Habitat Restoration in Priority Coastal Areas: Grosse Pointe Shoreline Restoration Project

About the Grosse Pointe Shoreline Restoration Project

The Grosse Pointe Shoreline Feasibility and Engineering & Design project will evaluate and design selected alternatives for future restoration of nearshore habitat and the replacement of a failing concrete seawall along three miles of Lake St. Clair shoreline. Designs will focus on the use of nature-based solutions to protect against changing lake dynamics by reducing wave energy and managing shoreline erosion.

The feasibility phase of this project will lead to outcomes of up to 120 acres of restored coastal habitat along up to 3 miles of restored Lake St. Clair shoreline and final designs will lead to outcomes of approximately 18 acres of restored coastal habitat along 1800 feet of restored shoreline at two pilot locations.

This project follows several others aimed at softening hardened shoreline and restoring nearshore habitat along the U.S. shoreline of Lake St. Clair, which currently is at least 90% hardened with seawall or rip rap. The project site represents the largest remaining stretch of publicly owned, hardened shoreline and presents a significant opportunity to restore fish and wildlife habitat in Lake St. Clair while also addressing coastal resilience issues.

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Project Partners

City of Grosse Pointe Farms
Village of Grosse Pointe Shores
Hubbell Roth & Clark, Inc.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Funding

The City of Grosse Pointe Farms has received approximately $788,000 in funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy through a cooperative agreement between EGLE and the Great Lakes Commission. 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
Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
734‐396‐6059
[email protected]