Hope everyone’s having a fantastic summer so far and enjoying the hot Michigan weather we’ve been having! This next article is about a black steel seawall that Seaside Seawalls recently installed for a customer on Grand River, which is located in the village of Dimondale in Eaton County, Michigan. Did you know that Grand River is the longest river in the state of Michigan? It runs through several cities, including Jackson, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, before emptying into Lake Michigan. Grand River stretches a total of 252 miles, covering over 18 counties and 158 townships along the way. It is home to several types of fish as well, including trout and salmon, making it not only a popular place to take part in your favorite summer water activity, but also a frequent destination for those who enjoy the sport of fishing.
For this particular project, we had to obtain a DEQ permit in order to begin construction for this residential customer on Grand River in Eaton County. After receiving the permit, we began by removing the existing wooden seawall which was failing, as well as the customer’s previous boardwalk that was on top of the existing seawall. We had to use an excavator on a barge in order to do this, as the construction site was not very accessible from the property line. After tearing down the old seawall, we installed a brand new black steel seawall directly in front of where the pre-existing seawall had been. The new seawall ended up being 93 feet in length and 5 feet in height. The entire project took about 4 days to complete. To ensure proper drainage, we also installed downspout pipes, sewer pipes and weep holes along the new seawall. This means that any water that is upland from the new seawall will not be trapped behind the wall, and will be able to drain into the Grand River. We used riprap to backfill behind the new seawall also. Riprap is rock material that is often used to keep structures like seawalls from eroding the shoreline. Shoreline erosion is a common reason for the installation of a seawall, but if it is not done right, the seawall will fail and shoreline erosion will occur. In fact, shoreline erosion due to poorly installed previous seawalls is one of the main reasons we at Seaside Seawalls are contacted!
As we mentioned, this job was completed for a residential customer in Eaton County, Michigan. Eaton County has a population of approximately 107,759 people and a total area of 579.02 square miles – 576.41 square miles of which is land and 2.61 square miles of is water. Within Eaton County, the village of Dimondale (often misspelled as ‘Diamondale’) exists. Dimondale, a suburb of Lansing, is home to about 1,234 residents who often make use of the Grand River for both summer and winter activities.
With the summer months upon us, Michigan residents are frequently using the many bodies of water that Michigan is known for to engage in water sports and activities. If your residential or commercial waterfront property could use some sprucing up, please feel free to contact us here at Seaside Seawalls for a free estimate! We not only construct seawalls to meet your aesthetic expectations and functionality requirements, but we also build docks, decks, and boardwalks that will increase the value of your waterfront property and will additionally give your property that added flare you’ve been looking for! To see a complete list of all the services that Seaside Seawalls offers, check out our Service Page. As a trusted company comprised of knowledgeable and hard-working team members, we believe that our seawalls will outlast our competitors’ and stand by our work with great pride. So please do not hesitate to give us a call today to discuss your next landscaping project! Together, we can make your property into what you dreamed it would always be! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter as well for regular updates of what we’ve been up to at Seaside Seawalls!