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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the historical loss and current shoreline habitat rehabilitation efforts along the urban-industrial Detroit River using geographical information system methods and a shoreline survey. This study found a 97% loss of historical coastal wetlands to human development. By 1985, 55% of the U.S. mainland shoreline had been hardened with steel sheet piling or concrete breakwater that provide limited habitat. Since 1995, 19 projects were implemented, improving 4.93 km of shoreline habitat. A comparison of the 1985 and 2015 georeferenced aerial imagery showed that 2.32 km of soft shoreline was also converted to hard shoreline during this timeframe. Of the 19 projects surveyed, 11 representing 3.35 km made habitat improvements to shoreline that was already georeferenced as “soft“, three representing 360 m converted shoreline from “hard” to “soft”, and five representing 1.22 km added incidental habitat to hardened shoreline. Even with the addition of 1.58 km of new soft shoreline and incidental habitat, there was an overall net loss of 0.74 km of soft shoreline over the 30-year timeframe. To reach the “good” state of at least 70% soft shoreline, an additional 12.1 km of soft shoreline will have to be added. This confirms that shoreline hardening continues despite the best efforts of resource managers and conservation organizations. Resource managers must become opportunistic and get involved up front in urban waterfront redevelopment projects to advocate for habitat. Incremental progress will undoubtedly be slow following adaptive management.
John H. Hartig; David Bennion. Historical Loss and Current Rehabilitation of Shoreline Habitat along an Urban-Industrial River—Detroit River, Michigan, USA. Sustainability 2017, 9, 828 .
AMA StyleJohn H. Hartig, David Bennion. Historical Loss and Current Rehabilitation of Shoreline Habitat along an Urban-Industrial River—Detroit River, Michigan, USA. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (5):828.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn H. Hartig; David Bennion. 2017. "Historical Loss and Current Rehabilitation of Shoreline Habitat along an Urban-Industrial River—Detroit River, Michigan, USA." Sustainability 9, no. 5: 828.
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge spans 77 km along the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, and is the only unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System that is international. A key unit of the refuge is the 166-ha Humbug Marsh that represents the last kilometer of natural shoreline on the U.S. mainland of the river and Michigan’s only “Wetland of International Importance” designated under the 1971 International Ramsar Convention. Adjacent to Humbug Marsh is an 18-ha former industrial manufacturing site (now called the Refuge Gateway) that is being remediated and restored as an ecological buffer for Humbug Marsh and the future home of the refuge’s visitor center. Restoration and redevelopment activities have included: cleanup and capping of contaminated lands; daylighting a creek (i.e., deliberately exposing the flow of a creek that was historically placed underground in a culvert) and constructing a retention pond and emergent wetland to treat storm water prior to discharge to the Detroit River; restoring coastal wetland, riparian buffer, and upland habitats; and constructing two roads, hiking/biking trails, and a kayak/canoe landing to offer wildlife-compatible public uses that allow visitors to experience this internationally-recognized natural resource. This project has been described as transformational for the region by restoring an industrial brownfield into high quality wildlife habitat that expands the ecological buffer of a Ramsar site. Specific restoration targets for the site include: achieving a net gain of 6.5 ha of wetlands in a river that has lost 97% of its coastal wetlands to development; restoring 10.1 ha of upland buffer habitat; treating invasive Phragmites along 4 km of shoreline; and treatment of invasive plant species in 20.2 ha of upland habitats in Humbug Marsh. Further, the Refuge Gateway is being restored as a model of environmental sustainability for nearly seven million residents within a 45-minute drive. Key lessons learned include: reach broad-based agreement on a sustainability vision; identify and involve a key champion; establish core project delivery team; ensure up-front involvement of regulatory agencies; recruit and meaningfully involve many partners; expect the unexpected; practice adaptive management; place a priority on sound science-based decision making; ensure decision-making transparency; measure and celebrate successes, including benefits; and place a high priority on education and outreach.
John H. Hartig; Allison Krueger; Kelly Rice; Steven F. Niswander; Burke Jenkins; Greg Norwood. Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan’s Only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Sustainability 2012, 4, 1043 -1058.
AMA StyleJohn H. Hartig, Allison Krueger, Kelly Rice, Steven F. Niswander, Burke Jenkins, Greg Norwood. Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan’s Only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Sustainability. 2012; 4 (5):1043-1058.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn H. Hartig; Allison Krueger; Kelly Rice; Steven F. Niswander; Burke Jenkins; Greg Norwood. 2012. "Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan’s Only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance." Sustainability 4, no. 5: 1043-1058.
