Upper Subwatershed Overview

What is a Subwatershed and where's the Upper?

How can I visit the Rouge River in the Upper Subwatershed?

What's the status of the Upper Subwatershed?

What are the major problems in the Upper and how will these problems be fixed?

Are there any goals in place to work toward correcting these problems?

How can I get involved?

What is a Subwatershed and Where's the Upper?

The Rouge River Watershed is approximately 438 square miles and includes all or parts of 48 communities and 3 counties. To manage this large area more effectively, local units of governments decided to divide the Rouge River Watershed into seven Subwatersheds based on the 4 main branches of the Rouge River - the Main, the Upper, the Middle, and the Lower' and certain political jurisdictions.

One of these seven Subwatersheds is the Upper Subwatershed. Check out the map below. Do you live, work, play in, or travel through in any of these areas?

If you do, then, your actions impact the Upper Subwatershed, or part of the land area that is drained by the Upper Rouge River.

The Upper Subwatershed is approximately 91 square miles, or 20% of the Rouge watershed. A typical township is only 36 square miles, so the Upper Subwatershed crosses several political boundaries as it carries water to the river. In fact, as you'll see on our Participating Communities page, the Upper Subwatershed includes parts of 8 local communities and 2 counties!

How can I visit the Rouge River in the Upper Subwatershed?

It's easy... Several recreational facilities are located within the Upper Subwatershed including Robert Long Nature Park in Commerce Township; Drake and Shiawassee Parks in Farmington; Costick Enter, Founders Sports, Harmon Oaks, Heritage, Olde Town, Pioneer, and Woodland Hills Nature Parks in Farmington Hills; Bell Creek Nature Preserve, Veverely, Castle Gardens, Denmar, Greenbriar, Meadows, and Shelden Parks in Livonia; Fish Hatchery, Ford Field, Hennisnsen, Northville Community Parks and Maybury State Park in Northville community; Brookfarm, Community Sports, Novi-North, Power, Rotary, and Spirit of 76 Parks in Novi; Capital, Elliot, Korvette, Manning, Phoenix, an Volney Parks in Redford Township; Civic Center, Drake Road, and West Bloomfield Woods Nature Parks in West Bloomfield Township; and Wayne County's Middle Rouge Parkway to name a few. Recreational activities offered by these facilities include fishing, picnicking, golfing, walking biking and exploring. If you happen to get a good photograph of the Upper Rouge River while you're enjoying one of these recreation activities, please submit it to our Photo Gallery!

What's the Status of the Upper Subwatershed?

Land Use
The Upper Subwatershed encompasses 91.37 square miles and includes portions of eight cities and townships in both Wayne and Oakland Counties. The population contained within the subwatershed as estimated in 1990 by the United States Census Bureau was 176,896 representing 66,364 households. The population in the subwatershed is projected to grow to 186,843, representing 82,157 households by 2025 according to estimates generated by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

Residential, industrial, commercial, and roadway land use categories make up over 75% of the current land uses in the Upper Subwatershed. Agricultural, forest/rural open, urban open, and water and wetlands make up the remaining 25% of the current subwatershed land uses. The Upper Subwatershed has a number of public parks and recreation areas, and private golf courses that are adjacent to the river that provide public access to the lands riparian to the river.

Imperviousness
The amount and type of land use that occurs within a watershed is a major factor in how rain and snow reaches the river. Parking lots, driveways, roofs, and roadways are impermeable and prevent water from entering the soil and groundwater. Water that can't penetrate the soil is called runoff. Runoff from these impermeable surfaces often drain into storm sewers or drains that are directly connected to the river, increasing the likelihood of flooding to downstream areas following even minor storms. The ability of runoff to filter into the ground is a function of both soil characteristics and land use cover.

New development on current open land within the Upper Subwatershed is expected to increase the amount of impervious area. Thus, the volume of water carried by the river following storms is likely to increase in the future unless steps are taken to minimize the quantity of storm water allowed to immediately runoff from newly developed properties. Stream bank erosion, flood damage, and destruction of aquatic habitats associated with heavy flows are currently a problem within the Upper Subwatershed. Without actions to control the flow of water entering the river, the number of areas on the river affected by flooding and the frequency and intensity floods will increase. Construction materials, carefully planned site design, landscaping designs, and maintenance practices (e.g. reduced use of closely mowed lawns and increased use of natural landscaping with trees, shrubs, wetlands, and/or meadow areas) can significantly reduce the rate of runoff from developed properties.

