Restoration Project 

Colonial Park Restoration

As water quality in the Rouge River continues to improve, this project built on past efforts to restore some of the damage done during the last century. Tributaries of the Rouge River have suffered from loss and impairment of aquatic habitat and increased frequency and magnitude of flood flows, primarily due to increasing urbanization within the watershed. The flat river slope and the meandering channel can not pass the large flows associated with rain events. Upstream urbanization continues to exacerbate this problem as runoff from increased amounts of impervious surfaces culminates in flooding within the river system, bank erosion, and continued habitat degradation.

Colonial Park is adjacent to the Lower Rouge River in the City of Inkster. Much of the park area was routinely mowed and used for active recreation. However, the park is low and often floods. This project created wetlands in maintained lawn areas by establishing wet meadow habitat and depression wetlands to provide habitat and manage floodwater. Additionally, invasive species were treated in the proposed wetland enhancement areas. Some of the maintained lawn areas were converted to wetlands through excavation of shallow depressions and planting of a diverse native wet-meadow seed mix. The wet meadow community contains diverse flowering forbs that provide food for pollinators. Small mammals and birds benefit by the increased habitat diversity and cover. Wetland diversity in the maintained lawn areas is increased through the excavation of shallow depressions in low lying areas that store floodwater. The more diverse topography fosters plant diversity by creating varying hydrological conditions. In some areas, native trees were planted to reforest maintained lawn areas and increase habitat value.