TAMARACK CREEK STREAM AND WETLAND RESTORATION

Transcription

1 TAMARACK CREEK STREAM AND WETLAND RESTORATION Project Funding Request: $2,700,000 Organization: Contact Name: Alliance of Rouge Community (ARC) Brandy Siedlaczek Chairperson Michigan Avenue, Suite 126 Canton, MI (734) Project Location: Southfield, Michigan Oakland County Congressional Districts: M14 Project Duration: PROJECT ABSTRACT The Rouge River watershed is a designated AOC under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), and has three Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) associated with fish and wildlife habitat: Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations, Degradation of Benthos, Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat. Rouge River Advisory Council (RRAC), the Public Advisory Council (PAC) for the Rouge AOC, finalized a list of projects that need to be completed in order to remove the habitat BUIs in March As part of that list, restoration of Tamarack Creek and wetlands in the City of Southfield was considered as having significant impact on the removal of the BUIs. The Tamarack Creek Stream and Wetland Restoration project will result in restoration of 3 acres of wetland, creation of 2 acres of wetland, and restoration of 3,600 feet of Tamarack Creek. PROBLEM STATEMENT Alliance of Rouge Community (ARC), is requesting grant funding for Rouge River Area of Concern (AOC) Southfield Habitat Restoration Projects as part of its effort to delist the AOC. The Rouge River watershed is a designated AOC under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), and has three Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) associated with fish and wildlife habitat: Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations, Degradation of Benthos, Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat. During the last century, tributaries or the Rouge River have suffered from declining water quality, loss and impairment of aquatic habitat, and increased frequency and magnitude of peak flood flows, primarily due to increasing urbanization within the watershed. The flat river slope and the meandering channel could not pass the large flows associated with major precipitation events. Upstream urbanization continued to exacerbate this problem due to increased amounts of impervious surfaces culminating in floods within downstream local communities. Water quality in recent years, though, has improved since 1992 thanks to the federally-funded Rouge Project. For example, 89 of the 127 miles of the larger streams and tributaries in the watershed are now free from public health threats

2 associated with uncontrolled combined sewer overflow discharges. Water quality improvement is exhibited by increased dissolved oxygen levels needed to sustain fish and aquatic life. Increased populations and diversity of benthos, fish and wildlife have been measured along the river since Also, the U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General declared the Rouge Project a blueprint for success (EPA OIG report number 2002-P-00012). The ARC is the Rouge River Public Advisory (PAC) fiduciary and coordinating organization. Many of the previously completed reports [Ex: Habitat Delisting Targets (2008), Rouge River Delisting Strategy (2012), Upper Rouge Delisting Strategy (2012), and Rouge River BUI Report Card (2013)] listed project types, in addition to specific projects, that needed to be completed in the watershed in order to remove the Habitat BUIs and delist the AOC. The EPA, MDEQ, MDNR, RRAC, ARC and Southfield staff began facilitating the development of the formal list for removal of the Habitat BUIs in This work resulted in the development of a final Rouge AOC Habitat list that was submitted in March The Tamarack Creek and Wetland Restoration project is one of the priority projects on that list due its potential to address the Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations, Degradation of Benthos, and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat BUIs. Relevance to Existing Restoration Plans and Priorities - The proposed project responds directly to multiple plans and priorities within the Rouge River AOC: The Rouge RAP Advisory Council s 2016 Rouge River Remedial Action Plan Habitat Projects List identifies these activities as a top priority for delisting the Rouge River AOC. The Rouge River Watershed Management Plan, prepared by the ARC supports river and lake restoration as a key elements in the watershed restoration. Activities respond to the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy focus on Riverine Habitats and Related Riparian Areas and its long-term goals including conservation of rivers and sustaining native/ migratory fish and aquatic biota/ wildlife. Tamarack Creek, a tributary of Evans Creek (and the Middle Rouge River), receives uncontrolled stormwater runoff from a large portion of its drainage area. As a result, Tamarack Creek has been eroded by excessive channel velocity associated with peak flows. Bank erosion is leading to excessive sediment loading and sedimentation of instream habitat. Sedimentation is also exacerbated by nonpoint sources of sediment delivered to Tamarack Creek via stormwater. Excessive channel velocity is also destabilizing large woody debris and gravel/cobble substrates that are important fish and macroinvertebrate habitat. In order to address the habitat impairments, restoration of Tamarack Creek is necessary in conjunction with wetland restoration to help improve hydrology and in-stream flows. Wetland restoration will repair wetland hydrology, manage invasive species, and plant native wetland plants to diversify the flora. The existing wetland will be expanded to the south and west to create 2 acres of new wetland. Tamarack Creek will flow through the wetlands. A new outlet control structure on the restored and created wetlands will manage flood stage within the wetland to accomplish flood storage and water quality improvements. The outlet will be designed to simulate natural water levels fluctuations within the wetlands to promote a healthy native wetland plant community. Sediment will be dredged to increase storage volume and create deep open water wildlife habitat. Shallow islands and shelves will be constructed to establish emergent wetland vegetation, which will add wildlife habitat diversity and value. Stream restoration will increase channel and habitat stability by altering the channel cross-section. Native riparian plant communities will be established along both side of the channel following construction. Streambanks will be graded to create a two-stage channel capable of conveying flood flows on stable flood terraces adjacent to the channel. The

