ENTACT: Revitalizing Wilcox and Phoenix Lakes

In the heart of the Rouge River Area of Concern (AOC), two ambitious habitat restoration projects – at Wilcox Lake and Phoenix Lake – are bringing new life to these vital bodies of water.

Spearheaded by ENTACT and funded through partnerships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) and the Wayne County Parks District, these projects are tackling the long-standing environmental challenges of water quality degradation and habitat loss. 

A major component of the Wilcox Lake restoration was dredging the lakebed to remove decades of accumulated contaminated sediment.

This process is critical for creating clean, deep-water areas where fish can spawn and thrive.

Over the course of the project, ENTACT removed over 9,000 tons of sediment, covering approximately 56,000 square feet of the lakebed. All sediment was solidified using ENTACT in-barge polymerization process which eliminated the need for upland processing.

At Phoenix Lake, the placement of sand spawning beds extended over more than two acres, creating ideal conditions for fish to reproduce and supporting the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem.

In total, more than 3,400 tons of MDOT Class II sand were placed across the lake, complementing the work done at Wilcox Lake.