Chapter 11

Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project, Rouge River, Michigan (John Lambert, City of Dearborn- Parks Division)

Introduction

The primary goal for the Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project was to stabilize the eroding streambanks along the Lower Rouge River as it passes through Ford Field Park. Over the past several years, streambank erosion has accelerated causing the loss of trees and park area along the river. Further streambank erosion threatens utilities and park amenities that are in close proximity to the river.

A secondary goal for the project was to emphasize passive recreational park uses. This is accomplished by better integrating the park areas into the stream corridor. Park visitors are able to better access and personally experience the river and stream corridor environment. The river and stream corridor benefits through improved water quality, wildlife, and fish habitat.

A third goal of this project was to provide a working laboratory for stream corridor restoration. The City of Dearborn, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) and the Wayne County Conservation District, hosted three soil bioengineering workshops. At these workshops, participants from the community, public sector, and private sector learned soft engineering principles and experienced the construction of soil bioengineering techniques. In partnership with the Ford Motor Company, University of Michigan - Dearborn (UM-D), Dearborn Public Schools, Friends of the Rouge, and Rouge Remedial Action Plan Advisory Committee, the city also hosted a native plant and wildflower planting exercise. A second planting exercise is tentatively scheduled for 2000.

Project Description

The streambank stabilization project was implemented at Ford Field Park in Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan. Ford Field park can best be described as an urban park. The park area was donated to the City of Dearborn by Henry Ford with the stipulation that the property would remain a public park.

The park is located three blocks north of the West Dearborn business district, with residential neighborhoods to the north and to the west of the park. The park is connected to the University of Michigan-Dearborn Natural Areas and the Henry Ford Estate by a wooded floodplain. The park is located approximately three-quarters of a mile upstream of the convergence of the lower and middlebranches of the Rouge River.

To date, the project has involved stabilizing approximately 900 feet of streambank using soft engineering methods (Figure 36). Various techniques of soil bioengineering were applied to the various conditions found along the streambank. The streambank was analyzed for many factors, including slope, stability, vegetation, stream meander, water level, ordinary and high water flows, man-made conditions, and the natural conditions found along the river. Experts, including engineers, geologists, hydrologists, naturalists, biologists, foresters, and plant specialists, played an important role for the appropriate application of soil bioengineering techniques to the streambank.

The actual project construction involved City of Dearborn employees, workshop participants, and interested members of the community. After installation of soil erosion and sedimentation control measures, a small backhoe and operator cut back the nearly vertical streambanks and excavated for the installation of the rock toe. A geotextile fabric was placed in the excavation and then stone was placed from below the bottom of the streambed to the bank-full level. The bank-full level is the elevation of the streambank where vegetation will not grow due to the rise and fall of water levels, and it is critical in the design of any soil bioengineering system.

After the rock toe was installed, vegetative plantings were used to stabilize the streambank in the area above the rock toe. Soil bioengineering techniques such as live fascine, brushmattress, and vegetative geogrid were constructed using dormant plant material (Figure 37 and 38). The dormant plant material was cut off-site and included willow and dogwood cuttings. Containerized dogwood and native grasses completed the plantings used for this project. Native species and wildflower plantings completed the vegetative buffer sections adjacent to the river.

The vegetative planting installations require special care and attention for successful plant growth. The planting activities are extremely labor intensive and were accomplished through the soil bioengineering workshops and the wildflower planting exercises.

Regulatory Considerations

The Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project falls under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). An application was submitted and a permit issued for each phase of the project. The applicable regulation for the project was under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act 451, PA 1994 (Part 301-Inland Lakes and Streams; Part 31-Floodplain/Water Resources Protection).

As part of the permit process, the MDEQ maintains a database of endangered plant species. The database indicated the possible presence of the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) in the project area. A USDA-NRCS plant specialist checked the project area for the cup plant species. No cup plants were found.

Soil erosion and sedimentation control permitting fell under the jurisdiction of the City of Dearborn. The City of Dearborn is a local enforcement agency (LEA) responsible for issuing permits and for enforcing the provisions of the soil erosion and sedimentation control act. The specific act is the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act 451, PA 1994 (Part 91-Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control).

Cost

A cost estimate for the Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project is included (Table 7). The cost estimate is broken down into specific activities. Labor, equipment, and material costs are included for each activity.

