Argo Dam cleanup will improve ecology of area, help Ann Arbor respond to state orders

Argo Pond rowers will take a break from the water and get to work removing invasive species along Argo Dam's earthen embankment on Sunday.

File photo

"The rowing community is really active in Argo Pond itself and it's an opportunity for them to come out and support that area," said Jason Tallant, a technician in the city's Natural Area Preservation Unit.

NAP is expecting as many as 50 to 60 volunteers — mostly rowers from Pioneer, Huron and Skyline high schools — to remove shrubs on the headrace embankment. The city has entered into a consent agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment to do a first round of vegetation clearing as part of ongoing discussions about long-term management of the embankment.

The city and state have been discussing the safety of the embankment since last summer when the state issued a safety order that asked the city to take action on several dam-related issues.

City officials reached a partial agreement with the MDNRE last month to begin removing dead and overhanging trees and woody brush, acknowledging that the deep-rooted woody plants obstruct the dam's toe drains and embankment. City officials agreed the root systems of the plants cause a shift in the groundwater flow, potentially compromising the stability of the embankment.

"It's a pilot project for larger-scale invasive control," Tallant said of Sunday's work, which will involve cutting and hauling away common buckthorn — an invasive shrub — and bush honeysuckle.

Tallant said the removal of those plants will increase visibility of the headrace's earthen embankment to allow for routine inspections and help prevent the spread of invasive plants to nearby natural areas.

Sunday's work is not expected to involve an endangered plant species known as the purple turtlehead, which grows n the area and has been a concern of state officials. Tallant said the city is waiting to hear back from the state on how to manage that issue.

Cheryl Darnton, a regular volunteer with NAP, is helping to organize Sunday's effort. She said anyone is welcome to lend a hand.

Volunteers will meet at 11 a.m. at the Argo Canoe Livery pavilion, 1055 Long Shore Drive, for sign-in and instructions. Darnton said she expects the work to last until 3 p.m., but volunteers can come and go as they please.

There is limited parking space at the Argo Canoe Livery, and it is illegal to park along the road in the area. Darnton said a company called RSS, at 416 Longshore Drive, just up the hill from the livery, has agreed to lend space in its parking lot, but she recommends volunteers also consider bicycling, carpooling or getting dropped off.

Darnton, who has two sons in the Pioneer Rowing Club, said about 20 to 50 volunteers are needed for the main invasive removal project on Sunday. NAP also has made Argo Park a priority area for removal of garlic mustard because it is killing wild flowers on the forest floor, she said, and volunteers may do some of that.

"Ideally, we will be able to work on both fronts to make a big difference around the body of water we all value so deeply," she said, calling it an effort to improve the ecological health of the area.

Darnton has made a career out of environmental stewardship. She teaches an ecological restoration elective course for seventh- and eighth-graders at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter.

"I have been doing this kind of work for the past 17 years, and my sort of home area is the Eberwhite Woods where I've done a lot of invasive species removal," she said. "This is work that is part of my life."

Darnton said it'll be much easier working with high school students with saws and clippers on Sunday.

"They are a tremendous workforce," she said. "This is a very dynamic and powerful group of young workers, so they are going to make a big difference. ... Our goal is to be a helpful force for NAP because, like every government entity, they're underfunded and understaffed."

Darnton said there will be many tools and snacks to share, but volunteers — if they can — are encouraged to bring their own gloves, hand saws and loppers, water, snacks, sunglasses and sunscreen. She also said to wear closed-toed shoes, long pants and long sleeves.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.