Wildlife refuge is centerpiece of Detroit River's recovery

[Spiel]

Wildlife refuge is centerpiece of Detroit River's recovery

 

 

Tina Lam / February 5, 2008

freep.com

 

 

The Detroit River was once among the most polluted areas of the Great Lakes.

 

Heavy industry along the Detroit and Rouge rivers dumped chemicals unchecked into the river. Wastewater treatment plants took only a little waste out of what they poured into the water. Phosphorus from detergents and fertilizer runoff fed thick mats of algae. When it rained, raw sewage overflowed municipal pipes and went straight into the river.

 

The river also had extreme oil pollution, said John Hartig, manager of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. In winter, most of the river would freeze, leaving a small area of open water for ducks and geese. Dipping into the open water, they often would get soaked with oil and die. Between the 1940s and 1960s, 12,000 ducks and geese died that way, Hartig said.

 

But a new report assembled by a U.S. and Canadian team shows the health of the river has improved dramatically since those bad days.

 

Oil spills have been reduced, phosphorus levels have declined by 90%, fish and wildlife are no longer heavily contaminated with now-banned DDT and PCBs. There has been huge progress in removing contaminated sediment from the river. Sewage treatment has improved. Mercury contamination is down 70%.

 

"We've laid the foundation for the return of bald eagles, peregrines, sturgeon, whitefish, walleye and mayflies," Hartig said. "We have one of the most dramatic ecological recoveries in North America."

 

Thirty years ago, peregrine falcons and bald eagles steered clear of the area; now bald eagles are nesting in seven locations along the river and 15 peregrines are seen often. Whitefish and sturgeon are reproducing.

 

The international report tracked data going back more than three decades on 50 indicators of health in the river's ecosystem and in western Lake Erie.

 

The authors said pollution controls in both the United States and Canada have led to impressive changes. More than $1.6 billion has been or will be spent by cities, including Detroit, to fix sewer overflows so raw sewage doesn't escape during heavy rains.

 

The international refuge is symbolic of the changes. Created in 2001 with 304 acres, the refuge has grown to include more than 5,000 acres of coastal marshes, wetlands, islands and shoals. In the middle of a heavily urbanized area, the refuge is a haven for fish, birds and ducks and for people to walk, fish, boat or go birding.

 

Anglers have taken fat walleye and sturgeon from the Detroit River, and the refuge is said to be one of the three top hawk-spotting sites in the country. The refuge has trails, wildlife viewing stations and an outdoor classroom.

 

The Canadian and U.S. teams that put together the report said population growth, global warming, the loss of animal habitat, continued pollution and invasive species are still big problems.

 

But for Hartig, the report is confirmation that the full cleanup job can eventually get done.

 

The perception for decades of the Detroit River was of polluted water in a rust belt city.

 

"It's no longer accurate," Hartig said. "We've come so far."