3 flood terraces will be planted with native riparian vegetation, including trees. Cross-vanes and/or rock riffles will be installed in the creek bottom to stabilize the streambed and create habitat diversity. Trees cleared from the corridor for construction will be salvaged and used to construct cross-vanes and large woody debris complexes. Stormwater volume and rate will be reduced by retrofitting an existing wet detention basin owned by MDOT. RESTORATION OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES The Tamarack Creek Stream and Wetland Restoration project will produce the following outputs and outcomes: Outputs 3 acres of restored wetland 2 acres of created wetland 3,600 feet of restored stream 20 constructed habitat structures Outcomes: More diverse and intact wetland wildlife habitat. Restored wetland functions, especially water quantity and quality. Greater wildlife diversity and productivity. Greater fish productivity. Increase in channel stability and reduced sediment loading from bank erosion. Aid in the removal of three of the Rouge River AOC BUIs: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations, and Degradation of Benthos. LONG-TERM MAINTAINENCE Southfield and its partners within the Alliance of Rouge Communities are committed to the long-term sustainability of this project. Though the project will be designed as a sustainable water resource project with low maintenance requirements, long-term care and maintenance will be integrated. A long-term management plan will be developed in cooperation with Southfield as part of project engineering. PROPOSED WORK The ARC proposes the following task summaries in order to complete the Rouge River AOC Tamarack Creek Restoration project. Task 1. Grant Reporting/Administration/Public Outreach Overall Grant/Projects This task includes the following elements associated with the overall grant and projects that will be completed primarily by the ARC: Grant Management Activities - Grant management services and assure compliance with terms and conditions of the grant will be provided. Coordinate with Partners Coordination between partners and stakeholders in the project. Throughout the process, active participation will be fostered among the stakeholders.

4 Public Outreach The ARC will reach out to the public to inform them of the proposed activities and to obtain input. There will a focused workshop for the interested public. The ARC will be posting information related to the all projects under this grant on the ARC web site and informational flyers will be distributed to interested organizations and the public at large. Final Report A comprehensive final report summarizing all the activities conducted and outcomes achieved will be completed in draft form and submitted for review. Comments received will be incorporated in to a final version for submittal. Deliverables: Reporting and public meeting(s) Task 2. Preliminary Engineering and Field Investigation Background data will be collected and reviewed. This information will be used as the base map for the design and will form the basis of the design decisions. The following data collection needs will be completed in order to develop the design, allow for project permitting and provide baseline data for construction. Health and Safety Plan (HASP) Development A site specific health and safety plan will be developed for the project. Potential hazards will be identified, and steps will be outlined to reduce risk to employees and visitors to the site. The HASP will also detail steps for emergency response, including directions and a map to the nearest emergency room/urgent care. QAPP Development - In accordance with federal requirements all environmental measurements undertaken in support of this project will be required to be conducted under a formal quality management protocol. A project specific QAPP will be prepared and submitted for review and approval prior to beginning any data collection activities. Primary data gathering will include field information for design and post measurements of metric outputs. Topographic Survey A survey of the ground surface elevation will be conducted. The surveys will include the location of existing or abandoned structures and utilities. Property boundaries will be established from recorded legal description. Flagged wetland boundaries will also be surveyed. Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis - The frequency, stage, and velocity of flows in Tamarack Creek are important factors in the design of the restoration plan. Tamarack Creek is an ungagged stream. A long-term flow record does not exist. Flow frequencies and magnitude will be estimated using numerical runoff calculations for small ungagged watersheds. A hydraulic model will be developed to analyze flow stage, wetted channel dimensions, flow velocity, and shear stress within the channel. The hydraulic model will be used to design the wetland outlet structure to achieve the desired back water effects. The model will also be used to evaluate impacts on flow stage caused by the proposed project, which will be required for permitting. Wetland Assessment/Riparian Vegetation Mapping - Professional wetland scientists and ecologists will conduct a field survey of the site. The survey will determine the location and type of wetlands present, and map riparian vegetation communities. An assessment of wetland functions and values will be conducted to assess the degree of impairment and guide restoration design decisions. The species and distribution of invasive species will be