Soils
Approximately 95 percent of the Rouge River watershed surface soils are silty loams. These soils have low permeability, meaning that water doesn't filter into it easily and creates runoff during heavy rain and snowmelt events. This water that can't penetrate soils easily flows across the surface of the land into the nearest watercourse. These soils also happen to be highly erodible, meaning they wash into streams easily.

Hydrologic Characteristics
The gradient of a river is how steep it flows and is measured by the change in elevation of the bed of the river over a specified distance. The gradient is used to determine the energy that the water exerts on its bed and banks. Steeper gradients increase water velocity or speed, which in turn increase the channel depth, width, degree of meandering (curviness of the river), and sediment transport (rivers carry sand or sediment). The stream gradient also influences the numbers and types of aquatic organisms that are found in a river including the numbers and species of fish.

Stream gradients of the Rouge River are low in the relatively flat portions of the main branch of the lower river near the mouth. The average gradient for the Rouge River is 4.9 feet per mile, meaning that for every mile of river, the river drops 4.9 feet. The gradient in the Upper Rouge River averages 21.0 feet per mile. The Upper Rouge River has the highest gradient of the four main branches of the river. In the Bell Branch of the Upper the gradient ranges from 17 to 36 feet per mile.

The urbanization of the Upper Subwatershed has created unstable flow conditions in the Upper Rouge River Subwatershed. The source of flow in the Rouge River is now primarily surface water runoff as opposed to groundwater. This is causing high fluctuations in water flows. These highly fluctuating flows are common throughout the Upper Subwatershed. The largest increases in flows occur in the lower portion of the subwatershed following wet weather events in the upstream areas. In general, the size and frequency of flood flows in the Upper Rouge are increasing, reflecting the increased urbanization and associated impermeability of the watershed. Interestingly, the baseflow, amount of water naturally occurring in the river, of the Upper Rouge is also slowly increasing over time. Lawn watering, car washing and other activities that use municipal water supplied by the city of Detroit during dry summer months are apparently increasing the amount of runoff that is reaching the river even during dry periods.

While the natural gradient of the Upper Rouge would support a wide range of aquatic organisms, the highly fluctuating flows, and accompanying bank erosion, sedimentation and bottom scouring, limits the number and type of organisms that can survive in the river. The natural hydraulics (river flow conditions) of the Upper Rouge Subwatershed have been substantially altered. More storm water is transported directly and quickly to the river causing more frequent and larger floods, and higher river flow velocities.

Water Quality
Water quality is highly variable within the Upper Subwatershed. In the downstream portions of the subwatershed in Redford Township, measured water quality parameters (i.e., dissolved oxygen, metals, bacteria, ammonia and biological oxygen demand) indicate poorer water quality. Recent completion and full operation of a combined sewer overflow retention/treatment basin on the Upper Rouge in 1999 has substantially improved water quality in this area.

While water quality improvements have been made, bacteria and dissolved oxygen levels do not meet state water quality standards in many upstream areas. Illicit connections, possible separate sanitary sewers overflows (SSOs) and failing septic systems are suspected sources of pollution in the upstream areas. Water quality samples that have been taken indicate that water quality standards are being met in the headwater areas that have less intense development and, in general, newer sanitary waste disposal systems.

Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen is important to the survival of fish and fish food organisms. Without sufficient dissolved oxygen, preferred aquatic species can not survive and the abundance of less desirable pollution tolerant organisms increase. Under extreme oxygen depletion, streams and lakes produce characteristic foul odors from the decomposition of organic materials in the water. The Michigan Water Quality Standard requires a minimum of 5.0 mg/l dissolved oxygen to support the warm water fish populations found in the Upper Rouge River.

