Portage Creek Streambank Restoration at Milham Park

Approximately 2,900 feet of Portage Creek streambanks located within the City of Kalamazoo's most used public site were highly eroded and subject to further degradation from stormwater, nuisance wildlife, and lawn maintenance practices.  The Milham Park project goals were to establish riparian buffer/no mow zones, repair eroding streambanks, improve riparian management and long-term stability, reduce annual loss of streambank, improve upon public education, and provide in-stream grade stabilization.

K&A provided technical support to the project through limited geomorphology assessment, engineering plans and specifications, City meetings and approvals, DEQ engineering review submittals, DEQ permit applications, competitive contractor bids, and construction oversight assistance. Project benefits included:

• Native riparian buffer vegetation = 1.1 acres
• No mow riparian buffer = 6,900 ft
• Streambank stabilization/bioengineering = 1,500 ft
• Grade control W-weir cross vane structure = 45 ft
• Riprap toe protection measures = 300 ft
• Supplemental vegetative plugs = 1,500 plants
• Use of photodegradable erosion control blankets
• Temporary fencing to protect new vegetation
• Permanent educational signs (3) to describe these BMP approaches and benefits
• Reduction of 70.3 lbs total phosphorus/year
• Reduction of 41.3 tons sediment/year
• Reduction of 140.6 lbs nitrogen/year

Grant funding was provided for the restoration of Arcadia Creek as it runs through the Kalamazoo Christian High School complex at Drake Road and Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo.  Impacts to Arcadia Creek included flashy stream flows during rain storms that destroy stream habitat and erode streambanks, loss of overhanging stream-side vegetation that would otherwise stabilize streambanks and shade the creek, and loss of wetlands that normally store water during storms and provide valuable water quality and habitat benefits.

Arcadia Creek goals at the Kalamazoo Christian High School site included: a) 2,300 feet of restored and stabilized streambanks (using more natural "bioengineering" techniques); b) less runoff from parking lots; c) riparian vegetation with deeply rooted native wetland and prairie species (versus a manicured lawn); and, d) reconnection to floodplains and wetlands.  This project improved overall stream habitat conditions for one-quarter mile of Arcadia Creek.  It also provided some flood relief for downstream areas, and reduced sediment and nutrient loading into Arcadia Creek.  Lastly, these efforts provided valuable watershed educational opportunities for students and the general public. Project benefits included:

• Native riparian buffer vegetation = 2.5 acres
• Streambank stabilization/bioengineering = 2,300 ft
• Riprap toe protection measures = 115 ft
• Supplemental vegetation plugs = 3,500 plants
• Permanent educational signs (2) to describe these BMP approaches and benefits
• Reduction of resident nuisance waterfowl population
• Use of photodegradable erosion control blankets
• Temporary fencing to protect new vegetation
• Reduction of 154 lbs total phosphorus/year
• Reduction of 150 tons sediment/year
• Reduction of 308 lbs nitrogen/year

Project Summary | Fact Sheet

Through a grant from the Great Lakes Commission's Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, K&A and the Kalamazoo Conservation District implemented a project in a highly erodible portion of a property along the mainstem of the Kalamazoo River.  The project involved experimental planting of native prairie grasses and wildflowers as a unique method for soil stabilization at the industrial property.  The experiment examined the feasibility of using native plants at industrial sites to enhance soil erosion control.  Additional benefits of the project include habitat creation for grassland biota, opportunities for prairie education, and a colorful attraction along the river corridor throughout the year.
Project Summary

Kalamazoo River Critical Erosion Sites Mitigation Project

K&A, in coalition with the Kalamazoo Conservation District, three county road commissions, NRCS and the City of Kalamazoo, provided technical and planning assistance to a CMI-funded project addressing several severe erosion sites along the Kalamazoo River. K&A specifically developed engineering plans and specifications, completed DEQ engineering review submittals and permit applications, performed competitive contractor bids, and oversaw construction of the project.  The City of Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant erosion site, pictured at left, involved streambank stabilization to repair over 900 feet of Kalamazoo River streambanks that were exposed and eroding.  Riparian areas were previously maintained as a traditional landscaped lawn to accommodate access to outfalls and other structure.  This former approach resulted in a neglect for streambank stabilization, significant soil loss, bank rescission and potential destabilization of soils adjacent to significant Plant structures. 

Project benefits included:

• Streambank stabilization/bioengineering = 1,000 ft
• Visual native riparian buffer vegetation = 0.6 acres
• Riprap toe protection measures = 275 ft
• Use of photodegradable erosion control blankets
• Improved wildlife corridor and habitat
• Deterrent to resident geese
• Reduced grounds maintenance
• Reduction of 74.5 lbs total phosphorus/year
• Reduction of 29.5 tons sediment/year
• Reduction of 50.2 lbs total nitrogen/year