Proposed Salem Township wastewater treatment facility would negatively impact Fellow’s Creek

Permit No. MI0060338

The public comment period ended April 4, 2024 and EGLE is currently reviewing it.

FOTR’s Position: Due to the Fellows Creek’s unique importance as an ecological resource and the negative impact that the Wastewater Treatment Facility development and associated infrastructure will have on the health of Fellows Creek and the Rouge River watershed, FOTR recommends denial of this permit.

If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact Tom Braum, Environmental Quality Analyst- Municipal Permits Unit, at BraumT2@michigan.gov or 517-331-7377.

Our Executive Director, Marie McCormick, was on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 on December 20, 2023 to talk about the impacts the proposed Salem Township wastewater treatment facility would impact biodiversity at Fellow’s Creek and the health of the Rouge River. “There are slivers of high-quality streams remaining in our watershed in southeast Michigan, and Fellows Creek is one of those,” said McCormick.

Friends of the Rouge strongly opposes this permit application 

Photo of Public Notice. Click to enlarge

FOTR has been continually monitoring the progress of Salem Township’s application for a new wastewater treatment facility. We are aware that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) proposes to issue a permit to Salem Township for the Salem Township Urban Service District Wastewater Treatment Plant. We understand this proposed sewage facility is to be located at the southwest corner of M-14 and Napier Roads, north of Powell Road, directly across from Plymouth Township on land owned by the developer of the “Salem Springs” project. This sewage plant will discharge 840,000 gallons of flow each day into the Fellows Creek which runs through Plymouth and Canton Townships and into the lower Rouge River.  

The headwaters are home to a diverse population of aquatic life. Increased flows to this tributary increase the likelihood of localized flooding and flooding downstream and more channel erosion downstream as the river system adjusts to the increased flows.

Fellows Creek is one of very few Rouge River tributaries that still supports a diverse assemblage of benthic macroinvertebrates that provide food for fish and are a critical component of the ecology of the stream. The sensitive families include Perlodidae, Capniidae, Leptophlebiidae, Polycentropodidae, Molannidae, Limnephelidae, Sialidae, Unionidae, Corydalidae, Phryganeidae, and Philopotomidae.

Fellows Creek is a cold water creek supporting Mottled Sculpins, the only place in the Lower Rouge they are found. There are 21 species of fishes we have sampled in Fellow’s Creek as follows: Gizzard Shad, Stoneroller, Common Shiner, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Bluntnose Minnow, Fathead Minnow, Black Nose Dace, Creek Chub, White Sucker, Mudminnow, Mottled Sculpin, Green Sunfish, Pumpkin Seed, Bluegill, Northern Sunfish (Rare in the Rouge), Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Johnny Darter and the Blackside Darter.

2023 River Data Reporting

FOTR is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1986 to raise awareness about the need to clean up the Rouge River.  In existence for 37 years, we operate under the mission, “To restore, protect, and enhance the Rouge River watershed through stewardship, education, and collaboration.”  We envision a future where a clean and vibrant Rouge River is the center of our community.  Individual and community actions protect and improve the health of the Rouge River, assuring that its natural, economic, and recreational value enhances the quality of life in the Rouge River ecosystem.