The need for the proposed Ross Lake ecosystem and infrastructure improvements is driven by the fallout from the 2020/2021 floods around the state of Michigan, specifically mid-Michigan. The City of Beaverton does not have the financial resources to remedy these issues in a timely manner and sought support from ECT. ECT actively helped identify, apply for, and secure funding opportunities to complete these projects with the city and Galdwin County drain offices through the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The floods brought significant sediment inflow from upstream tributaries including four rivers, county drains, storm sewer and street overflows into Ross Lake degrading the water quality and damaging the city’s infrastructure as the water backed up. Ross Lake has been severely impacted by the output of excess sediment from the upstream farmland carrying nutrients settling in the impoundment degrading the water quality, creating navigational safety issues and exacerbating excess weed growth limiting use of the lake. This project will help remedy both the excess sediment in the lake and also improve the undersized/outdated city infrastructure to reduce flooding potential, improve safety and water quality in the lake, and ensure the community’s needs are met.

ECT continues to support this project through conducting field investigations, supporting the environmental study work, NEPA compliance, cultural resource concerns, design services, modeling, cost analysis, permitting, procurement, construction oversight, and grant management support.