Rouge Green Corridor Stream and Riparian Zone Restoration

The River Rouge is Michigan’s most urbanized river basin and the upper Main Branch (Main 1-2) exhibits a greater percentage of urban land than the watershed as a whole. Despite this, a portion of the upper Main flowing through Birmingham, Beverly Hills, and Southfield exhibits an intact, forested riparian corridor, along with some of the best water quality, and riparian and aquatic habitat in the watershed. This stretch of the river has been dubbed the “Rouge Green Corridor” (RGC). It serves as a refuge from which other river sections may be repopulated as restoration proceeds. Some natural areas within the RGC are of exceptional quality, while many are impacted by a variety of stressors and would benefit from restoration.

To protect the river and its valley from ongoing threats, ASTI was contracted to develop a coordinated approach for management and restoration. ASTI assessed aquatic habitat throughout the 15.5 mile RGC, inventoried all plant species within 11 RGC municipal parks and preserves to develop Floristic Quality Assessments, assessed wetland and riparian buffer functions within those parks, reviewed existing water quality and erosion data, solicited public input, and developed both corridor-wide habitat restoration and management plans and individual plans for the 11 parks/preserves.