Hydroseeding in Grosse Ile, MI

Hydroseeding on Grosse Ile happens on an island, which changes the rules. The township is made up of twelve islands in the Detroit River, the main island being the largest, and about half of its 18.67 square miles is water. Almost every lot is close to the river, the Trenton Channel or the Thorofare Canal, which cuts diagonally across the main island.

Water on every side

When your property drains to the river or a canal, anything that washes off a bare yard ends up in open water within minutes. On Grosse Ile we put silt fence or fiber rolls on the water side of every disturbed area and hydroseed the same day grading is finished. Michigan's Part 91 law generally requires a soil erosion permit for earth changes within 500 feet of a lake or stream, which covers a large share of the island.

Wetlands and conservation land

The Grosse Ile Land and Nature Conservancy, founded in 1993, protects woodland and wetland, including a 40.5-acre marsh and upland area at the municipal airport restored to a natural state with rare coastal wetlands. Calf Island is part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Homes near those areas need grading that stays out of wetland edges; we seed only the lawn area and leave natural buffers.

Slowing development

In the early 1990s the township created an Open Space Program, funded by a voter-approved property tax, to buy undeveloped land and slow building. New construction is less common than in mainland suburbs, so most of our island work is renovation: regrading after seawall or drainage work, replacing tired lawns, and seeding after additions.

Old estate lots

Wealthy summer homes historically lined the shoreline, mainly on the south end, and the 1920s Jewell Colony was the island's first planned subdivision. Older lots under big trees benefit from overseeding with a shade-tolerant mix rather than a full regrade.

Get a free estimate or call (313) 546-6862.