The cost for stabilizing approximately 300 lineal feet of streambank was $35,921. The unit cost for soft engineering streambank stabilization methods was $120 per foot of streambank. The cost estimate reflects the most recent project activity. Equipment costs were based on the 1999 Michigan Department of Transportation equipment rental rates.

The cost estimate does not include a dollar value placed on the volunteer labor used for the installation of the vegetative plant material. For example, if someone were to place a value of $30/hour (wages and fringe benefits) for each of the 40 volunteers, an additional $12,000 ($30/hour * 40 volunteers * 10 hours/volunteer) would be added to the cost estimate. This would increase the total project cost to $47,921 and the unit cost to $160 per foot of streambank. The use of volunteers can provide substantial cost savings.


Table 7. Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project estimated costs.

Funding and Project Partners

The City of Dearborn has developed numerous partnerships during the course of the Ford Field Streambank Stabilization Project. Funding partnerships have developed through the acquisition and use of grants and an interagency exchange of materials. More important are the working partnerships created as a result of this project. Through the soil bioengineering workshops, numerous groups and individuals have come together, shared information, and learned new ideas. The effect is multiplied as workshop participants spread the information and ideas with others.

The Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project is funded through a combination of the Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Grant and local matching funds. To date, approximately $108,000 out of a total project budget of $320,000 has been spent to stabilize approximately 900 lineal feet of streambank using soft engineering methods. Grant funding and local matching funds each provide 50% of project costs. Local matching funds come out of the City of Dearborn general operation and capital improvement budgets.

The workshops started in November 1998, when the City of Dearborn hosted a two-day soil bioengineering workshop for city employees, other governmental agencies, private sector consultants, and other individuals interested in streambank stabilization utilizing soft engineering principles. Nearly forty people attended the two-day workshop. The highlight of the workshop was an all day exercise at Ford Field Park. Over 120 feet of streambank was stabilized using brushmattress, vegetative geogrid, and live fascine techniques of streambank stabilization.

Since the November 1998 workshop, the City of Dearborn has hosted two week-long USDA-NRCS soil bioengineering training courses. USDA-NRCS personnel from all over the United States, city employees, and interested individuals have participated in the training courses. The highlight of the week-long courses are still the on-site workday.

The training courses have included contributions from local and international speakers. Speakers from the University of Michigan - Dearborn (UM-D) include Orin G. Gelderloos, Ph.D., professor of biology and environmental studies, Kent S. Murray, Ph.D., professor of geology, and Dorothy F. McLeer, a naturalist at the UM-D Natural Areas. Accomplished landscape architect and soil bioengineering expert Beat Scheuter, from Switzerland, gave an international perspective on soft engineering principles.

The Five Star Partnership Grant sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency provided monies for the native plant and wildflower planting exercises. The six grant partners include Ford Motor Company, the City of Dearborn, Dearborn Public Schools, the University of Michigan - Dearborn, Friends of the Rouge, and the Rouge Remedial Action Plan Advisory Committee.

Through the Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project, the City of Dearborn and the USDA-NRCS have developed a strong relationship and partnership for promoting soft engineering in streambank stabilization projects. The city would like to thank Dave Burgdorf, Frank Cousin, Sean Duffey, and Steve Olds of the USDA-NRCS for their contribution to this project. Without their help, this project would not have been possible.

Post Project Evaluation for Effectiveness

The Ford Field Streambank Stabilization Project has been monitored and evaluated since November 1998. Photographs, videos, and personal site visits were used to document the condition and growth rate of the vegetative plantings. It is important to closely monitor the soil bioengineering installations on a regular basis and after all high water storm events. Remedial and/or supplementary plantings are made based on the findings and recommendations from the on-site inspections.

A testimonial to the effectiveness of soil bioengineering is told in the following story: Approximately two months after the November 1998 soil-bioengineering workshop installation, the Lower Rouge River experienced a week long high water event with a peak mean-daily-discharge rate of nearly 900 cfs. An on-site inspection after the water receded revealed only minor topsoil loss in the brushmattress area. Previous to the installation of the soft engineering techniques, high water events with this intensity and duration would have washed out the adjacent gravel parking area.

The streambank stabilization project is only one growing-season old. The results have been excellent and are illustrative of projects in their second or third year of growth. Only small, scattered areas required a second planting.

Project Benefits

The use of soft engineering methods is not a "cure-all" for streambank stabilization problems, but an important and effective tool for appropriate locations. Soft engineering methods can provide benefits not possible with the use of hard engineering measures.

