An aerial view shows the Sterling Relief Drain between Mound and Ryan roads in Sterling Heights.
By: Gary Winkelman | Sterling Heights Sentry | Published June 12, 2026
STERLING HEIGHTS — Construction is underway on a project using green infrastructure — including thousands of new trees and shrubs — to reduce and filter stormwater in Sterling Heights and to extend a recreational trail from a city park.
According to a news release, the project involves the redesign, retrofit and daylighting of the Sterling Relief Drain corridor, located south of Metropolitan Parkway from west of Ryan Road to Mound Road. It will create an additional 1.2 miles of diverse habitat of native vegetation to reduce, slow and filter stormwater from the urban drainage area that handles stormwater runoff carried to it by underground storm sewers and open channel drains from a large portion of the city.
“We’ve been trying to improve the drain because we’re focused on water quality and stormwater management,” said Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, “But also we are focused on how we can position ourselves so that we can use green infrastructure to improve our environment.”
The project is creating 42 acres of restored habitat that includes the planting of more than 2,500 trees and shrubs, 8,000 native perennial pollinator plugs, and more than 200 pounds native and pollinator seeds. To improve the quality of the stormwater conveyed by the Sterling Relief Drain, manholes have been reconstructed, and grates have been added to capture trash and prevent debris from getting further downstream where it flows into the Red Run, east of Schoenherr Road, that ties into the Clinton River.
It adds to the 53 acres of habitat completed in the Sterling Relief Drain in 2020 from just east of Van Dyke Avenue, to east of Schoenherr Road near Freedom Hill County Park. That first phase features a 2-mile-long, butterfly flyway and won awards from the American Public Works Association and the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners.
Construction crews are making a new shared-use pedestrian path approximately 3,000 linear feet long, extending from the north end of James C. Nelson Park to the sidewalk at Ryan Road, north of 15 Mile Road. The path is part of the city’s effort to expand its trail network and creates an accessible and enjoyable route for walking and biking.
“This project is a win for Sterling Heights on every level because we are improving green infrastructure along the Sterling Relief Drain, extending the trail connection from Nelson Park to Ryan Road and creating a safer, accessible space for residents to walk, bike and enjoy the outdoors — all at the same time,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “This project is another example of how we continue to move closer to our long-term vision of a more connected, sustainable community.”
The ongoing work of Phase II of the Sterling Relief Drain green infrastructure and trail is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, weather permitting. Once the new trees, shrubs and plants are established, the ground and vegetation will improve stormwater management by stabilizing erosion-prone areas in the Sterling Relief Drain and will capture and filter approximately 28 million gallons of stormwater runoff every year. With the ground acting as a more effective sponge, the downstream flow will have less sediment and harmful nutrients that otherwise would reach the Red Run, the Clinton River and, ultimately, Lake St. Clair.
The total cost of the grant-funded project is $953,000 with no increase in sewer rates. In April, the Sterling Heights City Council voted to allocate $404,000 to pay for the new path. The remainder of the project is funded through a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Macomb County Public Works Office, the Sterling Relief Drain drainage board, and grant support from DTE and Consumers Energy.
“We are very committed to partnerships,” Miller said. “This is a win-win for everyone.”