More than 30 people help reduce erosion at Rose City Park
By Tim Barnum
News Editor | news@ogemawherald.com
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ROSE CITY — Huron Pines was joined by more than 30 volunteers and community residents at the Rose City Park Saturday, Aug. 18, when a workday was held to reduce erosion and protect viewing platforms along the Houghton Creek.
Erosion had become an issue at the park, according to Huron Pines Watershed Project Manager Abigail Ertel.
“Houghton Creek, a tributary to the Rifle River, has been experiencing significant stream bank erosion at this park, threatening aquatic habitat and the integrity of the park structure,” Ertel said in a press release regarding the event. “The goal of this restoration project is to reduce this erosion by installing natural stream buffers along nearly 500 feet of stream bank, improve public access to the stream and create habitat for aquatic wildlife.”
Several whole trees and 13 tons of rocks were installed at the park, Ertel said. She said the rocks were rip rap used to protect viewing platforms from water flow, and trees, which were donated by Malcolm Tree Farm of Sterling, were anchored to more than 250 feet of the stream bank to hold soil in place and create habitats for aquatic wildlife.
“Volunteers also worked to install 80 feet of coconut-fiber biologs to restore eroded banks at the park and planted native shrubs throughout the site to form a natural buffer along the stream’s edge,” Ertel said.
Rose City Mayor Dave Reasner was one of the volunteers who helped out with the work Aug. 18. He said the project began at 9 a.m. and wrapped up around 2 p.m. Reasner said he thinks the stream bank work will help preserve the Houghton Creek’s banks.
“It’ll keep the water from destroying more of the creek bank,” he said.
Reasner added the creek had gotten high in the past and damaged the banks.
Despite the progress made Aug. 18, Ertel said the work in Rose City is not done yet. She said in the coming weeks, Huron Pines, with some help from local excavators Green Contracting, Inc., will install four steps to the creek, which can be used by the public for fishing and wading.
“Also planned is an erosion control structure to improve stream access and reduce impacts to the stream bank at another high-use site in the park,” she said.
According to Ertel, volunteers for the workday included members of the William B. Mershon and Ann Arbor chapters of Trout Unlimited, Rose City-area residents, city officials and Huron Pines AmeriCorps members.
“The city of Rose City was instrumental in supporting this project, as city employees operated equipment needed to shuttle rock and other materials to the water’s edge,” Ertel said.