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The Rouge River
National Wet Weather Demonstration Project (Rouge Project) began
in 1992 and is a comprehensive program to manage wet weather pollution
to restore the water quality of the Rouge River. The Rouge River
Watershed in Southeast Michigan, is largely urbanized, spans approximately
438 square miles, and is home to over 1.5 million people in 48 communities
and 3 counties and is a tributary to the Detroit River. This cooperative
watershed management effort between federal, state and local agencies
is supported by multi-year federal grants from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and additional funding from
local communities. This grant is being managed by Wayne
County.
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 Project began
the restoration of the Rouge River by focusing on a primary pollutant
source: combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
It was determined that CSO control alone would not provide sufficient
improvement in water quality. This is because nonpoint source pollutants,
such as storm water runoff,
illicit connections, failing
septic systems, and stream bank erosion, all aggravated by the
variable flow, would continue to degrade the river.
The Rouge Project management strategy requires
tools such as a comprehensive sampling
program, various water quality and water quantity modeling
tools, data management and geographic
information systems. In addition, the Rouge Project has developed
a public education program
based on the concept that each citizen has the right to expect clean
water from their upstream neighbor and are also expected to assure
that their downstream neighbor is given the same courtesy. In summary,
the Rouge Project is demonstrating solutions to watershed
management efforts that can be used by other urban watersheds
throughout the country on how to restore and/or protect an urban
waterway.
See Using this Site for information on navigating
this site.
Last Updated: 7/22/2004
This site is best viewed with Netscape Communicator
4.7 or Internet Explorer 5.0. PDF files are best viewed with Adobe
Acrobat 4.0.
Please address all comments and suggestions
about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.
Additional questions about the Rouge Project can also be directed
to the Rouge Information Line at 1-888-223-2363.
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.
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