used for wetland creation.
Environmental impacts from dredging will be minimized by drawdown of the system prior to dredging and conducting dredging in the winter. These precautions will minimize suspension of sediments and discharge to downstream locations.
12. Cost
The estimated total cost of the 13-stage Rehabilitation Program is $1.2 million.
13. Biological Assessment
The project was initiated with a thorough assessment of the biological resources within the lakes and canals. The assessment identified the causes and sources of the degraded conditions within the waterways and resulted in the identification of the Rehabilitation Program to correct problems and restore aquatic habitat. Since this program has just begun to be implemented, no evaluation of the success of the program is available.
However, following implementation of the program an assessment of the aquatic resources will be conducted to determine if the program was successful. Indicators of success would include aquatic habitat diversity, viable fishery habitat, survival of diverse aquatic organisms, establishment of diverse native aquatic vegetation, and restored recreational usage of the lakes and canals.
14. Measures of Success
Program has just begun to be implemented.
Success Rating: 1
15. Key References
Johnson Johnson & Roy Inc. 1993. Belle Isle Canal Rehabilitation.
Correct citation for this contribution:
Denison, D.L., Riseng, C.M., and Rausch, L.P. 1995. Belle Isle canal rehabilitation, p. 187-190. In J.R.M. Kelso and J.H. Hartig [editors]. Methods of modifying habitat to benefit the Great Lakes ecosystem. CISTI (Can. Inst. Sci. Tech. Inf.) Occas. Pap. No. 1.