An electronic copy of the final document will be available HERE once complete. that may result from the proposed shoals. Grosse Ile is the largest island on the Detroit River, and carries a French name, which translates to "big island." Especially poorly drained sites consist of silver maple, box elder, American elm, and northern catalpa (particularly along the shoreline). Fish and Wildlife Service - the premier Federal agency dedicated to the conservation, protection and enhancement of the nation's fish, wildlife, and plants, and their habitats. During morning and evening hours when raptors are not migrating, other birds are using these habitats to forage.
In the 1880s, Sugar Island and nearby Hickory Island were popular destinations where small pleasure boats put in for picnics and camping. These raptors include sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper's hawk, northern goshawk, broad-winged hawk, and red-shouldered hawk. Access to the island was by steam ferry, such as the SS Tashmoo. A number of large excursion boats…
The years that followed were the golden era of the park.By the 1940s, the park on Sugar Island fell into disrepair and was overshadowed by nearby Boblo Amusement Park. Fish and Wildlife Refuge in April 2012 for inclusion in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Refuge authorities closed the property to public use with the exception of limited hunting opportunities. Furthermore, analysis of the island's shoreline geology, river flow characteristics surrounding the island, and existing vegetation on the island and in the nearshore were conducted to help inform potential design alternatives.Regarding the hydrology around the island, hydrodynamic modeling of existing wave, wind and current conditions was conducted. The dock was enlarged and a restaurant was built.
The whole island is part of Belle Isle Park, except for two small secondary islands leased in 100-year increments in agreement respectively with the privately owned Det… The document outlines four potential alternatives for public use on the unit. Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Northern Harrier hunt over the sand beaches Fish in the shallow waters around Sugar Island include largemouth, smallmouth, and white bass, bowfin, bullhead, gar, pike, rock bass, blue gill, pumpkinseed, emerald shiner, and yellow perch.
It is entirely owned by the U.S. This completed the feasibility and design phase of the project.NOAA continued funding the Sugar Island project, with a grant to FDR, to further develop the plan and to conduct additional hydrodynamic modeling to verify feasibility of any changes to the initial concept plan. Hundreds of thousands of blue jays annually travel over this area around western Lake Erie. The dock was enlarged and a restaurant was built. Public comments were again solicited at a workshop in September to discuss potential "win-win" solutions for public usage of the island and the resulting comments and recommendations were incorporated into an Environmental Assessment of the island, completed in late December. Sugar Island is an uninhabited, 30-acre island at the mouth of the Detroit River near Lake Erie. The beaches consist of willows (Salix sp. In 2012, Sugar Island was purchased by the USFWS with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding for inclusion in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.The island has reverted to a natural state that contains remnants of valuable upland and aquatic, shoreline habitat. A group of African-Americans eyed it as a possible resort, as did developers in Toledo.
The sand beaches are used for hunting by merlin, red-tailed hawk, bald eagle, and northern harrier.Fish in the shallow waters around Sugar Island are diverse but not plentiful.
Various plans to revitalize the island came and went. Significant, positive recreational and economic impacts are anticipated because of this project that will enhance quality of life for southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio and further strengthen the Great Lakes fishery, worth more than $7 billion annuallyIn the early part of the 20th century, Sugar Island hosted a resort park that included a large roller coaster, merry-go-round, bathing beach and dance pavilion. The southeastern shore is adjacent to rapids between the island and the Cross Cut, where there is a significant deposition of boulders.After Sugar Island was purchased by the U.S. Of note is the presence of channel darter, a Michigan endangered species.Projects of this magnitude and importance require an understanding of the riverbed from both structural (load bearing) and sediment character (potential contaminants and sediment transport) standpoints. A Compatibility Determination (CD) was developed by Refuge staff to ensure that all public use of the island being proposed remains compatible with the mission and purpose of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.