State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) was pivotal in securing nearly $100,000 from the Natural Resources Trust Fund for the Lower Rouge River Access and Revitalization Project.
The grant, for $98,300, will help fund two universally accessible kayak and canoe launches on the Rouge River in Dearborn.
“Thanks to a strong collaborative effort with our city department officials, we are excited to be bringing home the resources we need to provide our residents new kayak and canoe launches on the Rouge River,” Hammoud said. “This project will provide residents with opportunities to engage throughout the city, while also encouraging healthy lifestyles, promoting Dearborn parks, and drawing new people to our community. We look forward to seeing this project come together.”
The route will launch at Dearborn Hills Golf Course at Telegraph Road and traverse easterly on the Lower Rouge River to Ford Field Park.
In order to ensure that the river channel is navigable, the project also will utilize woody debris management techniques that include cutting, re-positioning and anchoring trees and vegetative materials along the river banks and eliminate log jams. This would facilitate ecological benefits to local fish and wildlife habitats while maintaining recreational access to the river.
The local match for the project is $32,800, bringing the total funding to $131,100.
