Safer Waters
Ecological Advocacy and Research at U-M
One of the Detroit River Story Lab’s missions is to educate people about the Detroit River’s unique habitats, and to help preserve those habitats for future generations. By doing so, it continues a long tradition of Great Lakes watershed research and activism at the University of Michigan.
Industrial pollution (left) devastated the Detroit River’s ecosystem in the 20th century, but the creation of the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge in 1961 initiated a half century of river rescue efforts that have resulted in the rehabilitation of coastal wetlands like Hennepin Marsh (right).
(Left: Courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library, The University of Michigan. Right: Gary Muehlenhardt for USFWS.)
The Detroit River’s Pollution and Reclamation
Although manufacturing and shipping along the Detroit River made both Detroit and the University of Michigan what they are today, economic benefits came at a huge environmental cost. Waste, oil, sewage, and chemicals from Detroit’s factories poured into the Detroit River and its watershed during the 20th century, decimating wildlife. Oil slicks were common occurrences through the 1960s, killing 10,000-20,000 migrating ducks each year. Phosphate detergents over-stimulated aquatic plant growth in the river, throwing its ecosystem out of balance and devastating its formerly robust walleye, perch, sturgeon, and whitefish populations. Pollution of the Detroit River also had severe downstream consequences for Lake Erie, which Time Magazine declared “dead” in 1965.
But the Detroit River’s fortunes began to change in 1961, when Congress created the 394-acre Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge around Grassy Island (just North of Grosse Ile). In 2001 the Wyandotte Refuge was incorporated into the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge, a pioneering joint project between the United States and Canada to preserve nearly 6,000 acres of islands, coast, and wetlands along 48 miles of shoreline. In 1998 and 2001 respectively, the Detroit River also received American and Canadian Heritage River designations in recognition of its cultural, historical, and environmental significance. All of these efforts brought much-needed attention and funding to the Detroit River’s plight.
Since then, continued efforts have radically restored the Detroit River’s ecosystem. Today, the river and its shores are a cherished location for walking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and bird-watching. Bald eagles, ospreys, and peregrine falcons can be found in the river’s coastal wetlands, and the fish population has recovered remarkably. Trenton, Michigan–just across from Grosse Ile–is now the “Walleye Capital of the World.”
One of the DRSL’s missions is to educate people about the Detroit River’s unique habitats, and to help preserve those habitats for future generations. By doing so, it continues a long tradition of Great Lakes watershed research and activism at the University of Michigan. The timeline below describes some of these important projects.
Timeline of U-M’s Detroit River Research and Advocacy
Humbug Island in the Detroit River Wildlife Refuge is one of the many coastal wetland areas Detroit’s and Ann Arbor’s environmental advocates have worked to protect.
(Tina Shaw for USFWS Midwest Region.)
2001
Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project
An initiative through the University’s Sustainability Institute worked to restore Lake Sturgeon reef habitats to protect the species from endangerment and improve the river ecosystem. In this image, stones are deposited to construct a spawning reef near Wyandotte. (Lynn Vaccaro for Michigan Sea Grant.)
2020
The Detroit River Story Lab is founded to research and share the Detroit River’s ecological and social histories
While participating in the Detroit River Story Lab’s “Skiff and Schooner” program, Detroit students learn about not only ship construction and buoyancy, but also the Detroit River’s ecology. (Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography)
References
“About the Refuge.” Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, April 14 2021. Access.
Beeton, Alfred M. and R. Stephen Schneider. “A Century of Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan.” Journal of Great Lakes Research 1998, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 495-517.
“CIGLR: History.” Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, 2022. Access.
“Detroit River.” Canadian Heritage Rivers System, 2022. Access.
“Detroit River, Michigan.” American Rivers, 2021. Access.
“George Sylvester Hunt.” Faculty History Project. The University of Michigan, 2011. Access.
Hartig, John H. “The Return of Detroit River’s Charismatic Megafauna.” Center for Humans and Nature, November 17 2014. Access.
“History of the Refuge.” Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, April 14 2021. Access.
“Jack Van Coevering: Biography.” Jack Van Coevering Papers: 1928-1978. The Bentley Historical Library, The University of Michigan, 2022. Access.
“Jonathan W. Bulkley: Biography.” Jonathan W. Bulkley Papers: 1957-2015. Bentley Historical Library, The University of Michigan, 2022. Access.
“Managing Stormwater, Beautifying Neighborhoods.” U-M Detroit. The University of Michigan, June 21 2016. Access.
“Restoring Fish Spawning Habitat in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers.” Graham Sustainability Institute. The University of Michigan, 2022. Access.
Swan, James. “The Detroit River’s Amazing Comeback.” ESPN, June 13 2007. Access.
“Very Young Lake Sturgeon and Artificial Spawning Reefs in the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers.” U-M Detroit. The University of Michigan, May 17 2017. Access.
