Habitat Restoration in Priority Coastal Areas: Ford Cove

About Ford Cove Habitat Restoration

The Ford Cove Shoreline and Coastal Wetland Restoration project will span a mile of Lake St. Clair coastline and over 17 acres of coastal marsh, nearshore habitat, and forested wetlands. The site is undergoing a feasibility study, including baseline evaluations and preliminary hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, to inform the restoration strategy. As one of the few remaining areas on the U.S. Lake St. Clair coastline that is suitable for large-scale shoreline restoration, the Ford Cove Shoreline and Coastal Wetland Restoration project was identified as a Michigan priority coastal restoration project under NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management’s Great Lakes Coastal and Nearshore Habitat Assessment Project. The restoration will improve aquatic habitat and replace hardened shoreline with natural features.

More about Ford Cove Restoration

There has been a 99.9 percent reduction in Lake St. Clair natural shoreline in Macomb County, with only 2,140 linear feet of the 31.5 miles of shoreline remaining in natural condition. Ford Cove is an exciting opportunity for shoreline restoration as one of the few areas that is suitable for restoration. The restoration strategy will be informed by the ongoing feasibility assessment but is anticipated to restore or enhance approximately 5.5 acres of coastal marsh, 8 acres of nearshore habitat, 4 acres of forested wetland, and 1 mile of shoreline. In addition to improving habitat, the restoration will increase coastal resiliency.

Benefits of Restoration

Environmental Benefits:

  • Improve fish and wildlife habitat
  • Improve water quality

Community Benefits:

  • Recreation
  • Shoreline safety and resilience

Economic Benefits:

  • Tourism and recreation
  • Coastal resiliency
Documents and Fact Sheets

The following fact sheets and documents provide additional information about the Ford Cove project and specific elements of the project.

Fact Sheet

Funding

Ford Cove has received approximately $230,000 in funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the NOAA Non-AOC Grant. GLRI is a federal program designed to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world — the Great Lakes.

For More Information

Jill Estrada
Coastal Conservation and Habitat Restoration
Senior Program Specialist, Great Lakes Commission
734‐396‐6059 • [email protected]

Kevin Drotos
Landscape and Woodlands Specialist
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
313-884-4222
[email protected]

Get the latest Great Lakes Commission news and events in your inbox!

Sign up for our e-newsletter

Get the latest Great Lakes Commission news and events in your inbox!