FEASIBILITY & DESIGN FOR SUGAR ISLAND HABITAT RESTORATION NOVEMBER 14, 2018
INTRODUCTION The Detroit River is an: Area of Concern (AOC) per 1987 amendments to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U. S. and Canada. Of the 31 original U.S. AOCs, 4 are delisted and 27 remain. 2 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
INTRODUCTION 11 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) were 9 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) remain: originally identified to be associated with 1. Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption the Detroit River: 2. Degradation of fish and wildlife populations 3. Fish tumors or other deformities 1. Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption 4. Bird and animal deformities or reproductive problems 2. Tainting of fish and wildlife flavor 5. Degradation of benthos 3. Degradation of fish and wildlife populations 6. Restrictions on dredging activities 4. Fish tumors or other deformities 7. Beach closings 5. Bird and animal deformities or reproductive 8. Degradation of aesthetic problems 9. Loss of fish and wildlife habitat 6. Degradation of benthos 7. Restrictions on dredging activities Friends of the Detroit River is focusing on the two BUIs 8. Restrictions on drinking water consumption or highlighted in blue – fish and wildlife-related BUIs. taste and odor problems 9. Beach closings 10. Degradation of aesthetic 11. Loss of fish and wildlife habitat The two BUIs highlighted in red have been removed. CSOs and contaminated sediments impede removal of many BUIs 3 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
INTRODUCTION A guidance document for removing fish and wildlife related BUIs was completed in May 2014. Doors opened for funding! 4 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
INTRODUCTION The Guidance Plan requires completion of 14 specifically chosen, habitat restoration projects. Four projects are already complete (green triangles): A Blue Heron Lagoon Restoration – Completed 2013 B South Fishing Pier Restoration – Completed 2013 C U. S. Steel Shoreline Restoration – Completed 2013 D Shoreline Restoration at Wayne County’s Refuge Gateway – Completed 2012 5 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
INTRODUCTION Remaining projects include: 1. Detroit River Reefs 2. Detroit Upper Riverfront Parks Restoration 3. Belle Isle Hydrologic Analysis, Feasibility and Pre- Design 4. Belle Isle Forested Wetland Restoration 5. Lake OkonokaRestoration with River Connection and Shoreline Restoration 6. Milliken State Park Pocket Marsh with River Connection 7. Hennepin Marsh Restoration 8. Stony Island Shoal Reconstruction 9. Sugar Island Habitat Restoration 10. Celeron Island Restoration and Shoal Construction All of the above projects have been initiated and are in various stages of progress. 6 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Friends of the Detroit River
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE Project Purpose & Goals History of Island Field Investigations — Hydrodynamic & Soils — Flora — Birds — Fish — Amphibians & Reptiles Preliminary Concepts Next Steps 7 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
PROJECT LOCATION 8 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
PROJECT PURPOSE NEED: Observed loss of habitat and severely eroding banks PURPOSE: To produce feasibility and preliminary design documents for potential habitat restoration improvements on Sugar Island, located in the mouth of the Detroit River. GOALS: Explore ecological value and feasibility in controlling shoreline erosion and simultaneously enhance fish, wildlife and upland habitat. 9 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
ISLAND HISTORY 1880s – 1940s: Recreational Use 1940s – 2012: Vacant, multiple redevelopment ideas 10 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
ISLAND HISTORY 2012: Purchased by the US Fish & Wildlife Service as part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge 11 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
EXISTING CONDITIONS 12 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
WATER LEVELS 6/26/18 Water Level = 574.0 Ordinary High Water Mark = 573.77 Low Water Datum = 569.67 100-Year Floodplain = 577.0 13 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
WIND DATA Wind Speed Distribution Wind Rose Diagram Wind Speed Statistics Speed Percentile Speed (m/s) (mph) 50 6.2 13.9 75 8.2 18.3 90 10.8 24.2 95 12.4 27.7 99 15.4 34.4 100 23.7 53.0 14 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
HYDRODYNAMIC & WIND-WAVE MODELING FVCOM simulates hydrodynamic process including temperature effects, currents and shear stress. Current Conditions indicate very low energy zone near south end of island with higher velocities along western shoreline. SWAN model indicates maximum wind-driven wave heights at south shore are 4-5 ft 15 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
SOILS INVESTIGATIONS Offshore Samples Offshore samples typically fine sand, with westside being more medium sand Bluff samples and subsurface samples typically fine materials Bluff Samples (silt + clay) Chemical analysis did not reveal any unacceptable levels of contaminants 16 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
HABITAT - FLORA Wet-Mesic Flatwoods (from MNFI EAST BEACH TYPICAL SCENE LARGE CALIPER WHITE OAK Community Abstract) Global Rank: G2G3 (Globally imperiled/Globally very rare and local) State Rank: S2 (Imperiled in the state) VERNAL POOL Extensive SOUTH WOODS invasive species observed SPRING BEAUTY 17 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
BIRDS 141 total species documented RED-BREASTED MERGANSER WILD TURKEY Some level of breeding observed for 43 species 5 species listed as Special Concern WOODPECKER NESTS EASTERN KINGBIRD COMMON LOON 5 species listed as Threatened TREE SWALLOW YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER BALTIMORE ORIOLE 18 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
FISH Spring 2018 Emerald shiner Rock bass Blacknose shiner Spottail shiner Hornyhead chub 26 total species documented Yellow perch White bass Sand shiner Low abundance of mainly juvenile Round goby Brown bullhead White Sucker fish (catch-per unit effort of 5 Common shiner Rainbow smelt Common carp fish/hour vs. typical of 60 fish/hour in Northern pike Trout-perch Golden redhorse Detroit River) Spring collection dominated by minnows & small game fish, 43% Fall 2018 Round goby emerald shiner Hornyhead chub Rock bass Spottail shiner Fall collection changed to young Gizzard shad Largemouth bass Smallmouth bass game fish, fewer fish but more Yellow perch Logperch Common carp species White bass Bowfin Emerald shiner Marginal existing fish habitat that Sand shiner White Sucker Blacknose dace can be improved considerably by Black bullhead Walleye Sheephead restoration 19 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES 8 total species documented 2 herpetofauna species Sugar Island Herpetofauna Common Name Scientific Name Observed Potential Eastern American Toad Bufo [Anaxyrus] americanus X listed as Special americanus Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor/chryscocelis X Northern Spring Peeper Pseudacris crucifer crucifer X Concern Western (Midland) Chorus Frog Pseudacris triseriata X Bullfrog Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana X Green Frog Rana [Lithobates] clamitans X Observed habitat melanota Wood Frog Rana [Lithobates] sylvatica X Mudpuppy* Necturus maculosus maculosus X conditions indicate an Red-spotted Newt Notophthalmus viridescens X Eastern Red-backed Salamander Plethodon cinereus X additional 12 species Northern Water Snake Nerodia sipedon sipedon X Eastern Fox Snake Pantherophis gloydi X may occur on the island Northern Brown Snake Storeria dekayi dekayi X Northern Red-bellied Snake Storeria occipitomaculata X occipitomaculata Butler’s Garter Snake Thamnophis butleri X Northern Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus X septentrionalis Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis X Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera spinifera X Eastern Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina X Midland Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta marginata X Northern Map Turtle Graptemys geographica X 20 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
PRELIMINARY DESIGN – CROSS SECTIONS 21 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
PRELIMINARY DESIGN 22 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
PRELIMINARY DESIGN 23 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
NEXT STEPS Gather Community Input Refine Consensus Preliminary Design Pursue additional GLRI Funding for Implementation 24 smithgroup.com Sugar Island Habitat Restoration – Public Open House
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