5 determined within the wetlands and riparian vegetation. The jurisdictional limits of wetlands will be flagged for surveying during the topographic surveying. Delineation of wetland boundaries is necessary to evaluate and quantify project impacts, and quantify wetland restoration. Geotechnical Investigation Streambank and wetland soils will be field characterized to qualitatively determine composition (clay, silt, sand, gravel, organic) and stratification. This information will inform design decision making for wetland restoration and channel cross-section modifications. Soil Analysis - Soil samples within the wetland (MDOT basin) and Tamarack Creek water body will be collected for waste characterization and determining disposal requirements. The samples will be analyzed based on the State of Michigan protocol for dredge characterization which includes Metals, Volatile and Semi-Volatile compounds, and PCB scans. TCLP will be run on samples that laboratory results indicate detectable levels of interest within the dredging protocol. Threatened & Endangered Species (T&E) - Since all federal agency grant programs require at least a programmatic environmental assessment that must consider potential impacts to federally and state-listed T&E plant and animal species, T&E information will be collected. The Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) maintains a continuously updated natural heritage database that provides a comprehensive source of existing data on Michigan's endangered and threatened plant and animal species. Records in the database indicate that a qualified observer has documented the presence of T&E species within a specified distance (usually 1.5 miles). The absence of records in the database within the vicinity of a project site does not preclude the potential presence of T&E species. Furthermore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) publishes a county distribution list of federally listed threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species. This list indicates the potential for T&E species to be present within the county where a project is located (or neighboring counties). However, unlike the MNFI database, this list does not necessarily indicate documented presence of T&E species. The project area (i.e., potential disturbance limits) will be visited by qualified ecologists and evaluated for suitable T&E species habitat and potential presence of listed species that occur within a 1.5-mile radius of the project site (based on the MNFI database and the USFWS Oakland County species list). Only those T&E species that have the potential to be impacted by the proposed project, based on physical site characteristics, will be targeted for site-specific field surveys. Fish - Biological monitoring for fish assemblages in Tamarack Creek will be conducted to aid in establishing the design criteria for the fish habitats. Fish will be collected using pulsed DC electroshocking (60 Hz) using a GPP5.0 (Smith-Root, Inc., Vancouver, WA). GPP settings will be determined in the field based on ambient water conductivity, but will likely consist of using 220V power at 20-40% output (4-7 amps). Stunned fish will be netted from the water and placed in holding tanks supplied with fresh water from the creek. Following each 15-minute sampling interval, collected fish will be identified to the species level, measured to the nearest mm (total length TL), and subsequently live-released back into the creek. The total time from capture to release will not exceed 30 minutes to reduce handling stress. To obtain sufficient collection data for analyses and provide a representative assemblage, a reach length of 35 times the stream width will be sampled. Three reaches will be sampled. Several commonly reported metrics will be used to describe the baseline fish community: species richness and abundance; catch per unit effort; and size-frequency distributions. Deliverables: T&E Summary HASP, Base Map, Geotechnical and Soil Characterization Summary, Wetland Delineation Report,

6 Task 3. Design/Permitting This task will include hydraulic modeling as required, development of construction design plans, technical specifications, and construction cost estimating. During the design phase of the project, plans will be advanced to 30% design drawings, with additional engineering, planning, design refinement/modifications, stakeholder collaboration, and Technical Team review and feedback. Following this review, the design drawings produced will be advanced to 50% design for review and then to 95%. Final plans and specifications will be developed following the last review. The design will take into account the technical needs as follows: Channel Cross-sectional Dimensions Using an estimate of the channel forming discharge and hydraulic modeling, the channel width, depth, and bank heights for the modified channel cross-section will be determined to produce desirable flow velocity, shear stress, and sediment transport potential. Design details and cross-sections will be prepared. Wetland Restoration Approaches Methods for restoring and creating wetland hydrology and function will be developed. The outlet control structure will be designed using hydraulic modeling to create desired backwater effects that produce wetland water levels that promote natural storage, water quality treatment, and native wetland plant communities. Planting plans will be prepared based on predicted water depths and duration. Construction drawings and details will be developed. Grade Control Design The spacing, elevation, location, and materials for grade control structures will be determined using topographic data of the channel profile and hydraulic modeling to produce desirable flow velocity, shear stress, and sediment transport potential. Riffle dimensions and elevations will be designed iteratively based on site-specific channel dimensions and hydraulic modeling to insure stability and proper function. A schedule of grade control design parameters will be developed. Construction drawings and details will be prepared. Long-term Management Plan A long-term management plan will be prepared during the design phase, to coordinate and plan management activities needed to ensure project sustainability. Additionally, this task will include permitting services with the intended purpose of obtaining the Joint Permit from the MDEQ. The following activities will be completed as part of this task: Prepare a pre-application meeting package with pre-application meeting fee and work with the County to schedule a site meeting and project review meeting with MDEQ Division staff. The purpose of a formal preapplication meeting is to review statutory permitting requirements. A Joint Application for Permit will be completed, including all necessary attachments. Quantities of cuts and fills in wetlands, streams, and floodplains will be calculated from the design drawings and tabulated. Basis of Design Report detailing the final design will be prepared (Supporting data, analyses, computations, and modeling will be presented in a concise format. Periodic communication with District permitting staff will allow dialogue on design before the Joint Permit Application is submitted. This will include project partner meetings which will allow for exchange of ideas, discussion of concepts and concerns culminating in the development of a prudent, feasible, and permittable project design upon

