Nearshore Nonpoint: 9 Key Planning and Implementation
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Purpose

Neumiller Woods Park is a 7.9-acre passive park along the Somers Branch of the Pike River - a highly-impaired Lake Michigan tributary. Surrounding development and upstream agricultural parcels, along with invasive reed canary grass have degraded this unique wetland habitat. Increased runoff pollution and flooding issues, contributing sediment and phosphorus to the park and downstream to the Pike River are also issues. Much of the Neumiller Woods parcel is within the floodplain and has great potential for biological diversity for aquatic and vegetative species alike. Fish, amphibian and other wildlife habitat in the natural area is limited because of the excessive sedimentation and invasive plant species.

Objective

the focus of this project is the partial restoration of Neumiller Woods Park, including the following. 1) A wetland scrape, 2) relocation of the excavated spoils on-site, and 3) restoration of fish and wildlife habitat within the newly created wetland channel and where the spoils are relocated. All of these actions are necessary to achieve the recommendations in the Somers Branch Eco-hydrological Report from 2013, and as part of the WDNR/EPA-approved Nine Key Element Watershed Restoration Plan for the Pike River.

Study Design

-The Wetland Scrape is designed to enhance the hydrological functions, which address the loss of vegetative diversity and wildlife habitat and degradation of fish and wildlife population impairments. This includes 1) remeandering the wetland channel and increasing the depth of the wetland basin in a predominately treeless area overrun with reed canary grass and sediment deposition; 2) relocating the uncontaminated sediment on-site; 3) replanting the excavated area with a prescribed mix of native vegetation. -

Related Reports

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Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Nearshore Health and NPS
GL00E02317-0
2017
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