1. Project Title: Paint Creek Habitat Improvement (Southeast Michigan)
2. Contact
Mr. Mike Thomas
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station, 33135 South River Road, Mount Clemens, MI 48045, USA
Tel.: (810) 465-7214; FAX: (810) 465-7504
Mr. Ron Spitler
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Southeast Michigan District Office, 38980 Seven Mile Road, Livonia, MI 48152, USA
Tel.: (313) 953-0241; FAX: (313) 953-0243
Mr. Dave Cozad
Mainstream Resources, 947 West Midland Rd., P.O. Box 96, Auburn, MT 48611, USA
Tel.: (517) 662-4472; FAX: (517) 662-7618
Mr. Allen Pienkowski
Clinton Valley Trout Unlimited, 830 Merton, #102, Detroit, MI 48203, USA
Tel.: (313) 341-1915
3. Agencies Involved
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Local chapters of Trout Unlimited
Michigan Department of Corrections field crews
4. Restoration Goal
To enhance brown and brook trout stream habitat with wooden structures and to stabilize shorelines.
5. Project Type
Construction of "lunker" structures and other log structures; stabilize shorelines.
6. Background and Rationale
Paint Creek is one of the few trout streams in Southeast Michigan. Bank erosion problems were documented in a number of reaches of Paint Creek in Oakland County and local chapters of Trout Unlimited were interested in undertaking habitat enhancement and rehabilitation.
7. Regulatory Considerations
A permit was required under the Inland Lakes and Steams Act (Act 346).
8. Criteria
Stabilize eroding banks and enhance fish habitat.
9. Project Design
The project was designed to address some of the worst areas of
erosion in Paint Creek that would also benefit from enhanced fishery
habitat. "Lunker" structures are designed to simulate
undercut banks and are most often installed on the outside bank
in a stream meander (Figure 1). These structures typically provide
61 m of 15-30 cm deep cover simulating an overhanging bank. Because
the area behind the structure is backfilled with rock, these structures
can also be utilized to stabilize the toe of eroding banks in
fairly stable streams. Paint Creek was scouring laterally into
highly organic soils. Placement of the "lunker" structures
served to stabilize the streambank, halt stream sedimentation,
and provide cover for resident trout.
10. Implementation
For a number of years, early 1980's and onward, local Trout Unlimited Chapters, co-ordinated by the Clinton Valley Chapter, have worked together in a 0.8 km stretch of Southeast Michigan's best trout stream (i.e., Paint Creek). Shoreline stabilization with rock, "lunker" structures and other log structures have enhanced that section of the stream.
"Lunker" structures are typically built in 2.4 m sections and range in width from 1.2 to 1.8 m. Most often the structures are constructed of 5 cm oak planking with 15-20 cm spacers. Six spacers are placed between the top and bottom decks of each structure and the section is then held in place by nine 1.5 m sections of 16 mm rebar. The structures are prefabricated in sections on land and then assembled streamside.
These "lunker" structures can be installed with two person crews and hand tools. Trout Unlimited volunteers and Michigan Department of Corrections crews installed approximately 53 m of lunker structure with 50 m3 of fieldstone backfill.
Professional planning is required to ensure that stream restoration efforts are truly meaningful and enduring.
11. Degree of Environmental Intervention
No adverse impacts were noted during lunker installation; however, original log structures (i.e., logs placed vertically at toe of bank to anchor other logs placed horizontally along bank) were pried loose by ice and high flow conditions, and resulted in log jams which had to be removed.
12. Materials and Cost
The following materials are required to construct one 2.4 m lunker section:
22 m of 5 ¥ 15 cm rough sawn oak planking;
2.4 m of 10 ¥ 35 cm oak;
90 cm of 15 cm diameter cedar post for spacers;
14 m of 16 mm rebar;
1.1 kg of 15 cm spikes; and
3 m3 of fieldstone rip-rap.
Approximate material cost per 2.4 m section was $115.00.
Approximately 0.5 person-days are required to fabricate and install one 2.4 m section, given reasonable stream access. As access becomes more difficult, installation costs will increase.
13. Biological Assessment
Fishery surveys are performed every 3-5 years on Paint Creek; however, these surveys do not allow for quantification of project effectiveness (evaluation of project effectiveness relative to the fishery would require a greater spatial and temporal sampling frequency; variability in urban steams is high).
14. Measures of Success
Success Rating: 4 - successfully installed a number of "lunker" structures which have resulted in bank stabilization, decreased erosion, and physical habitat enhancement.
15. Key References
Hunter, C.J. 1991. Better trout habitat: a guide to stream restoration and management. Montana Land Reliance (TSBN 0-93328078-5).
Correct citation for this contribution:
Thomas, M., Spitler, R., Cozad, D., and Pienkowski, A. 1995. Paint Creek habitat improvement (Southeast Michigan), p. 287-290. 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.