Wetland restoration and reconnection for Muskegon Lake
Pairing engineering and nature
Ramboll provided engineering, design, and construction management (EPCM) services for the Amoco Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project, which is part of a larger restoration effort focused on delisting the Muskegon Lake as one of the USEPA Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). We supported the delisting objectives of the Muskegon Lake AOC by addressing the beneficial use impairment loss of fish and wildlife habitat.
Our experts worked to improve the fish and wildlife habitat via restoration of wetlands at the site and reconnection of isolated and fragmented wetland habitat to Muskegon Lake. We seeded and planted the area to promote proliferation of native vegetation communities within wet meadow and shallow emergent marsh wetland areas as a refuge for fish, amphibian, waterfowl, and mammalian communities.
We also constructed a berm using green bio-engineered features that fostered long-term shoreline resiliency in consideration of record high water elevations. We relocated a failing and eroding bike path on to a berm at the 100-year floodplain elevation to prevent the lake from overtopping and washing potential future surface water sheen toward the lake from areas of known environmental contamination from this former petroleum storage and transfer facility.
The shoreline restoration was further protected via construction of a segmented shoal system in the nearshore area. Six shoal segments were constructed with habitat logs and heavy rip rap, which were designed to attenuate wave activity while providing a fish spawning habitat. Marine debris was removed in this area and fish spawning bedstone placed landward of the shoal segments.
Elevating the community
The work we completed on the Amoco project had a noticeable positive impact on the community, including improved fishing opportunities, enhanced and safer accessible recreation, and improved shoreline appearance. The community has experienced economic benefits as restoration has been linked to increased recreational visits and increased property values. In September 2025, Muskegon Lake was delisted as a Great Lakes AOC following the removal of all Beneficial Use Impairments.
Project accolades
In 2024, Ramboll’s project was featured in Engineering With Nature: An Atlas, Volume 3. This resource showcases nature-based solutions from around the world and highlights projects and partnerships that provide multifaceted benefits by integrating natural processes into engineering solutions.
Ramboll presented a short paper at Western Dredging Association’s (WEDA) National Conference - Dredging Summit & Expo '23 in Las Vegas, NV. This WEDA technical conference promotes the exchange of knowledge in fields related to dredging, navigation, marine engineering, and construction.
In 2022, Ramboll received an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Michigan Section for the Amoco Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project. The annual award is given to a project that has improved the quality of life in a small community and made a positive change in human lives without adversely affecting the surrounding environment.