Dissolved oxygen levels in a stream or lake vary depending on the time of day and water temperature. Lower temperatures can support larger amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water. River gradient and other turbulence can add dissolved oxygen to the water. Unless there are significant sources of pollution entering a river system, dissolved oxygen levels seldom fall below the 5.0 mg/l water quality standard. Organic waste such as sewage or dead plant materials entering a watercourse can deplete oxygen levels as bacteria use the available oxygen to decompose the waste. Excessive nutrients such as phosphorus can also result in depletion of dissolved oxygen by accelerating aquatic plant and algae growth. Even though plants and algae produce oxygen through photosynthesis during daylight, they also consume oxygen, and at night or during early morning hours dissolved oxygen levels can fall below acceptable levels if plant growth is excessive.

Sampling in the Upper Rouge indicates there are many locations where oxygen levels drop below the 5.0 mg/l standard. Continuous monitoring at some locations and periodic sampling during the same day at several locations in the Upper Rouge indicate there are several areas where dissolved oxygen levels are a major or minor problem. Not surprising, many of the same areas that show high bacteria levels also show problems with dissolved oxygen - perhaps due to the same sources of pollution.

Bacteria
High levels of the indicator bacteria, E. coli strongly suggest the presence of microorganisms that threaten public health from untreated human sanitary waste. During 1995 and 1996, bacteria were sampled at eleven locations in the Upper subwatershed. All sites during both years failed to meet the bacteria standard intended to protect total body contact recreation uses such as swimming. Five of the sites met the lower partial body contact recreation standard (boating, wading, fishing) in 1996. This indicates there are several locations in the Upper Subwatershed where additional investigation of potential sources of untreated human waste is warranted.

While bacteria associated with human sanitary waste is the primary concern, animal waste from pets, farm animals, and large wildlife populations can also be a source of bacteria contamination in the river. In the Upper Rouge River, farm animal sources are limited. Canada goose populations on open areas like golf courses or public parklands in the Upper Rouge River are increasing. Domestic pets in residential areas represent a potential source of contamination that can be directly addressed by local ordinances in place that require clean-up and proper disposal of pet waste.

Fish Populations
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division conducted fish sampling at three locations in the Upper Rouge River in 1995 and compared the number and type of species found to models developed for similar type rivers throughout southern Michigan (Wiley-Seelbach-Bower Ecological Targets Report, 1998). Fish communities at two of the three Upper Subwatershed locations examined currently contain fewer fish species than the models predicted based on similar rivers. Low dissolved oxygen levels, siltation of spawning and feeding areas, and other degradation of the physical habitat due to bank erosion and streambed scouring associated with frequent high speed flood flows may be the most significant factors in limiting the abundance of preferred fish species.

Aquatic habitat
The Rouge Program Office evaluated habitat quality at 16 locations in the Upper Subwatershed. Three locations were determined to have "Good" aquatic habitat; six had "Fair" habitat; and the remaining seven locations were rated "Poor" under a scientific protocol. All three of the stations with Good habitat quality were on the main stem of the Upper. Stations on the Bell Branch had particularly poor habitat. Identified habitat problems including excessive flow variation, and the lack of riffle and pool habitat areas. Reducing post-storm peak flows is the most important factor in improving aquatic habitat quality.

Contaminants
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Community Health (MDCH) have established fish consumption advisories for the fish listed in table below. MDCH defines "general population" as men, boys older than 15, and women beyond childbearing years, and "women and children" as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, women who intend to have children, girls older than 15, and all children under 15.

Fish Consumption Advisories for the Upper Subwatershed

In general, surficial sediments in the Upper subwatershed are relatively uncontaminated.

Macroinvertebrate Community (Aquatic insects and other organisms living in the river)
Both MDNR and Rouge Program Office sampling have recently found evidence of pollution intolerant macroinvertebrates in portions of the Upper Subwatershed that indicate good water quality. MDNR surveys have found abundant populations of sensitive macroinvertebrates like mayflies, dragonflies, and case-building caddis flies. An informal RPO macroinvertebrate survey found a single large (~ 3") hellgrammite (alder fly larvae) at Powers Road in Farmington. Hellgrammites are indicative of good water quality, and are also long-lived for insect larvae (2-3 years).

Additional Surveys and Reports Indicating Status of Water Quality and/or Wildlife Habitat
As part of a watershed-wide effort to involve and educate citizens, the Rouge Project and Friends of the Rouge have supported voluntary efforts to estimate the abundance of frogs and toads as a index of available wetland habitat. Some of these surveys have included the Upper Subwatershed and there is growing public interest to expand the areas covered by this program and the Friends of the Rouge will initiate an expanded project in the Upper Subwatershed in 2001 to involve the public in a survey of frogs and toads.

