River Rouge
River Day is a celebration of the rivers in the southeast Michigan region. The heart of River Day for Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) is Rouge Rescue -- your chance for hands-on involvement in the restoration and protection of the Rouge River.Since 1986, thousands of volunteers have come to the river on the first Saturday in June. They come from area businesses, local governments, school groups, service organizations, churches, homeowner groups and concerned citizens. They are all people like you who want to make a difference and contribute to the quality of life in their communities.Work sites may be along small streams or main branches of the Rouge Volunteers spend their time removing debris from the river and its flood plain. A major effort involves removing, or simply moving, logs that are jamming the river and causing flooding or erosion. Many sites no longer remove all the trees and branches that fall into the river. They are using the woody debris, instead, to help reduce streambank erosion, slow down the flow of the river after storms, and create wildlife habitat. In recent years, the FOTR "annual spring clean-up" has turned its local focus outward. We have teamed up with other watersheds throughout southeast Michigan t . . .
The results of the evaluation study, coupled with efforts to control storm water and other pollution sources in the watershed, will provide the basis for the Phase II and Phase III CSO control program on the remaining CSO sources in the watershed. The Rouge Project began the restoration of the Rouge River by focusing on a primary pollutant source: combined sewer overflows. This grant is being managed by Wayne County. Working with the local communities, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) established rigorous "Criteria for Success in CSO Treatment" to evaluate whether the CSO basins meet the Phase I goals of elimination of raw sewage discharges and protection of public health. Volunteer efforts of this kind have had a great effect on stopping pollution. All storm water runoff that does not seep into the ground (or evaporate) finds its way into systems of underground pipes and may travel for many miles before being released into your local lake, river, stream or ocean. The dissolved oxygen water quality standard (5 mg/l) is being met in the river during dry weather at many locations for the first time in years. Degradation of the Rouge River is representative of that found in many urbanized and industrialized areas within the Great Lakes Basin. Benthos are considered to be impaired in many portions of the Rouge River Watershed. Each of these basins is sized for different design storms and several employ innovative technology. The Rouge River Watershed covers 1,210 km2 in southeastern Michigan. The Rouge River is being restored as measured by the greatly improved water quality, the increasing fish and wildlife present and the increased recreational use. The Rouge drains a 438 square mile area that includes more than 400 lakes and ponds, and more than 50 miles of parkland along its banks. Eutrophication or undesirable algae can be found in all branches of the Rouge River. Storm water is water that flows along the ground and pavement when it rains or when snow and ice melt.
Common topics in this essay:
Rouge River, Rouge Project, Coordinator Storm, River Watershed, Wastewater Primer, CSO Treatment, Rouge Volunteers, Lakes Basin, Detroit POTW, Middle Branch, rouge river, water quality, rouge project, combined sewer, storm water, fish wildlife, rouge river watershed, wet weather, river watershed, cso control, storm drains, department environmental quality, cso control program, combined sewer overflows, rouge river rap, |
Acceptance Essays
