Reclaiming Buried Wetlands at the Maple River Confluence

Project Overview

From River Reconnection to Wetland Restoration

Starting in 1999, the Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA), working alongside multiple project partners, led long-term restoration efforts in the Maple River watershed. This work culminated in 2024 with the publication The Maple: A River Freed, marking the completion of stream restoration efforts in the watershed. Known as the “Free Spanning the Maple River Initiative,” the effort is believed to be the first time in the United States that a major river has been fully reconnected from headwaters to mouth. In total, 21 projects helped restore the watershed, including stream crossing replacements, in-stream habitat improvements, and the removal of the Lake Kathleen Dam. 

Once the Lake Kathleen Dam was removed and the adjacent undersized road crossing on Woodland Road was replaced with a free span timber bridge, the Maple River flowed freely for the first time in more than 100 years. 

With the river fully reconnected, restoration efforts turned toward additional in-channel improvements and upland restoration of surrounding wetlands that were revealed after Lake Kathleen was dewatered. These wetlands play a critical role in supporting the river’s long-term health and resilience by regulating flows, improving water quality, and providing essential wildlife habitat. 

Before wetland restoration: The wetland site at the confluence of the Maple River’s East and West Branches.

Wetland Restoration by the Numbers 

This large-scale restoration project benefits a combined total of approximately 8.5 acres of wetlands at the confluence of the Maple River’s east and west branches. Using excavators, skid steers, dozers, and Morooka tracked carriers, more than 2,400 cubic yards of accumulated sediment were removed.  

Throughout excavation activities, groundwater seeps and organic material were uncovered after being buried beneath sand sediments that had accumulated over more than 100 years of impoundment.  

Following contouring and excavation to uncover buried sediment and designate ponding areas, on-site organic materials were spread across the site, providing the planting medium for native pollinator and grass species. In total, more than 5 upland acres of riverbank were seeded with a diverse mix of these native species.  

Project staff walk the site as wetland restoration work gets underway. 

Re-Shaping the Former Lake Kathleen Basin 

The restoration effort unfolds across three interconnected wetland areas, designated from north to south and identified as Wetlands 1, 2, and 3. Along the west branch, Wetland 1 encompasses a nearly 2.7-acre ponded area created through the excavation of approximately 860 cubic yards of sediment. 

Wetland 2, located between the east and west branches, includes an approximately 3.8-acre ponded area formed by the excavation of roughly 400 cubic yards of sediment. Farther south, along the east branch, Wetland 3 represents the largest ponded feature of this project, where 1,163 cubic yards of sediment were excavated to create a 5.3-acre ponded area.

To manage water levels and inter-wetland flow, an Agri-drain structure was installed along the southern edge of Wetland 1 to regulate capacity and direct flows south toward Wetland 2. Additional dikes, berms, and spillways were installed as needed to manage water flow and retention throughout the system. 

Moving upland from the river and wetlands, adjacent spoil areas were capped with on-site organic material and seeded with a native pollinator mix. Building on this work, spring 2026 planting plans will incorporate native shrubs and tree species along wetland fringes and within the riparian buffer. 

Restoring Ecosystem Resilience 

The ecological benefits of the work are realized almost instantaneously and will echo for generations to come, as multiple restoration benefits take shape across the former Lake Kathleen basin. These efforts diversify habitat across exposed bottomlands, restore and enhance wetland ecosystems by expanding open water areas mixed with submergent and emergent vegetation, and cap sandy sediment spoils from the dam impoundment era with organic-rich material to support healthy native plant growth. 

Projects like this are not possible without the help of our funders and partners. We’d like to send a special thank you to:

Partners

Conservation Resource Alliance |US Fish & Wildlife Service | Twin Brnach Property Owners – Rick & Lotsie Holton | Kanouse Outdoor Restoration | MI Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE | Elevated Media LLC. 

Funders

USFWS Great Lakes Fish Basin Habitat Partnership Program, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Sustain Our Great Lakes, USFWS Partners Program, Petoskey Harbor Springs Community Foundation, Oleson Foundation, Rick and Carlota Holton Family – Twin Branch Property Owners, CRA River Care Program Private Donors

With support from River Care Funders: Packaging Corporation of America | DTE Foundation | Serra Family Foundation | Andrew R. and Janet F Miller Foundation | Walters Family Foundation | The Brookby Foundation | Bell’s Brewery