Even anecdotal reports of the presence of certain sensitive wildlife species in the watershed provide evidence of improvements in water quality and/or wildlife habitat. A mink was observed along the Upper Branch at Powers Road in Farmington on two consecutive days in 1995. One day it was carrying a fish back to a den, and may have been feeding young. This is a sign of good water quality, as mink are extremely sensitive to toxic organic chemicals.

What are the major problems in the Upper and how will these problems be fixed?

There are several potential sources and/or causes for the water quality and fish and wildlife impairments documented in the Upper Subwatershed. The primary ones are identified in the following paragraphs. Many of the problems have already begun to be addressed and actions currently underway are summarized. Perhaps the most difficult problems to address are those related to excessive flows following storm events that cause property and habitat damage. A significant portion of the Upper Rouge is already developed and options for controlling storm water runoff in the already developed areas that have a large percentage of the area covered by impermeable surfaces is extremely limited. The remaining rural properties within the Upper Subwatershed are undergoing rapid development and the type of local land use and storm water runoff controls required for new developments will determine whether or not downstream flooding, bank erosion, and habitat destruction in the Upper Subwatershed will be exacerbated.

Combined Sewer Overflows
A major focus of attention over the last few years has been the control of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Rouge River. A CSO is a discharge into a body of water, usually the result of a heavy rain or snowmelt that exceeds the capacity of the combined storm and sanitary system. Untreated CSOs are a major source of bacteria that threaten public health. Livonia and Redford Township had CSO discharges into the Upper Rouge. Livonia completed its sewer separation projects in 1998 to eliminate CSO discharges. Redford Township's first combined sewer overflow retention/treatment basin began operation in 1996. Plans are underway to address the remaining CSO discharge on the downstream portion of the Bell Branch in Redford Township. Once a retention/treatment CSO control facility is in place in the lower Bell Branch, the largest sources of untreated waste entering the Upper Rouge will be under control. Substantial improvements in water quality have already occurred as a result of the sewer separation projects completed in Livonia and the first CSO facility constructed by Redford Township.

However, high levels of indicator bacteria and depressed dissolved oxygen levels in the Upper Rouge upstream of the new CSO facility and upstream of the remaining CSO discharge in the lower Bell Branch strongly indicate other sources of untreated sanitary waste. Separated sanitary sewer overflows, illicit connections of sanitary systems to storm drains, and failing on-site disposal systems (septic tank/tile fields) are the suspected sources.

For more information on CSOs, see the following State's web page http://www.deq.state.mi.us/swq/CSOdata/.

Intermittent Separate Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)
During storm events, separate sanitary sewers can overflow when large amounts of rainwater or snowmelt enter the system. Overflows can occur due to inadequate design capacity of the original sewer system and/or sewer pipe or pump station failures. In extreme cases, sanitary sewage backup into basements requires the installation of temporary pumps to discharge excess sanitary wastewater into storm water conveyances. Intermittent and infrequent SSOs are difficult to detect and sometimes even more difficult to control even when the source of the problem has been identified. Major efforts are underway to locate and resolve SSOs throughout the Rouge River watershed. Several suspected sources are under investigation in the Upper Rouge.

For more information on SSOs, see the following State's web page http://www.deq.state.mi.us/swq/sso.htm.

Illicit Discharge of Sanitary Waste into Storm Sewers
As part of state and federal requirements, all communities and agencies participating in the Upper Subwatershed Advisory Group have submitted a plan to identify and correct illicit sanitary waste connections to storm drains under their control. Each agency and community is conducting extensive monitoring and sampling to detect where sanitary waste may be illegally or inadvertently being discharged into separate storm sewers or drains. These investigations may involve visual observations during dry weather to detect suspicious discharges entering the river, dye testing of sanitary sewer lines, bacteria sampling in the river or in storm water manholes upstream of locations where suspicious discharges have been observed. Once the source of an illicit discharge is located corrective actions are being taken under local ordinances and building codes.