7 completion. This process will help ensure that a permittable project is designed and will facilitate the permitting process. Deliverables: MDEQ Permit and 95% Plans & Technical Specifications Task 4. Contract Documents and Contractor Selection The design plans and technical specifications developed under Task 3 will be finalized in the contract bid documents. All contractual front end specifications will be developed and all funding grant requirements will be addressed and incorporated (signage, etc.). The contractor bidding processes will be administered, including issuing the bid package, and selection of the construction contractor, and contracting with the chosen contractor. The Engineer of Record will assist with the bidding processes by conducting the pre-bid meetings, answering questions/providing clarifications to bidders, drafting addendum as needed, evaluating bids submitted and providing a recommendation for contractor selection. This task will include the following subtasks to aid the in the procurement of a qualified contractor for each construction project. Prepare a Pre-Bid Meeting agenda; Prepare for a Pre-Bid Meeting, to include a site field trip; Respond to questions for clarification on the contract documents; Prepare, as needed, Addendum for the bid process; Review/analysis of Contractor s bids; Provide Engineer s Recommendation for contractor selection; and Budget vs. Bid analysis and site recommendations; Deliverables: Contract Contract Bid Documents, Advertisement for Bid, Bid Tabulation, and Construction Contractor Task 5. Construction/Construction Oversight The contractor selected will complete the construction in accordance with the construction documents. Construction oversight will be provided during construction. Quantitative and qualitative measures will be employed to track progress in both project implementation and to assess project results. Field Engineering Oversight Services This will include all functions and activities necessary to provide the oversight necessary so that all materials provided and work performed is in conformance with the project plans and specifications. The functions and activities of this task include those typically associated with a project of this nature, including: Prepare for and conduct a Pre-Construction site inspection and meeting; Respond to inquiries and /or requests for information; Attend bi-weekly construction site meetings; Review and approve shop drawings and submittals; Assist in resolution of issues that arise during construction of the project; Provide daily on-site oversight at intervals appropriate to the various stages of construction in order to observe the contractor s activities to verify that the progress and quality of the project is being constructed in conformance with the project plans and specifications;

8 Verify that the contractor uses equipment and methods approved in or specified by the contract; Inspect materials to be used in the work, verifying they meet the project specifications; Verify that the contractor complies with all contract requirements related to the protection of utilities, property, and the environment; Verify that the contractor complies with all permit requirements as they pertain; Conduct review of all soil erosion and sedimentation control devices for proper maintenance and effectiveness as placed; Coordinate project testing services with the Contractor and the testing company; Provide design engineering, specification and design drawing development when changes or modifications to the project plans are necessary; and Conduct site walks with the Contractor to develop the project punch list and for updating of those items; Conduct an inspection to determine if the work is substantially complete for acceptance as it relates to the contract documents and time. Construction Administration Contract administration tasks typically associated with a project of this nature, included: Review proposals/claims and make recommendations related to contract modifications, extra work, extra compensation, and/or extensions of contract time; Process and maintain records for contract modifications and/or work order; Review and approve or make recommendations on Contractor construction estimates; Generate Monthly Construction Progress Summaries; Track and maintain status of miscellaneous submittals and Requests for information; Review and balance all pay item quantities; Provide complete project documentation and files, specifically as they relate to correspondence, meeting minutes, submittals, contract modifications, work orders, material certifications, test reports, and interim progress estimates; and Review Contractor s final submission of as-builts plans for compliance with the specifications and the work complete. Deliverables: Construction As-builts.

9 Project Location Map

10 Site Photographs Figure 1 Figure 2

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