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge spans 77 km along the Detroit River and western Lake Erie, and is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. A key unit of the refuge is the 166-ha Humbug Marsh that represents the last kilometer of natural shoreline on the U.S. mainland of the river and is Michigan\'s only Wetland of International Importance designated under the 1971 International Ramsar Convention. It is considered an internationally important wetland because of its ecological importance in the Detroit River corridor and the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. Humbug Marsh serves as a vital habitat for 51 species of fish, 90 species of plants, 154 species of birds, seven species of reptiles and amphibians, and 37 species of dragonflies and damselflies. Adjacent to Humbug Marsh is an 18 ha former industrial manufacturing site (now called the Refuge Gateway) that is being remediated and restored as an ecological buffer for Humbug Marsh, and the future home of the refuge\'s Visitor Center. The site was operated as an automotive brake and paint plant facility for 44 years. The facility was closed in 1990 and remediated to Michigan criteria for industrial/commercial use. It sat vacant for 12 years before it was acquired by Wayne County in 2002 as the gateway to the international wildlife refuge. In 2006, Wayne County and many partners adopted a Master Plan to guide cleanup and restoration. Activities have included: cleanup and capping of contaminated lands; daylighting a creek and constructing a storm water pond and emergent wetland to treat storm water prior to discharge to the Detroit River; achieving a net gain of 6.5 ha of wetlands in a river that has lost 97% of its coastal wetlands to development; restoring 10 ha of upland buffer habitat; treatment of Phragmites along 4 km of shoreline; and treatment and removal of invasive plant species in over 20 ha of forested lakeplain habitat in Humbug Marsh. This project has been described as transformational for the region by restoring an industrial brownfield into high quality wildlife habitat that expands the ecological buffer of a Ramsar site. Further, this Refuge Gateway is being restored as a model of environmental sustainability for nearly seven million residents within a 45-minute drive. This paper will document results achieved, describe the unique public-private partnerships that are being used, and share lessons learned.
John Hartig; Allison Krueger. Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan\'s only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Proceedings of The 1st World Sustainability Forum 2011, 1 .
AMA StyleJohn Hartig, Allison Krueger. Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan\'s only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Proceedings of The 1st World Sustainability Forum. 2011; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn Hartig; Allison Krueger. 2011. "Transformation of an Industrial Brownfield into an Ecological Buffer for Michigan\'s only Ramsar Wetland of International Importance." Proceedings of The 1st World Sustainability Forum , no. : 1.
Historically, many urban waterfront shorelines were stabilized using hard shoreline engineering to protect developments from flooding and erosion, or to accommodate commercial navigation or industry. Today, there is growing interest in developing shorelines using ecological principles and practices that enhance habitat and improve aesthetics, while at the same time reducing erosion, providing stability, and ensuring shoreline safety (i.e., soft shoreline engineering). In 2008–2009, a survey of 38 soft shoreline engineering projects in the Detroit River-western Lake Erie watershed was conducted. In total, $17.3 million (combined U.S. and Canadian currency) was spent on these projects. Of the 38 projects implemented, six (16%) had some quantitative assessment of ecological effectiveness, while the remaining 32 lacked monitoring or only had qualitative assessment through visual inspection. Key lessons learned include: involve habitat experts at the initial stages of waterfront planning; establish broad-based goals with quantitative targets to measure project success; ensure multidisciplinary project support; start with demonstration projects and attract partners; treat habitat modification projects as experiments that promote learning; involve citizen scientists, volunteers, and universities in monitoring, and obtain post-project monitoring commitments up front in project planning; measure benefits and communicate successes; and promote education and outreach, including public events that showcase results and communicate benefits.
J.H. Hartig; M.A. Zarull; A. Cook. Soft shoreline engineering survey of ecological effectiveness. Ecological Engineering 2011, 37, 1231 -1238.
AMA StyleJ.H. Hartig, M.A. Zarull, A. Cook. Soft shoreline engineering survey of ecological effectiveness. Ecological Engineering. 2011; 37 (8):1231-1238.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ.H. Hartig; M.A. Zarull; A. Cook. 2011. "Soft shoreline engineering survey of ecological effectiveness." Ecological Engineering 37, no. 8: 1231-1238.
