Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi (second from right) points out issues of flood-related concerns on the bank of Ecorse Creek with FEMA officials, Dearborn Heights officials, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D 13th District, second from left) and Kevin Hrit (third from right) from the office of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
By ROBERT ANKRAPP
For the Times-Herald
HEIGHTS – A delegation of regional and national officials, visited Dearborn Heights last week to meet with Mayor Bill Bazzi and other city officials to discuss flood mitigation solutions in and around the flood-prone Ecorse Creek area.
Bazzi joined City Engineer Ali Dib in emphasizing the need for continued federal support to facilitate the multi-faceted plan consisting of short-, medium-, and longer-range efforts to mitigate the flooding issue.
“The first phase consists of the basic removal of debris from the creek that inhibits the flow of water,” Dib said. “Several creek cleanup initiatives have been undertaken in the past, with smaller trees, and some mad-made material such as tires, shopping carts and other debris removed by volunteers. These efforts alone, however, are not enough.
“Unfortunately, this fundamental step has become a never-ending process. Residents and businesses alike continue to use the creek as a dumping ground for their discarded items, which continue to add to the blockage of water flow – increasing the potential for flooding.”
Dib also cited the problem of fallen tree logjams, branches and bank erosion along the creek as an immediate concern when it comes to mitigating flooding in the city.
The second, a more labor intensive and expensive step, involves utilizing equipment and crews to dredge and deepen the full length of the creek within the city limits, cleaning the sediment that currently blocks outfalls and storm drain pipes, removing fallen trees and restoring channel and bank capacity.
“This is a vital step which, if done properly, I’m confident will greatly reduce the extent of the flooding problems along the creek,” Dib said.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi (right) meets on the bank of Ecorse Creek with FEMA Region 5 Administrator Thomas Sivak (left), City Engineer Ali Dib and FEMA External Affairs Specialist Dan Schulman. The group met Oct. 13 to review the condition of the creek, and discuss proposed solutions to the community’s chronic flooding issue.
However, the task comes with challenges. It comes with an estimated price tag upward of $5 to $6 million, and will require the approval between the city, county and federal governments, as the creek is owned by Wayne County – meaning Dearborn Heights is not permitted by law to conduct any extensive work in or around the creek without the county’s approval.
“Implementation of this step will depend not just on this cooperation, but also the city’s success in attempting to secure federal funding, which we are actively pursuing with our federal and county counterparts,” Bazzi said. “But until the permissions and funding are finalized, we are limited in the number of mitigation steps we are able to take.
“We are grateful to our state and federal elected officials as well as our FEMA representatives for their continued support in securing a successful solution to this long-standing problem.”
The third and final step, Dib explained, involves the most extensive and expensive project of all: the creation of retention basins along the creek route upstream of the city.
“Being able to divert and hold some of the storm water coming from the upstream communities would allow us to naturally release the water in a more controlled process, which will prevent overloading the channel in the most critical flood-prone areas,” he said. “Before this step is attempted, however, it is imperative that the downstream obstructions – both natural and man-made – are removed so the waters can flow as efficiently as possible. Successful implementation of the first two phases is a must.”
Bazzi acknowledged the frustrations that many residents and business owners are experiencing with this long-standing problem.
“I want to assure them, however, that we are making progress toward a successful conclusion,” he said. “It is a long and complicated process, and we are all paying the price of decades of neglect that took place before many of us assumed our roles with the city. We will get it done, but we need to check off the right steps to do it correctly.”