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The way we take care of the land has a huge impact on water quality. Our River Restoration program teaches residents of the watershed how to manage their land to improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat through hands-on projects and educational events.
Riparian (waterfront) landowners must recognize their property is part of a larger system and log jams, bank erosion, and flooding are natural processes. Establishing a buffer zone of native plants, managing (rather than removing) woody debris and using soft bioengineering techniques to stabilize banks will all help to reduce erosion and improve water quality for us and the fish and wildlife that depend on the river.
Our actions impact water quality whether we live along the river or not. The Rouge River is an urban river. Much of the land is covered by buildings, roads, parking lots and houses. These impervious surfaces prevent rainwater and snow melt from soaking into the ground. To prevent flooding on our roads and in our neighborhoods rainwater is collected in catch basins on streets and parking lots and is piped to nearby streams, carrying with it pollutants picked up along the way. The result is a flashy river system where water levels rise rapidly during and after wet weather which scours stream banks and increases sediment in the stream.
Workshops and Work Days
Friends of the Rouge periodically offers training workshops on Riparian Corridor Management. For more information, call (313) 792-9621 or email riverrestoration@therouge.org.
Resources
Streambank Stabilization and Habitat Improvement Projects
Promoting restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River ecosystem through education, citizen involvement and other collaborative efforts, for the purpose of improving the quality of life of the people, plants and animals of the watershed.
Friends of the Rouge is a 501(c)(3) corporation
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