Wetlands Remediation at Marquette's Presque Isle Bog

The Presque Isle Bog area in Marquette is the site of major construction this week. It’s a wetlands remediation project that has taken many in the city by surprise. The project involves the Superior Watershed Partnership, the Moosewood Nature Center, the Michigan DEQ, and other state and federal agencies.

A study identified three areas in the Presque Isle Bog that were candidates for remediation, and from that study two sites were selected for restoration. The areas have rubble and other industrial and construction debris that had previously overlaid the natural environment in the wetland.

The City of Marquette says a limited number of trees are being cut down so that the man-made materials and fill can be removed. The project also includes the restoration of native soils and plant species.

According to a press release from city officials, the project was not unexpected. The press release says “Implementation of the restoration plan has been under consideration for decades, although specific resources were greatly increased within the last 1.5 years when the ability to link remediation funding to other community construction was achieved in coordination with the McClellan Ave. extension project. Over 21 local public meetings have taken place since January 2001, with approximately seven (7) of those occurring since 2009, making sure public input was collected and provided as part of the stringent state and federal permitting process. The permits also require site monitoring for the next 10 years to ensure steps necessary for successful re-establishment of native species and removal of invasive species are undertaken as required.”

More information on the project is available at the City of Marquette website, www.mqtcty.org.