Consumers Energy
B.C. Cobb Plant Bottomland Mitigation
Consumers Energy selected ECT to develop planning, design and construction
documents for bottomland mitigation required as part of Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
regulations. The design goal was to create a high quality aquatic environment that
would replace a similar habitat in Muskegon Lake impacted as a result of capital
improvements to the B.C. Cobb Plant in Muskegon, Michigan.
Client:
Consumers Energy
Company
Start Date: July 2008
End Date: December 2013
ECT’s role in the project included participation in the planning, design,
construction, and monitoring, as well as coordination and approval with state and
federal regulatory agencies. ECT conducted the initial wetland determinations on
the site; collected background information on soils, hydrology, and vegetation; and
participated in the site layout planning process with Consumers Energy. As a
result of the conceptual planning stage, it was decided to mitigate for the impacts
by creating a new open water area that would be suitable habitat for Great Lakes
fish species. Issues raised by the regulatory agencies, such as sedimentation and
water quality were addressed by ECT to the satisfaction of the state and federal
regulatory personnel. ECT developed the construction documents for those areas
and supervised the construction process.
ECT developed a monitoring plan and conducted fish, vegetation, wildlife, and
hydrological monitoring for Consumers Energy between 2008 and 2013. Annual
monitoring reports were produced and delivered to the agencies. A final
monitoring report was submitted to the MDEQ and USACE in 2013 following
5 years of monitoring. During monitoring, ECT assessed development of the
bottomlands and made recommendations to improve performance as necessary.
Consumers Energy has successfully established a native wetland plant
community and fish community that has included 18 different native fish species.
Native fish have used the bottomlands as spawning, nursery, and foraging habitat.
Key Highlights
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Wetland mitigation
Wetland delineation
Wetland monitoring program
Construction monitoring
Management plan