Residents, council raise alarm over extensive Ecorse Creek clearing; ask Wayne County for answers

Residents and council members at the Nov. 13 Dearborn Heights City Council meeting said they were disturbed by extensive clearing along Ecorse Creek and asked the council to press Wayne County for more information.

A councilmember representing the South End described “thousands and thousands of trees” cut and said the area now looked like “a war zone,” adding that local firefighters and emergency staff were unable to prevent the death of a longtime resident earlier that day. Residents at the meeting urged the council to determine whether an environmental impact study had been completed before the work began.

Mayor (speaker 6) told the meeting the work was a Wayne County project and recommended that residents contact Commissioner Dave Kneeszek and the county for formal complaints and more details. “You should do it to Wayne County, the county commissioner Dave Kneeszek,” the mayor said during the meeting.

Council members and the director of public works acknowledged the stark appearance of the cleared corridor but said the County’s drain‑maintenance approach reflects years of deferred maintenance. The DPW director said county crews began far downstream and worked upstream, and that long‑deferred clearing can appear abrupt when contractors reach a stretch that has not been maintained for decades. He urged residents to attend the county’s public meetings and press for less‑aggressive clearing methods where feasible.

Several council members said they would continue to press the drain commission and Wayne County to provide clearer information about the work, to request documentation such as environmental reviews where required, and to explore whether a different maintenance approach (partial access lanes rather than clear‑cuts) would reduce long‑term bank instability. One councilmember noted the county holds an easement but said adjacent landowners own to the creek midpoint and that property‑by‑property impacts were a concern for neighbors.

The council did not adopt any formal action at the meeting to change the County’s work but encouraged residents to file complaints with County officials and said they would follow up at subsequent meetings with available county contacts and documentation.

The discussion reflects continuing community concern about the balance between flood‑management maintenance and preserving riparian vegetation and habitat along an urban creek corridor.

The council moved on to other agenda items; residents were advised to raise specific concerns with Wayne County and the county drain commission for project‑level remedies.