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Storm Water Management Projects
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Whitney Intercounty Drain Improvements
Widespread erosion and down cutting of the banks and channel of the Whitney Intercounty Drain
in Arenac, Iosco and Ogemaw Counties, MI, required improvements that could be funded and supported
locally. Wade Trim worked extensively with the Whitney Intercounty Drainage Board to develop a
solution that earned more than $1 million in grant funds from the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality Clean Michigan Initiative and the Great Lakes Soil Erosion and Sedimentation
Control Program. A wide variety of river restoration and best management practices were implemented
to stabilize the channel and bank systems throughout nearly 10 miles of the drain. The improvements
will help prevent loss of property, protect roads and bridges, and improve Lake Huron water quality
as well as the fishery habitat of the Whitney Drain.
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West Creek Watershed Restoration Program
An ecosystem management approach is being used by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to
restore ten sites along two miles of West Creek in suburban Cleveland. Wade Trim is leading the
restoration efforts that focus on improving the chemical, biologic, hydrologic and geomorphic functions
of the stream reaches. A host of environmental and hydrologic conditions required defining the
processes affecting the stream from the watershed and then developing a restoration design that
blended process design with natural channel design principles to improve channel stability and
aquatic habitat. The proposed designs were modeled using HEC-RAS to determine changes in the
floodplain based on the new designs. Improvements include removal of two low-head dams to eliminate
fish migration barriers and construction of rock-toe, flow deflectors, porous weirs, riffle pool
sequences, and step pools, as well as bio-engineering bank stabilization and riparian zone
restoration techniques.
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Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant Wetland Restoration
Storm water is draining smoothly across the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s Southerly wastewater
treatment plant property after a blocked storm water culvert and existing wetland were restored.
Erosion deposits had severely blocked flows conveyed by this culvert disrupting the periodic
inundation of the wetland area and allowing invasive species to dominate. To improve conveyance
capabilities and restore the wetland’s environmental function and value, a six-foot diameter
storm sewer extension to the concrete culvert was installed with connection to the wetland to enable
the return of the hydro-period. In addition, 4.6 acres of pristine emergent freshwater marsh wetlands
were created and the existing wetland vegetation was treated with an herbicide to remove undesirable
plants and replanted with native wetland species.
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Howland Drain Improvements
Extensive surface and basement flooding along the Howland Drain in Mundy Township, MI, led residents
to petition the Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Office to develop cost-effective solutions
to address future flooding problems. Wade Trim developed a HEC-RAS model of the Howland Drain and
calibrated it to documented flood elevations for specific storm events. Model results helped determine
a solution that combined increased conveyance with off-line storage and minimized impact to residents
during construction. The solution controls peak flows as close to the source as possible and is expected
to improve the level of water quality throughout the system. |
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Conceptual Design for Fish Passage at the Henry Ford Estate Dam
A fully functional, hydro-electric dam on the Rouge River within the Henry Ford Estate grounds has
been blocking fish passage since it was built in 1909. To restore the viability of the river’s
fishery, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District and Wayne County Department of Environment
undertook an evaluation of the feasibility of alternative fish passage designs. Wade Trim prepared
the conceptual design report that helped facilitate review by federal, state and county agencies,
as well as Henry Ford Estate and the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Design alternatives were
complicated by constraints to modify the national historic landmark that still provides operating power
to the estate and parts of the University of Michigan Dearborn campus. The preferred design is
a natural by-pass channel that allows the migration of targeted fish species as well as provides
a low maintenance solution with minimal impacts to the significant cultural resources.
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