Some sediment in Mill Creek is natural. But too much means a property owner is losing land from erosion and is a problem for the fish and other creatures living in the creek that can suffocate on it. With funding from the s. 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution program, HRWC and project partners restored two of the most severely eroding spots on the creek, both located in Lima Township, Washtenaw County. Erratic stream flows had eaten away the banks over time, sending excessive amounts of sediment into the creek.

The restoration project stabilized a combined 360 ft of streambank using preferred soft engineering techniques. Soft engineering relies on vegetative materials rather than structural, or hard, materials. Through the strategic use of bank re-sloping, whole tree revetments, and live stakes of Michigan native plants, 33 lbs of phosphorus and 37 tons of sediment are being kept out of Mill Creek each year.

Bioengineering Fact Sheet

Project Fact Sheet

This streambank restoration is the first on Mill Creek to use preferred bioengineering techniques. To keep the repaired sites intact and prevent future problem sites, HRWC and Legacy Land Conservancy assisted landowners in the project area who were interested in negotiating permanent protection of their lands. Landowners received information about their properties’ importance to Mill Creek and the conservation options available to them.

Learn about the project and innovative solutions for land and water conservation

The accomplishments of this project will be continued through several measures:

• Two successfully installed streambank stabilizations using bioengineering techniques that will continue to prevent phosphorus and sediment during their expected 15-yr lifespan
• Long-term land protection of a 96-acre parcel in the watershed that will remain in farming, plus the potential for future land protection on properties identified through the project
• Shared responsibility among the project partners for a maintenance plan at the sites
• Increased knowledge among residents, local government officials and staff, and conservation stewards of streambank bioengineering techniques to solve similar erosion hotspots