In 2001, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established based on the principles of conservation and sustainability. The refuge has grown from 49.1 ha in 2001 to over 2,300 ha in 2010. Agreement on a compelling vision for a sustainable future was necessary to rally stakeholders and move them forward together. Project examples include: lake sturgeon and common tern restoration; soft shoreline engineering; ecotourism; sustainable redevelopment of a brownfield; and indicator reporting. Key success factors include: a consensus long-term vision; a multi-stakeholder process that achieves cooperative learning; strong coupling of monitoring/research programs with management; implementing actions consistent with adaptive management; measuring and celebrating successes; quantifying benefits; building capacity; and developing the next generation of sustainability practitioners and entrepreneurs.
John H. Hartig; Rebecca S. Robinson; Michael A. Zarull. Designing a Sustainable Future through Creation of North America’s only International Wildlife Refuge. Sustainability 2010, 2, 3110 -3128.
AMA StyleJohn H. Hartig, Rebecca S. Robinson, Michael A. Zarull. Designing a Sustainable Future through Creation of North America’s only International Wildlife Refuge. Sustainability. 2010; 2 (9):3110-3128.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn H. Hartig; Rebecca S. Robinson; Michael A. Zarull. 2010. "Designing a Sustainable Future through Creation of North America’s only International Wildlife Refuge." Sustainability 2, no. 9: 3110-3128.
Over 35 years of US and Canadian pollution prevention and control efforts have led to substantial improvements in environmental quality of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. However, the available information also shows that much remains to be done. Improvements in environmental quality have resulted in significant ecological recovery, including increasing populations of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), peregrine falcons (Falco columbarius), lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), walleye (Sander vitreus), and burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia spp.). Although this recovery is remarkable, many challenges remain, including population growth, transportation expansion, and land use changes; nonpoint source pollution; toxic substances contamination; habitat loss and degradation; introduction of exotic species; and greenhouse gases and global warming. Research/monitoring must be sustained for effective management. Priority research and monitoring needs include: demonstrating and quantifying cause–effect relationships; establishing quantitative endpoints and desired future states; determining cumulative impacts and how indicators relate; improving modeling and prediction; prioritizing geographic areas for protection and restoration; and fostering long-term monitoring for adaptive management. Key management agencies, universities, and environmental and conservation organizations should pool resources and undertake comprehensive and integrative assessments of the health of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie at least every 5 years to practice adaptive management for long-term sustainability.
J. H. Hartig; M. A. Zarull; J. J. H. Ciborowski; J. E. Gannon; E. Wilke; G. Norwood; A. N. Vincent. Long-term ecosystem monitoring and assessment of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2008, 158, 87 -104.
AMA StyleJ. H. Hartig, M. A. Zarull, J. J. H. Ciborowski, J. E. Gannon, E. Wilke, G. Norwood, A. N. Vincent. Long-term ecosystem monitoring and assessment of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2008; 158 (1-4):87-104.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. H. Hartig; M. A. Zarull; J. J. H. Ciborowski; J. E. Gannon; E. Wilke; G. Norwood; A. N. Vincent. 2008. "Long-term ecosystem monitoring and assessment of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 158, no. 1-4: 87-104.
John H. Hartig; Thomas M. Heidtke; Michael A. Zarull; Bonnie Yu. The management lessons learned from sediment remediation in the Detroit River - western Lake Erie watershed. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management 2004, 9, 163 -170.
AMA StyleJohn H. Hartig, Thomas M. Heidtke, Michael A. Zarull, Bonnie Yu. The management lessons learned from sediment remediation in the Detroit River - western Lake Erie watershed. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management. 2004; 9 (3-4):163-170.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn H. Hartig; Thomas M. Heidtke; Michael A. Zarull; Bonnie Yu. 2004. "The management lessons learned from sediment remediation in the Detroit River - western Lake Erie watershed." Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management 9, no. 3-4: 163-170.
An effort to further define ecosystem health and integrity has been made through development and adoption of quantitative objectives for fourteen beneficial use impairments associated with the Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Narrative descriptions of beneficial use impairments have been used to develop ecosystem type indicators and objectives, which are then used to set goals for rehabilitative actions. This process is both a technical and a social one. Implementation of rehabilitative actions, in addition to being socially, technically and economically challenging has yielded both encouraging and surprising results. The process and the results have reinforced the need for an adaptive management approach to the rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems.
M. A. Zarull; J. H. Hartig. Aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation: Targets, actions, responses. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 2001, 4, 115 -122.
AMA StyleM. A. Zarull, J. H. Hartig. Aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation: Targets, actions, responses. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management. 2001; 4 (1):115-122.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. A. Zarull; J. H. Hartig. 2001. "Aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation: Targets, actions, responses." Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 4, no. 1: 115-122.