September 6, 2023
ROUGE RUNDOWN

Fall 2023 Community Rain Gardens Course 

Are you a part of a nonprofit, municipality, community center, school, library, house of worship, park group, block club, or business owner? You may qualify for a new no-cost or low-cost rain garden! Pollution carried by rain water during heavy rains is a leading source of river pollution. You can be a part of the solution by putting Rain Gardens to the Rescue! Apply to learn about and receive a rain garden to benefit your community today. Rain gardens must be located in Detroit 48217, Dearborn Southend and the City of River Rouge. Participation in the three-part training course is required in order to be awarded a garden. Apply by September 18th!

Fish Find Their Way Upstream for the First Time in over 100 years!

Since the 1914, fish that swim up the Rouge River from the Detroit River have been blocked from the Main, Upper and Middle branches by the 12 foot waterfall/dam that Henry Ford built to power his Fair Lane Mansion home. In early August, a new fishway was opened that allows fish to pass by the dam and reach upstream waters. And there is evidence that the passageway is already in use! In late August, gizzard shad were found for the first time on the Middle branch, most likely having passed through the new fishway. This $9 million dollar project came about through the hard work of the Rouge River Advisory Council with funding from the EPA and others. 

Hey Michiganders – Native Plants are Calling You!

Save the date for Saturday, October 7th from 10am to 1pm for our second annual Fall Native Plant Market hosted by Keep Growing Detroit! Pre-order Designs by Nature native plant kits NOW for pickup or shop same-day plants from local vendors at the event. If you’re looking for even more to do, check out the Dequindre Cut’s Harvest Festival afterwards for a full day of fun!

Happy Trails: Your River Exploration Starts Here!

You are invited to a birding paddle trip—in partnership with Detroit Audubon—on Saturday, October 7.

Meet at the Newburgh Lake Boat Launch  in Livonia, MI and explore the native birds of the Rouge Watershed on this special open water birding paddle. Livery and shuttle services will be provided. If you are bringing your own boat, there is a $10 shuttle fee. It is $40 to rent a kayak or canoe. Click the link to register. See you—and the great fall migration—soon!

Community Asset Mapping In Dearborn

On August 30th members of the Salina neighborhood in Dearborn joined Friends to discuss community assets and areas within the community for environmental opportunities. Three maps full of great community knowledge were generated. Next steps will incorporate community knowledge into a 2040 Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) vision for South Dearborn!

Volunteer for Your Clean Water Future

Fall is near and the time is just right to build a clean water future! You are invited to tend baby trees and rain gardens for a better Rouge River and a better you! Click the link to below to make an impact.

Thank you Friends: FOTR Funded to Conduct Chloride Sampling

Friends of the Rouge has been awarded one of EGLE’s Nonpoint Source Program (NPS) grants to assess chloride concentrations throughout the watershed – thanks to you! Over the past three years volunteers have tested for chloride in the River during Bug Hunts using Salt Watch strips from the Izaak Walton League of America. Thanks to volunteer data, FOTR has identified many sites with readings above the Aquatic Maximum Value of 320 parts per million, which according to the EPA is defined as “the highest concentration of a material in the water column to which an aquatic community can be exposed briefly without resulting in unacceptable effects.”

This project will develop rigorous sampling protocols for chloride concentrations throughout the Rouge under an approved Quality Assurance Project Plan and result in development of correlation curves between the Salt Tab test strips, conductivity sensor readings, chloride sensor readings, and chloride water grab samples. We hope that this project can be used by other organizations throughout the state as a model for field collection of chloride data, correlation curve development, ArcGIS map development, and the use of Survey123 forms to collect the field data.

The project will increase community knowledge of the extent of chloride impairments in the Rouge River watershed, facilitate impairment designation decisions for chlorides under the Clean Water Act, and support future efforts to identify and address chloride sources in the Rouge River watershed and elsewhere. Thank you, Friends!

Farewell to Summer Monitoring Interns – Gwen and Jacklyn!

Friends of the Rouge who joined since July: The monitoring team said goodbye to the wonderful interns, Gwendolyn Drake and Jaclyn Mowry. They have been working hard all summer sampling for the invasive Red Swamp Crayfish and the invasive aquatic plant European Frogbit. The duo conducted Stream Health Assessment Surveys and supported events events. Gwen and Jaclyn gave a presentation at the Team Meeting, highlighting their many accomplishments during their internship with Friends of the Rouge. Their hard work and fun, upbeat personalities have been a great addition to the team this summer. Friends looks forward to seeing all that you accomplish in your future careers!

Merriman Hollow Native Pollinator Garden: Volunteer on Saturdays

On Saturdays during September and October, from 9 am to 12 pm, join the fun at Merriman Hollow. Experience the award-winning native demonstration garden – a feast for your senses – as you volunteer to keep this pollinator hot spot vibrant. Join the fun on Hines Drive at the Merriman entrance between Ann Arbor Trail and Warren (the same entrance used for the December Holiday light show).

FOTR Welcomes Nicole Wilson

Friends of the Rouge welcomed Nicole Wilson to the team as the new Development Coordinator this month! Nicole comes to Friends of the Rouge with over 20 years of experience in nonprofit work. She started her career at the Henry Ford where she worked her way up from a part time presenter to the Operations Supervisor of the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. After 11 years at the Henry Ford she moved to the DC area and worked as the Operations Manager of the Oceans Domestic Program at the Environmental Defense Fund. Nicole’s love for museums eventually called her back to museum work. She helped manage the day to day stewardship activities of the James Smithson Society and the Smithsonian Giving Circles for the Smithsonian.

Upcoming Events

Thurs., Sept. 7, 9am – 12pm

PARC Rain Gardens Spruce-up

Thurs., Sept. 14, 9am – 12pm 

Habitat Reforestation – Weed Mats Installation 

Fri., Sept. 22, 9am – 12pm

Habitat Reforestation – Weed Mats Installation

Partner Events

Sat. Sept. 9, 7:00-8:30pm

GINLC, Twilight Hike

Michigan State University Extension’s Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) 

Registration for Fall 2023

Northville Parks & Recreation Master Plan Survey

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From Your Friend, Lauren

Monitoring Manager

A better River is made possible thanks to these supporters and thanks to caring Friends like you