The improvement of bayne road crossing funding for engineering and design proposal aims toreconnect 2 5 miles of instream habitat on the maple river by removing undersized and misaligned culvert the…

The improvement of bayne road crossing funding for engineering and design proposal aims toreconnect 2 5 miles of instream habitat on the maple river by removing undersized and misaligned culvert the bayne road crossing is part of the maple river system in the muskegon river watershed the crossing is severely undersized and perched and poses a full blockage to fish passage during most flows because of the undersized culvert, during high rain events the road typically overtops with water and high amounts of sand enter the river channel this proposal aims to fund the design and permitting phase of the bayne road project our objective at this stage is to solicit bids and contract the engineering and design for road crossing replacement the bayne road crossing is the lowermost of three barriers on the main branch of the maple river the barrier at this time is the first for fish migrating in from the muskegon river this project will reconnect 2 5 miles of instream habitat in the main branch an additional 2 miles of instream habitat will be reconnected when the other barriers are removed the maple river is a valuable natural resource and prized recreational destination for the community because of the muskegon state game area that makes up the lowermost portion of the project area this project will improve in stream habitat and connectivity for a suite of species including smallmouth bass once the other barriers are removed the river is anticipated to provide brook trout, brown trout and steelhead habitat and greatly enhance recreational and fishing opportunities perhaps the most immediate impact on area residents will be the capacity of the river to accommodate higher flow conditions with less flooding and water cresting over the road the road has been overtopped by water on multiple occasions over the past 15 years because of the hydraulic constriction produced by the undersized culvert there are multiple partners ready and willing to work on this project including the agricultural community who use the road, the michigan department of natural rresources, the mecosta county road commission, the little river band of ottawa indians and the muskegon river watershed assembly