The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1940-10-04
GIVES
OBJECTIONS To
RIVER F|LL-|N

The following statement, covering
WyandOtte's official objection to the
filling i'm of shoals at Mud. Grassy and
Mama iuda islands in the Detroit river,
was received too late for publication
in last weeks Herald.
City Engineer F. w. Liddle, under
authority Of the Council, addressed the
following letter To X. q. Barrow, lieut.
enant colonel. corps of district engin-
GERS:
II have been authorized by the city
Council of the city of WyandOtte. I'M
der resolution dated July Is. 1910, to
protest the proposed fill surrounding
Mud. GRASSY and Mama juda Islands in
the Detroit river.
IL therefore protest your granting
permit To the Port of Detroit Commits
sion to make this proposed fill for the
following reasons:
A definite hazard and obstacle to
navigation would be created by this
proposed project due TO the necessity
of constructing highway bridges across
navigahe channels ut five different
points. Should the eventual develop
ment be industrial there would be
further necessity To construct at least
five more railroad bridges to accom-
MEDIATE industries during the closed
navigation SeISon5a further hindrance
To navigation would possibly be ere
lated bv the possibility of slides into
the channels due To the unStableneSS
of the materials used for the proposed
fill
Another possible hazard to naviga-
tion would he created by the ice ero-
sion. as no provision has been made
10 protect either the islands or prOpOS
ed channels from damage 10y ice.
The proposed fill To an elevation of
57S9O. as given on the plan. would
create a definite hazard to navigation
as the finished grade of the proposed
fill would he only 100 feet above pos
Sible high water level The high month
ly average of Lake Erie in 1898 was
J7J.11 and the high hour in 1929 was
|
at the proposed fill is between $50
and LOO above the elevation of Lake
Erie. the possible high water Level ut
this point is 5117.OO. or 100 above high
water Should this high water occur
during the time ice is floating in the
river it is possible that the fill may be
taken down stream and deposited in
the navigable channels
Nowhere in the application has any
definite statement been made as to the
ultimate use of the land created by
the proposed fill and it would be folly
TO issue Il permit for visionary pro-
ject that may create hazards to navi-
CATION.
Instances are on record in your Of
flee where fills have slid into the nav
igable channels of the Detroit river
from the mainland and the possibility
would be increased many times in the
case OF a fill out in the river where
all sides are vulnerable
1.-The claim has been made that the
proposed fill would have tendency
TO assist in maintaining the river level
Of the Detroit river If this is the case
the proposed dredging of the Scott
middle ground. between Belle Isle and
the mainland, as shown on the map
attached to the application, would be
Inconsistent with this idea.
The port committee of the Wayne
County Board of Supervisors. in CO.
operation with the Wayne County Port
Authority, on May 18th. 1885, propOs-
ed that the United States government
shall undertake. at its expense the
construction of a new navigable chan
mel OF the Detroit river adjacent to
the Michigan shores of the river ex-
tending from WyandOtte. in said river,
to moderately required depth in Lake
Erie
This application goes into detail
relative TO the benefits to be obtained
by the Trenton channel These bene-
fits will be materially lesSened, if not
entirely eliminated. should the present
application be granted TO restrict the
use OF the upper end OF this channel.
Il wish to submit the information
given in this report as an objection To
granting permit for the present pro-
pOSal
Il beg to call to your attention the
fact that Harry ID. Fenske and Arthur
P. ZirkalOSO. chairman and secretary
respectively. Of the Port OF Detroit
Commission were members OF the
Wayne County Port Authority that CO.
operated in che application for the
Trenton channel improvement on May
18th. 1885.
The city limits OF the city of Wy
andOtte extend to the international
boundary line between Ford avenue
and Grove street. A portion Of this fill
is within the city Of Wyandotte. In all
II fE-c%fno \ hoAi IN .,hnrld