The Ann Arbor, Mich. daylighting project will widen and expose much of the now-buried creek with hopes of addressing flooding and water-quality issues. The design is expected to be done next spring, with construction starting next fall and restoration complete by spring 2021. The golf course may offer a 14-hole playing opportunity, with holes 12-15 closed, during some of the work.
City officials in Ann Arbor, Mich. are planning a $1.2 million project to restore a creek through city-owned Huron Hills Golf Course, MLive.com reported. It involves daylighting the historic creek buried in the back half of the property and widening the open creek on the front half.
That will address flooding and water-quality issues in the Huron Hills Creek area, Jennifer Lawson, city Water Quality Manager, told MLive.com.
“The creek that is currently in pipes right now was constructed in combination with the golf course construction, and has been piecemealed with irrigation and drainage improvements on the golf course since 1959,” Lawson told MLive.com, noting parts of the now-buried creek can be seen in old aerial photos. Established in 1922, Huron Hills is a par-67, 18-hole golf course with views of the Huron River.
The design is expected to be done next spring, with construction starting next fall and restoration complete by spring 2021, MLive.com reported. Most of the construction is expected to be done during winter. The golf course may offer a 14-hole playing opportunity, with holes 12-15 closed, during some of the work, officials said.
Lawson explained the issues with the creek in a memo to council, noting much of the land upstream of the golf course is residential, with rooftops and driveways comprising much of the impervious area, MLive.com reported.
“As a result, stormwater frequently enters the river too quickly, causing erosion and sedimentation during certain rain events,” she wrote. “These rain events also carry pollutants from the impervious areas to the creek, lowering water quality.”
The proposed changes will improve water quality and reduce both onsite and downstream flooding, Lawson told MLive.com.
The city expects to pay up to $78,000 per year to finance the project using city stormwater funds, MLive.com reported. The project is eligible for a low-interest state loan and the county will assess the city over a period of up to 20 years, so the city will not have to pay the full $1.2 million upfront, Lawson said.
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