Based on recommendations from our 2014-2016 Norton Creek Watershed Management Plan, we doing a restoration project that will improve water quality and reduce flooding.
Update
The gardens were planted on June 8, thanks to the generous help from local volunteers.
About Norton Creek
Norton Creek in Oakland County has 110 miles of branching stream channels and it drains 24 square miles of land, meaning all the water in this area from the surface and below ground flows into Norton Creek. In this creekshed, there are 17 lakes, including Wolverine Lake, 72 ponds, and many wetlands.
Historically, the Norton creekshed was rural with many farms. Over the last 100 years, it has become urban and suburban. The creek was channelized in many places to support agriculture and much of the land was developed as the population increased. The Huron River Watershed Council conducted an extensive study of the creek from 2014-2016 and identified three main concerns: slow moving water, poor habitat conditions for wildlife, and pollution. In addition, this creek was identified as having increased risk of floods in the future as southeast Michigan experiences larger and more frequent rain events.
Norton Creek Project: Protect and Restore
In Wixom’s Gibson Park we will:
- Restore habitat in the creek to support more natural flows by making a stretch of this artificially straightened creek curvy again. We will do this using simple techniques such as placing large woody debris in the water and anchoring them from the shore.
- Create a bioswale (large ditches with native plants in them) and rain garden along the south side of Pontiac Trail. These features will catch water from the road and lawn and remove pollution before it hits the creek.
- Plant shoreline natives to absorb stormwater, prevent erosion and create habitat.
About the restoration techniques
HRWC will restore a small section of the creek that was straightened and widened by humans many years ago. An artificially straightened creek causes two problems. First, sediment builds up in the creek because the over-wide channel does not allow the energy of the water’s current to build up and move it downstream. Natural bacteria in the sediment consumes oxygen and chokes oxygen-producing aquatic plants.
Second, without a curvy path to travel along, the creek’s flow doesn’t churn as much. With less tumbling, churning water, less oxygen is delivered to the creek’s water. Without enough oxygen in the water, aquatic insects and animals cannot survive.
Our restoration project will introduce fallen trees and shrubs that are anchored to the shore and placed in the water. This natural material will catch sediment and form new banks to create a narrower “inner channel” with more energy to move sediment and churn-in oxygen. The newer, curvier stream will also have better habitat for a variety of fish and aquatic insects. This will improve the health of Norton Creek and the Huron River downstream.
About the native planting techniques
Rain Gardens
Rain gardens capture and filter stormwater runoff before it pollutes creeks and rivers. They also store water and can reduce issues from flooding. They are shallow, saucer shaped gardens planted with deep-rooted native plants and placed where water pools and is directed from roofs and pavement. Rain gardens are easy to maintain, do not require watering, and provide habitat for butterflies and bees.
Bioswales
Bioswales function like rain gardens but are longer in length and usually deeper with engineered soil and rocks to capture and direct larger amounts of water. They are placed along roadsides and very large paved areas.
Rain Barrels
Gutters on the Gibson House will lead directly to rain barrels that will capture all the water from the roof whenever it rains. Collected water can be used during dry times for watering.
Shoreline Planting
By planting natives along the shoreline near Pontiac Trail, we will protect the creek. These plants will act as a buffer by absorbing some of the stormwater runoff from the road, which can contain automobile fluids, salt, and sediment (dirt).
Partnerships and Funding
For this project, we are working with Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office and the City of Wixom, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Climate Adaptation Fund and Pure Oakland Water.