Here at Seaside Seawalls, we are proud to announce yet another beautifully completed galvanized steel seawall for a residential customer on Portage Lake in Pinckney, Michigan. Pinckney, a village that is located in Putnam Township and Washtenaw County, has a total area of 1.5 square miles (0.1 square miles or 3.25% of that being water). Pinckney has a small town, friendly feel to its 2,141 residents. Seaside Seawalls was contacted to replace this customer’s old wooden seawall, which was failing due to its existing railroad ties 
which made the seawall start to fall toward the water over the past 12 months. As with any seawall, customers have the option to have us repair their existing seawall, or have it completely replaced and a new one installed in its place. In this particular case, the customer wished to have a brand new steel seawall constructed instead of having tiebacks every 6 inches on the old seawall. Galvanized steel was chosen by the customer, which is just one of the two types of steel seawalls we offer at Seaside Seawalls (black steel or galvanized steel). It was selected for its superior shore protection and a clean-cut, 
professional looking shoreline. Galvanized steel is a popular choice, as many of our customers choose this material for their steel seawall due to its durability and virtually maintenance-free nature. Not to mention, galvanized steel has a protective zinc coating which helps to prevent rusting and erosion, which is particularly helpful for the ever-changing weather conditions and constantly fluctuating temperatures that Michigan experiences! To learn more about galvanized steel seawalls and why they are typically a preferred option by our customers, check out one of our previous articles on a job we did in Brighton, Michigan here).
While this project only took us about 5 days to complete, it was a lot of work. First we had to obtain a DEQ Permit and determine the equipment that would be necessary for this job. We used an excavator and a skid steer for this project, which greatly helped us in our construction efforts, especially with the backfill process. For instance, our rubber skid steer is very turf-friendly, especially along straight runs. Therefore we were able to move around the property and the lawn quite easily without damaging anything along our access run. The property had pre-existing 4 foot wide timber steps leading into the water, which were actually still in good working condition. We ended up leaving the steps where they were and building the new seawall around them so that each piece of the seawall ended at the edges of the stairs. 
Since we divided the seawall into two sections, the new seawall itself ended up being 58 feet long and 36 inches wide (including both sides) upon completion. Additionally, the new steel seawall was built directly in front of the failing wooden seawall. Galvanized steel between 7 and 8 feet in length were used to construct the seawall. We used sand for the backfill and between 4 and 8 inches in diameter of Michigan fieldstone for riprap (rock material used to keep shorelines and structures from eroding) all along the brand new steel seawall. We also left a 10.5 foot inlet on the customer’s property line for a beach or even a boat launch area. Portage Lake is an all-sports lake in Washtenaw County, but also borders Livingston County in Michigan. With the summer being just around the corner, both residents and visitors to Portage Lake frequently make use of this recreational-friendly lake’s activities such as canoeing, kayaking, and boating. Portage Lake is also a popular boat launching point for boaters who wish to start their journey on what is known as the “chain of lakes”. Since the Huron River connects to Portage Lake and numerous other upstream lakes, many paddlers start their trip through the chain of lakes in one of the upstream lakes and travel all the way down to Portage Lake to end their journey. Some interesting information on Washtenaw County: Washtenaw County is located about 30 miles west of the city of Detroit and has a rapidly-growing population, which is currently around 350,000 residents. The county has a total area of 722.53 square miles, of which 12.59 square miles is water. Washtenaw County encompasses 27 cities, villages and townships, with the two largest cities being Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. There are many legends about where the county’s name, Washtenaw, originated from. Some say that Washtenaw is from an Ojibway word that means ‘far off’ or ‘on the river’, symbolizing the small stream that runs through the county. Others believe that Washtenaw was the name of an Aboriginal person who resided close to the river. A professor at the University of Michigan who studies anthropology believes that Washtenaw was derived from the Algonquin and means ‘far county’ using the city of Detroit as the reference point. As you can see, there are many theories and ideas as to how the name ‘Washtenaw’ came to be. If you’re interested in improving both the appearance and functionality of your waterfront property – be it residential or commercial – contact Seaside Seawalls today for a free consultation! We are a team of qualified and dedicated professionals who would be more than happy to help you plan out and build the waterfront property of your dreams! Contact us today for a free estimate!