Lake St. Clair muck removal pilot project expected to begin this fall.

The removal of algae muck that has plagued pockets of the Lake St. Clair shore in Macomb County is expected to begin this fall as part of a new field trial to learn more about how to manage it long term, state and local officials announced Monday.

In launching the 3-year project, the Microseira wollei (M. wollei) muck will be removed from a total of three shoreline locations in Harrison Township and St. Clair Shores to evaluate removal techniques, to study how long it takes wind and waves to redeposit offshore algae to the shore, and to remove it from the lakebed to examine its potential regrowth or migration.

"There's simply no overstating the importance of Lake St. Clair to Michigan and the region including Canada, but it's also important to note that this upcoming removal of the muck in targeted locations is not a one-and-done solution. The muck problem is a state and federal issue, and long-term financial commitment will be necessary from the state and/or federal government to protect this wonderful resource," Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller said.

Based on limited funding and guided by the goals of the field trial, the three shoreline locations where the muck removal will be performed are a combination of public and private sites where the geometry of the shore has less wave action than straight sections. They include:

*Veterans Memorial Park in St. Clair Shores.

*Campau Bay on South River Road near the mouth of the Clinton River in Harrison Township.

*Hidden Cove Condominiums marina south of the Clinton River Spillway in Harrison Township.

A separate section of the lakebed in Campau Bay will be cleared of M. wollei to determine growth and migration patterns of the algae.

Two contractors - Dean Marine & Excavating and Sediment Lakes Aquatic Management - have been chosen for the muck removal. Their work is tentatively expected to start in September, pending the companies' application for environmental permits and review by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The field trial is funded by a $800,000 state earmark sponsored by state Rep. Alicia St. Germaine and state Sen. Kevin Hertel and awarded to the Macomb County Public Works Office.

"The Lake St. Clair muck trial study is officially underway, and we're finally putting ideas to the test instead of just talking about the problem. This is an important step toward finding real solutions to keep our marinas, canals and Lake St. Clair cleaner for the people who boat, fish and call this area home," said St. Germaine, a member of the task force created by the Public Works Office after the state budget approval.

"The muck covering the shoreline of Lake St. Clair has been far more than an eyesore -- it has disrupted the lives of residents, hurt small businesses and damaged one of our region's greatest natural resources," said Hertel, "but because leaders here in Macomb County had the political courage to work together, we were able to secure some of the resources needed to turn years of research into real action, tackling the muck problem head-on and beginning the work of restoring our waterfront."

In recent years, M. wollei has formed dense mats along the shoreline, particularly in stagnant parts. It grows on the lakebed as much as 1.5 miles offshore and becomes dislodged through wind and wave agitation, floats to the surface and eventually deposits along parts of the shoreline. Based on cost figures received from dredging contractors that responded to a request for proposals, the removal of muck from 10 shoreline locations identified as having the most significant M. wollei mats would have cost more than $3.3 million.

"I am extremely pleased that Veterans Memorial Park was selected as one of the sites for this important Lake St. Clair algae cleanup study. This collaborative effort will provide critical data to support future state and federal strategies aimed at improving water quality and protecting the Lake St. Clair shoreline for residents and visitors," St. Clair Shores Mayor Kip Walby said.

"The cleanup of Microseira wollei in Lake St. Clair is the logical next step in learning how to manage these algae. Several sites in Harrison Township have been significantly impacted, and now two sites will be a part of the trials and experiments to learn how to save our lake. This is great news for the lake and the entire region," Harrison Township Supervisor Ken Verkest said.

This phase in tackling the M. wollei issue was recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers after wildlife biologists at its Engineer Research and Development Center in Alabama in 2024 completed a two-year field research and sampling analysis of that algae in Lake St. Clair including how it grows. That work was funded by a $400,000 study that was paid evenly by the USACE and Macomb County - even though the county does not have jurisdiction of Lake St. Clair.

"I applaud Rep. St. Germaine and Sen. Hertel for their involvement and advocacy for our beautiful Lake St. Clair and its importance not only to Michigan, but for the region," Miller said.

Department:Public Works

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