The Lower Muskegon River site is owned by Muskegon County and is a former celery farm located on the north side of the Muskegon River. The project will be constructed in 2020 and 2021, and will include the hydrologic reconnection of approximately 54 acres of wetlands to the Muskegon River.
Design of the restoration included extensive soil and water sampling for nutrients and contaminants to ensure downstream waters and Muskegon Lake are not negatively impacted by the restoration. The site design also included 2-dimensional hydrologic modeling to determine how water will flow through the restored wetland.
This animation shows how the water will move through the restored wetland…
Pre-Restoration
Year restored: 2020-2021
Total Area Restored (by habitat type):
Shoreline softening=2739 linear feet
Emergent Wetland=53.5 acres
Upland Buffer=5.3 acres
Construction Facts:
Restoration = $2,275,000
Excavation of 101,850 cubic yards of soil to remove high-phosphorus soils while creating an emergent, southern wet meadow, southern shrub-carr, and floodplain forested wetlands
Installation of 34,714 native plants
Installation of 160 habitat structures, including large woody debris, osprey platforms, and reptile hibernacula
Check back for restoration updates in 2020 and 2021!
