Featured Image: Jamie Wasilchenko
By: Amanda Kelley
Detroit’s Belle Isle Aquarium has ironically discovered that too much water can actually be a bad thing for an aquarium. It experienced severe floodwater and sewage left behind after a string of heavy storms rained down on Michigan.
Volunteers have already spent 120 hours cleaning up the century old building, where the worst areas are estimated to contain standing water was between 8 and 10 inches deep. There were also entire rooms covered in sewage that backed up.
The aquarium will remain open for the foreseeable future because none of the areas visited by the public were affected by the flood. However, it’s the behind the scenes areas that workers and volunteers are concerned about.
Image Credit: Panoramio user MarkN
Thousands of dollars in equipment and supplies had to be thrown out due to the flood damage, and a professional cleaning crew will have to be hired to take care of the brunt of the recovery work. The effort is expected to cost between $8,000 and $10,000.
Belle Isle Aquarium was actually shut down between 2005 and 2012, but has been showing great potential for growth since it’s re-opening 4 years ago. Unfortunately, the money that was intended to expand aquarium exhibits will have to be used for restoration instead.
The Aquarium, built in 1904, is managed and funded in part by the Belle Island Conservancy, and will be relying heavily on donations for the recovery effort. You can donate to the recovery effort and read more about Belle Isle here.
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