Seasonal Thaw Combines With Climate Change to Bring Wet Conditions to Detroit’s Belle Isle

The state park’s rare wet mesic forest is meant to regularly fluctuate between wet and dry conditions and right now, that’s not happening and it’s causing some problems.

As temperatures slowly climb back up throughout Southeast Michigan, officials at Belle Isle State Park in Detroit are trying to get ahead of some of the flooding issues on the island. Amy Emmert is the Director of Education for the Belle Isle Conservancy. She says the island is home to the largest remaining wet mesic forest in Michigan. This particular kind of ecosystem is meant to go back and forth between being wet and dry, but with flooding and increased precipitation, Emmert tells WDET’s Annamarie Sysling that new measures must be taken to preserve the island habitat.

Belle Isle Conservancy
Belle Isle Conservancy

When most of think of wetlands, we think of marshy bogs and swamps. But as Emmert explains, Belle Isle is home to the largest remaining wet mesic forest in Michigan. She says about 200 acres of the island is composed of this special habitat that includes an overstory of oaks, hickories, maples, ashes and basswoods. 

As temperatures rise at this time of year, that means the island will begin to be even more flooded than it has been in recent months. Emmert says this is an issue because when seasonal flooding comes near the wet mesic forest, “no amount of marshes that we have left can really mitigate these extreme flooding events,” she explains. The marshes on the island have been largely removed for roads and other infrastructure throughout the years. This poses a problem and Emmert says it’s part of why officials on the island are working to remove some of the roads and infrastructure on Belle Isle to allow for the return of some of the island’s natural hydrology. Emmert also points to the island’s antiquated pump systems as another weak point in the park’s ability to cope with the influx of water. Emmert says the pumps at Belle Isle are decades old. 

The extreme water levels and flooding on the island are creating problems for the ecosystem and for visitors’ ability to enjoy the locale. With Belle Isle being the most attended state park in Michigan, Emmert is hoping the public will become more aware of the issues posed by climate change and step up to protect and preserve the park.  One way people can get involved is by joining officials for Stewardship Saturdays when the public can help park employees in the removal of non-native species on the island. 

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