Soil Borings, Design &

Engineering: $60,000

Construction & Restoration:

$340,000

Contributors:

Michigan Department of

Natural Resources Fisheries

Division- Habitat

Improvement Account

Fish America

Foundation/NOAA

US Fish & Wildlife Service

Fish Passage Program

Great Lakes Restoration

Initiative

USDA-NRCS Conservation

Innovation Grant

CRA’s River Care Fund

with support from DTE

Energy Foundation

Partners involved:

Conservation Resource Alliance, Michigan

Department of Natural Resources and Environment,

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration,

Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish &

Wildlife Service, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa

and Chippewa Indians, Wade Trim, National Fish &

Wildlife Federation, Molon Excavating & Kanouse

Outdoor Restoration.

Best Management Practices:

Barrier removal

Fieldstone placement (450 cubic

yards)

Tree removals

Grading and slope stabilization

(topsoil placement & 500 sq. yds.

mulch blanket)

Sediment removal (2,000 cy)

Excavation of up to 14,000 cy

Whole tree revetments (1,150

lineal feet)

Grass, tree & shrub plantings

Project Benefits:

Connected ecology of over 7

miles of Wheeler Creek to the

Manistee River.

Natural movement of woody

debris, substrate, aquatic insects,

and fish throughout Wheeler

Creek.

Eliminate scouring of the

streambed downstream of the

former dam site.

Eliminate risk of dam failure due

to structural deficiencies.

Location Section 30 HanoverTwp.

Wexford County, MI

N44.4380 degrees

W85.6980 degrees

Telephone: 231-946-6817

www.rivercare.org

Email: info@rivercare.org

The Manistee River is a State designated Natural River and federally

designated Wild & Scenic River. Portions of the Manistee River are Blue

Ribbon Trout Stream and it provides a popular fishery for steelhead, salmon,

brook and brown trout. Wheeler Creek is one of the coldest, high quality

tributaries to the Manistee and it is dominated by a self-sustaining

population of brook trout. Wheeler Creek is heavily wooded and runs

through large tracts of public lands with natural springs in its headwaters and

near the confluence with the mainstem.

The main problem with Wheeler Creek was that it had an aging and

deteriorating dam near its confluence with the Manistee River. A dam was

built in this location by John Wheeler in 1867 and was the site of the first

sawmill in the county. A couple fires occurred and a concrete dam was built

in the 1940’s to provide power to nearby homes. The 20’ high concrete

spillway and barrier were cracking and starting to break apart, and the stop

logs were in poor shape. CRA and partners worked together to drawdown

the ponds and remove the dam in the fall of 2009. Channel restoration was

completed in three phases: 2 months, 6 months and final phase 2.5 years

after dam removal. This phased approach allowed the river channel to create

a natural sinuosity, with us stabilizing it once formed. Now with the dam

successfully removed, the stream channel is restored and the risk of

structural failure from high water events is no longer an issue.

Wheeler Creek Dam Removal Project

Manistee River Watershed October 2009 to September 2012

Wheeler Creek Dam Removal & Stream Restoration Photos

Wheeler Creek spillway before … spillway had to be broken up, wasn’t feasible to partially remove

Looking upstream at dam site after removal in Nov 2009… & in August 2012 after slopes pulled back &

revegetation.

Before – steep banks were caving in. After – pull back banks and place fieldstone.

August 2010 after revegetation. Original stumps indicated original topography.

Largest impoundment immediately upstream of dam site (note light pole in center of photo)

October 2009 – draw down at 2’ December 2009 – after dam removal

January 2010 – Slopes pulled back & stabilized … & August 2010 (note light pole in center of photo)

Before After dam removal & slope work

March 2012 – some banks were still eroding After – July 2013 whole trees were used

Root wad toe provides habitat & diversity versus solely using rock

May 2012 July 2013 - after

Whole tree revetments Woody debris work where needed

Banks were steep and floodplain was limited.

Final phase in May 2012 involved recreating the river corridor, stabilizing banks and planting work.

Up to 15,000 yards of material has been moved over the project period.

720 plantings of dogwood, ninebark, red maple, red oak, white spruce, white pine, white cedar & willow

Upstream pond 500’ upstream of dam (note valve to the far right in each photo)

Winter 2008 October 2009

November 2009 June 2012

July 2013 Bee balm, coneflower, black eyed susan abound

Station 16+00, 850’ upstream of former dam:

Before – April 2009 After – May 2012

Station #18+00 - 1,050’ upstream of the dam:

Before - August 2009 After - June 2012 (note gravel bottom )

Significant changes occurred downstream of the M-37 bridge.

While the dam was still intact. During drawdown & high water in the Manistee R.

Whole tree revetments were used to collect sediment & help guide flows into the channel.

After – September 2012