Restoring Wetlands in Michigan Provides Home for Wildlife
Restoring wetlands at Maankiki Marsh (Maankiki means “marsh” in Anishinaabemowin) in Michigan helped reduce flooding, improve water quality, and boost outdoor recreation opportunities.
Description
The nearly 8,700 square miles of Saginaw Bay watershed in central Michigan is home to over one million Michigan residents who rely on its ecological services such as filtering pollutants to help provide clean drinking water and providing habitat for fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. Major landscape alterations over the last century like cutting down the forest and draining wetlands have impacted Saginaw Bay severely, limiting water filtration and flood control. Thanks to vital federal grants, 1,250 acres of Maankiki Marsh have been restored. The connection to the complex river system allows fish and other aquatic life to pass between the river and wetlands. This opens areas for fish that have been unavailable for many decades. Wetland berms were constructed to create three large units allowing Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge to better manage the wetland types that would naturally occur. These wetland types are decreasing on a national level and conservation efforts are crucial as they provide a diverse ecosystem for fish, birds and other wetland-dependent plants and animals. The increased wildlife diversity adds many opportunities for people to enjoy things such as hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing as well.
Resource Challenges Addressed
Undesirable algae
Low oxygen levels in the water
Degradation of fish and wildlife populations
Loss of fish and wildlife habitat
Poor water quality
Location
Saginaw, Mich.
Approximate Cost
$1,895,000 with $1,500,000 from Great Lake Restoration Initiative
Key Partners
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, and University of Michigan and the U.S. Geological Survey – Great Lakes Science Center
Types of Jobs Created
Contractors and materials suppliers
MAANKIKI MARSH RESTORATION
Marshes, like the one pictured here, provide important habitat for native fish and wildlife. Credit: Courtney Celley U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Results and Accomplishments
The restored Maankiki wetland now provides crucial breeding and migration habitat for endangered species such as the king rail (a rare marsh bird found in Michigan), common moorhens and least bitterns, and are foraging sites for bald eagles, waterfowl, and other migratory birds. The marsh will also help lessen flood impacts by slowing the flow of flood water. The marsh filters the pollutants from rainwater runoff, improving water quality downstream in the Saginaw River and within Saginaw Bay.
