Upper detroit riverfront Parks habitat restoration project
A.B. Ford | Lakewood-East | Mariner
Meet The Project Partners
The Upper Detroit Riverfront Habitat and Parks Restoration Project is supported by a combination of federal, state, and local organizations as well as non-profit and civic partners. This $5 million investment in the Upper Detroit Riverfront Habitat and Parks Restoration Project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and will be coordinated by the Project Coordination Team, comprised of the members below.
EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office
The EPA has identified Detroit as a focus community through the Make a Visible Difference Initiative and will continue to fund and lead air, land, and water program resources to implement projects. The EPA works as part of the Detroit Federal Working Group (DFWG) team to align resources to support environmental protection and neighborhood revitalization in Detroit along with several other federal organizations.
Check out the EPA's work in Detroit here!
General Services and Parks and Recreation Departments
General Services and Parks and Recreation Departments are taking a bold approach to focus on the reinvestment in open spaces and park access as part of the 2017 Parks and Recreation Improvement Plan. This opportunity will make it possible for Detroiters to continue enjoying the parks and greenspaces they love.
Learn more about Detroit Recreation here!
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
The Detroit River is one of 14 Areas of Concern (AOC) in Michigan where the health and quality of the Great Lakes are affected due to pollutants. This project is listed as a priority project for the MDEQ Detroit River AOC.
Learn more about the MDEQ's efforts on the Detroit River here!
National Park Service
The National Park Service works in Detroit! The Rivers Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) supports community-led natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the nation to help communities get their conservation and outdoor recreation ideas on the ground. Futher, Detroit was selected as a key model city in the midwest to demonstrate how parks, programs, and partners can strengthen public land access for generations to come.
Learn more about the work the National Park Service does in Michigan here!
Friends of the Detroit River
The Friends of the Detroit River seeks to improve the quality of life of people, plants and animals in southeast Michigan and southwest Ontario. They organize grass roots advocacy and staffed programs, and have formed an environmental group that watches and protects the Detroit River. Their efforts hope to include the creation of a highly visible resource center focusing on Detroit River issues, programs, research, policies and partnerships.
Learn more about the Friends of the Detroit River here!
EA Engineering
EA Engineering! staff. EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC (EA) is an environmental services company that specializes in serving federal, state, and municipal governments on a range of natural resources, site remediation, infrastructure, and health and safety projects. The EA project team located out of Brighton, MI joined the Upper Detroit Riverfront Habitat and Parks Project in January 2017, and will be facilitating the analysis, design, and oversight of the build stages of the project.
The EA team will begin an environmental investigation of the parks this spring. The investigation will determine the most appropriate habitat improvements based on the parks’ ecological setting. It will involve ecological, engineering, and environmental evaluations. The evaluations will includes investigations related to the types of plants in the parks, how water flows in and around them, stability of soils, and the type of fish found in the canals and along the river. The results will serve as the blue print for the habitat restoration.
Community Stakeholders
An incredible amount of interest and investment has already taken place in the Jefferson- Chalmers Neighborhood, Detroit East Riverfront, and within each individual park. We would like to continue building on these city-wide and community-driven efforts. We encourage all stakeholders and community members to be involved in the design, implementation, and future care of these important spaces.
The UDRP partners will be organizing an Advisory Committee to help facilitate community outreach opportunities, weigh in on the project design and provide critical feedback, and build a network of stewards to help care for the project after completion. An Open House will be scheduled in the fall of 2017. Please check our Community Input page for more details.