Restoration Project 

Tamarack Creek Stream and Wetland Restoration

The Tamarack Creek Stream & Wetland Habitat Restoration project will restore the wetland and stream providing habitat for valuable fish and wildlife while managing invasive species. The project will construct habitat structures to increase fish & wildlife diversity and improve water quality within the Rouge River watershed.

Tamarack Creek is a tributary of Evans Creek and the Middle Rouge River. As much of its drainage area is urbanized, it receives large quantities of uncontrolled stormwater runoff. The high channel velocities caused by large peak flows have led to bank erosion and sedimentation of instream habitat. Additionally, excessive velocity is destabilizing substrates that are important for fish and macroinvertebrate habitat. The Tamarack Creek Stream and Wetland Restoration project addresses these habitat impairments and increases fish and wildlife diversity and productivity.

In order to address the habitat impairments, restoration of Tamarack Creek was necessary in conjunction with wetland restoration to help improve hydrology and in-stream flows. Wetland restoration was included the repair of wetland hydrology, management of invasive species, and planting native wetland plants to diversify the flora. The stream habitat was restored by expanding the floodplain to allow Tamarack Creek to convey larger stormwater flows without causing excessive velocities and destabilizing substrate. Approximately 600 LFT of new stream was constructed to provide additional sinuosity. The new floodplain was planted with native plants and trees, which add wildlife habitat diversity and value. The banks and stream bed were further stabilized with woody debris habitat structures.