Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Malletts Creek Wetland Preserve is designed to help reduce flooding and improve water quality within Malletts Creek and provides opportunities for wildlife viewing throughout the year. Over a two-year period we installed over 500 trees and shrubs, 30,000 wetland plugs and 12 acres of seed. The preserve, now named Mary Beth Doyle Park, functions as a massive cutting edge flood control wetland. During rain events the wetland fills with as much as 12 feet of water that is slowly released downstream over several days. The park mitigates the effects of urban development upstream and assists in restoring natural flow rates downstream.
During the two-year maintenance period many lessons were learned with this first-of-a-kind park. Sections of the wetland developed quickly and function as a high quality wetland. Other areas struggled to establish with the frequent and lasting inundation. However, through proper maintenance the upland and wetland prairies are established and assist in flood control.
- Main characteristic of the project: Wetland mitigation, flood control
- Challenges of the project: To meet the design requirements for native restoration and flood control
- How we made it work: WH Canon Landscape Company conducted massive planting and seeding, performed proper maintenance after construction