The benefits of soft engineering over hard engineering methods include:

• use of soft engineering methods is aesthetically pleasing (soft engineering provides greater opportunity for incorporating trees, bushes, flowers, and grasses along the stream corridor; vegetative plantings offer an alternative to the sterile environment associated with hard engineering techniques);
• use of soft engineering methods provide wildlife habitat (vegetative plantings provide shelter, protective cover, and homes for birds, turtles, and small animals; plantings are also important for providing corridors for animals to travel; year-round, the area is alive with animal wildlife);
• use of soft engineering methods provide fish habitat (soft engineering can provide shelter and breaks in the stream current; this is important for fish to live and reproduce; overhanging vegetation also provides shelter);
• use of soft engineering improves water quality (vegetative plantings and buffer areas reduce streambank erosion and filter overland runoff into the river; vegetative growth shades the river and reduces water temperature);
• use of soft engineering reduces maintenance costs (after the initial installation, areas are allowed to revert to their natural state, reducing maintenance costs; regular maintenance is virtually eliminated); and
• park visitors can experience the stream corridor environment; (the environment created by the use of soft engineering methods provides many opportunities for park visitors to come down to the river and enjoy the stream corridor; workshops and planting exercises provide a sense of stewardship, community pride, and ownership of the Ford Field Park area).

Previous streambank stabilization efforts at Ford Field Park included lining the streambank with interlocking concrete blocks. The blocks have stopped the streambank erosion, however they are showing signs of deterioration. Sections of block are missing, especially near the ends of the installation. Maintenance requires the use of string trimmers to trim vegetative growth between the blocks. There are few signs of fish and wildlife along this section of the river. Supplementing the interlocking blocks with vegetative plantings will produce many of the benefits previously mentioned.

Advice for Overcoming Obstacles When Using Soft Engineering Practices

The problems of the Lower Rouge River are highly visible at Ford Field Park. Visitors to the park can see the eroding streambank, trees falling into the river, picnic tables and debris floating down the river, and high levels of turbidity. Problem identification was easy; determining how to solve the problem was more difficult.

Change is always hard and new ideas such as soil bioengineering (soft engineering) always carry a certain degree of risk in execution, and more importantly, being accepted by the community. The Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project was the result of many individuals and groups coming together with an interest in trying soil bioengineering (soft engineering) methods to stabilize the streambank of the river.

Ecological awareness and informational programs are an important tool in educating the community of the advantages of using soft engineering methods. The workshops and wildflower planting exercises provide an opportunity for the community to participate in the projects, become more aware of the stream corridor, and develop a sense of ownership and stewardship towards the river. This will go a long way in gaining support for this type of project in the future.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) personnel have visited the Ford Field Park Streambank Stabilization Project to see the application of soil bioengineering techniques. Feedback from the MDEQ personnel has been very positive. Exchanging information and opening the lines of communication will benefit both the permit applicant and the permitting agency.

References

Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Streambank Revegetation and Protection: A Guide for Alaska. http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/habitat/geninfo/webpage/techniques.htm

Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group. 1998. Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices. Government Printing Office Item No. 0120-A; SuDocs No. A 57.6/2:EN 3/PT.653. ISBN-0-934213-59-3.

Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. 1994. The Booklet: Guidelines for Streambank Restoration. http://www.ganet.org/gswcc

State of Michigan - Department of Environmental Quality (M-DEQ). 1994. Permit Requirements and the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. Protection Act 451. http://www.deq.state.mi.us

US Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). 1992. Engineering Field Handbook: Chapter 18 - Soil Bioengineering for Upland Slope Protection and Erosion Reduction. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov

US Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). 1995. Engineering Field Handbook: Chapter 16 - Streambank and Shoreline Protection. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov

US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Vegetative Measures for Streambank Stabilization: Case Studies from Illinois and Missouri.

US Geological Survey. Water Resources of the United States. http://water.usgs.gov

US Government - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wild Ones Handbook - A Voice For The Natural Landscaping Movement.

Contact Persons

Bruce Yinger, Superintendent of Parks
City of Dearborn - Parks Division
2951 Greenfield Road
Dearborn, Michigan 48120

Gary Morgan, Assistant Superintendent of Parks
City of Dearborn - Parks Division
2951 Greenfield Road
Dearborn, Michigan 48120

Friends of the Rouge
22586 Ann Arbor Trail
Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48127
http://www.therouge.org