Failing On-Site Disposal Systems (Septic Tank/Tile Fields)
Preliminary investigations by county health officials in Wayne, Washtenaw, and Oakland counties during the past few years have indicated that older on-site disposal systems have a high rate of failure. Failed septic systems can lead to the discharge of untreated sanitary waste into nearby waterways directly or indirectly through storm drainage systems.

The data collected on the number of failed systems has prompted both Washtenaw and Wayne counties to enact new ordinances that require the evaluation and certification of on-site disposal systems when a property without sanitary sewer service is offered for sale. Local ordinances in some communities require owners of failed on-site disposal systems to hook-up to sanitary sewers if they are available. Where evaluation and maintenance programs indicate that the on-site waste disposal/treatment system is not functioning properly, property owners can be required to take corrective actions.

Non-Point Source Pollution (Erosion and Runoff)
Federal and state regulations require permits for any construction activity involving the clearing of five or more acres of land, or on properties adjacent to watercourses. Under state rules, local agencies are responsible for administering soil erosion and sedimentation control permits for construction activities. New federal regulations will require local permits for construction sites involving one acre or larger. As part of the efforts to restore the Rouge River several workshops and seminars have been conducted for both public officials and private contractors to enhance the control of erosion during construction. The application of improved soil erosion control techniques/materials, better site monitoring and enhanced enforcement are part of the pollution prevention efforts under consideration to reduce river sedimentation problems caused by soil erosion.

Runoff from agricultural lands is limited in the Upper Subwatershed. However, the application of pesticides and/or fertilizer, and unconfined animal waste on farm operations may be a source of pollution in isolated areas. Perhaps more important in the Upper Rouge is the potential for contaminated runoff from golf courses or other managed open lands where overuse or misuse of chemicals pose a risk to the river. Much of the runoff in the urbanized portion with the Upper Subwatershed finds its way to the river through publicly owned and maintained storm sewers or drains. Discharges from publicly owned storm drains or sewers are subject to regulation and are covered under the next section.

Storm Water Discharges
In addition to rainwater and snowmelt, storm water carries with it a variety of contaminants from streets, roofs, parking lots, roadways, lawns, and other surfaces. Oils, grease, lawn chemicals, road-deicing materials, phosphorus from car washings, paper, plastic, yard waste, and other discarded materials are carried from the land by storm water into the river. Homeowners, businesses, and public landowners need to be aware of the connection between storm water and the quality of the river. As part of the state and federal requirements, all public agencies within the Upper Subwatershed have submitted a public education plan. These plans outline the steps that will be taken to provide information and training to citizens, businesses, and public agencies on reducing the contaminants in storm water.

Excessive storm water runoff can cause flooding, bank erosion, and destruction of fish and wildlife habitat in the river. As the amount of impermeable surfaces increases in the subwatershed, flood flows increase in frequency and severity. On-site detention of storm water and/or enhanced regional storm water detention are effective methods for reducing the impacts of storm water flows by reducing the quantity of water that runs off immediately following a storm event. These storm water detention facilities can also serve to reduce the amount of sediment and other debris entering the river, and capture some of the nutrients that might otherwise pollute the river. New storm water regulations recently adopted in Washtenaw and Wayne counties provide for enhanced site designs to minimize storm water runoff.

Are there any goals in place to work toward correcting these problems?

The Upper Subwatershed Advisory Group (SWAG) has begun the process of tackling these problems by identifying and prioritizing goals for short-term and long-term management of the Upper Subwatershed. The Upper SWAG has established these goals for its watershed management plan. The goals were developed from a preliminary review of the data available on the Upper Rouge River, the Rouge Report Card, the Rouge River Public Opinion Survey, the requirements of the General Storm Water Permit, public meetings in the Upper Subwatershed, and the personal knowledge of the public officials involved. The general goals set thus far are as follows:

1. Protect public health
2. Reduce excessive river flows
3. Protect and restore river ecosystem for fish and wildlife
4. Restore/maintain aesthetically appealing conditions
5. Minimize upland soil erosion and related sedimentation

How can I get involved?

If you are interested in helping to restore and protect the Rouge River in the Upper Subwatershed, there are many ways to get involved. See the How to Get Involved page of this Web site for ideas...

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Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.

The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01.