Huron Pines Leading Its First U.P. River Restoration Project

Seventeen miles of trout habitat on a northern Lake Huron stream will be reconnected this summer during Huron Pines’ first river restoration project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Beginning in August, this project will replace undersized culverts at three road crossings of Beavertail Creek in Chippewa County, reconnecting fish habitat and improving road safety while enhancing the water quality of Lake Huron. A temporary road closure will be in place during construction and access to the creek will be affected.

Beavertail Creek flows through forest land at the eastern border of Chippewa and Mackinac counties and empties into Lake Huron six miles east of Cedarville at Scotty Bay (map).

Existing pipe culverts at these crossings are too small for Beavertail Creek to pass naturally through, causing the roadway to flood during spring thaws and heavy rains. Floodwaters send harmful sediment into the river ecosystem and present a significant risk of road failure. Fast-flowing water on the downstream end of these bottlenecks keep native brook trout and other species from accessing vital spawning habitat.

Chippewa County Road Commission Manager Robert Laitinen and Engineer Stephanie Boileau (left, middle) and Huron Pines Coastal Project Manager Amy Nowakowski (right) assess a crossing of Beavertail Creek where a series of undersized culverts plague the road commission with frequent washouts and maintenance issues.

Installing new, larger crossing structures will restore the natural river flow, grant fish unobstructed access to 17 miles of upstream habitat and resolve ongoing road safety and maintenance issues for the Chippewa County Road Commission.

In its 50-year history, Huron Pines has removed 7 dams and led 150 road/stream crossing restoration projects across the northern Lower Peninsula. These projects have reconnected hundreds of river miles for fish while benefiting water quality, enhancing recreation opportunities and greatly improving road infrastructure and safety. Such projects bring grant funds into local communities and support jobs in construction, conservation, outdoor recreation and tourism.

Installed by Huron Pines in 2021, an aluminum arch span crosses Gilchrist Creek in Montmorency County. Structures similar to this one will be installed at crossings of Beavertail Creek, reconnecting important river habitat for fish and virtually eliminating the risk of future road washouts.

Coastal Project Manager Amy Nowakowski is overseeing our first river restoration initiative in the Upper Peninsula as part of Huron Pines’ continued focus on the Lake Huron watershed. In her role, Nowakowski brings together funding and support from federal, state and local partners, ensuring the priorities of all stakeholders are addressed.

“Restoring Beavertail Creek directly benefits the river ecosystem and the surrounding community, and it promotes our broader effort to ensure well-connected rivers across the northern Lake Huron basin,” Nowakowski said. “We’re working closely with our partners in the Eastern U.P. to understand their needs and combining their local knowledge with our experience in river restoration for what we believe will be a successful first project.”

Stephanie Boileau, PE, is County Highway Engineer for the Chippewa County Road Commission. She said South Prentiss Bay Road needs repairs each time spring thaws and heavy rains swell the creek, washing away gravel and resulting in lost time and materials for the road commission.

“Those crossings have always been on the road commission’s naughty list, where we need to check on them when we have a big rain event, coordinate with landowners and do the needed repairs,” Boileau said. “Our priority is to restore safe access for people but we understand it’s not good for the river when damage happens, so we’re very interested in correcting these issues. Replacing the structures is the right thing to do for the river and road safety. It’s all wins.”

The southernmost crossing of Beavertail Creek on South Prentiss Bay Road has a pair of undersized culverts that are unable to pass floodwaters during spring thaws or heavy rains, resulting in frequent road washouts. A new crossing structure will significantly reduce maintenance costs, improve road safety and reconnect river habitat for fish and wildlife.

Josh Brinks is the Sault Ste. Marie Unit Manager for the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest Resources Division. He said restoring the northernmost crossing will ensure safe recreational access to state forest lands well into the future. The area is popular with deer and bird hunters, and the road serves as a snowmobile trail in the winter.

“The DNR greatly appreciates the work that our partners are doing to replace the crossing on the state forest road,” Brinks said. “Without those partners, this project likely would not get done.”

For safety reasons, we ask river users to avoid construction areas until the project is completed.

Total project cost is approximately $644,000. Funding comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the National Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sustain Our Great Lakes Program, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Walters Family Foundation and in-kind equipment and labor from the Chippewa County Road Commission.