a conservation vision for the lower detroit river ecosystem

A Conservation Vision for the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem An American & Canadian Heritage River... We are proud to present this binational conservation vision for the Lower Detroit Riv

A Conservation Vision

for the Lower Detroit River

Ecosystem

An American & Canadian Heritage River

We are proud to present this binational conservation vision for the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem Our Detroit River not only links the Upper Great Lakes to the Lower Great Lakes, but it also connects Canadians and Americans through an inseparable, international border This connection is highlighted by the river’s designation as both a Canadian and American Heritage River — giving the Detroit River the distinction of being the first

international heritage river system in North America.

O ur heritage river is being rediscovered as an invaluable, multifaceted resource that serves as the foundation of our economies, provides numerous recreational opportunities and ecological values, and enhances "quality of life." Recognizing that we need to protect and be good stewards of this significant and sensitive natural resource, we convened a binational workshop

to articulate and reach Canada-United States agreement on a conservation vision for the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem As you will see on the following pages, the vision which emerged presents strategic direction for a cooperative, coordinated, binational approach to enhancing and protecting our region’s unique and most valuable natural asset.

O ur common linkage through the Detroit River and our long-standing, binational, working relationships made it relatively easy to reach agreement on a Lower Detroit River Conservation Vision Attaining this vision, however, will require that people on both sides of the river realize that ecosystem integrity is the foundation for healthy economies and communities W e are united in our commitment to communicating that important message and helping achieve the Lower Detroit River Conservation Vision Please join us in working toward conserving our common natural resource and realizing the vision for our internationally recognized river.

Sincer ely, John D Dingell U.S Congressman 16th District of Michigan

H erb Gray Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Member of Parliament for

W indsor-W est, O ntario

Peter W Stroh Chairman, Executive Committee

of the Greater Detroit American

H eritage River Initiative

Susan W helan Member of Parliament for Essex, O ntario, Canada

Susan W helan

Member of Parliament for

Essex, O ntario, Canada

Peter W Stroh

Chairman, Executive Committee

of the Greater Detroit American

Heritage River Initiative

H erb Gray

Deputy Prime Minister of Canada

Member of Parliament for

W indsor-W est, Ontario

John D Dingell

U.S Congressman

16th District of Michigan

A Conservation Vision

for the Lower Detroit River

Ecosystem

An American & Canadian Heritage River

Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) published this document in support of the Canadian/United States visioning process

for the Lower Detroit River as part of its program management of the Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative.

MAC is a public/private partnership of business, labor and governmental leaders that facilitates solutions to regional

issues affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in Southeast Michigan.

Metropolitan Affairs Coalition

535 Griswold, Suite 300 Detroit, MI 48226-3602 313-961-2270

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A Conservation Vision for the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem

The Detroit River is one of North America’s greatest rivers in the heart of the Great Lakes Basin It connects the Upper Great Lakes to the Lower Great Lakes More than that, it links Canadians and Americans through an inseparable border The Detroit River is an invaluable, multifaceted resource that serves

as th e fou n d ation of ou r econ om ies, p rovid es n u m erou s recreation al opportunities and ecological values, and enhances “quality of life.”

Native peoples first lived along the Detroit River to benefit from the water

su p p ly, th e n atu ral resou rces, an d th e tran sp ortation rou te Th ese sam e benefits attracted European settlers in the 1600s and 1700s When Cadillac established Detroit in 1701, the river had extensive marshes along its banks and considerable upland habitats that supported numerous wildlife The Detroit River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) notes that over 95 percent of the historical, coastal wetlands along the river have been lost to development As a result, the RAP identified “loss of fish and wildlife habitat” as one of nine impaired beneficial uses of water

Therefore, it is urgent to protect the remaining coastal wetlands and other ecological featu res before th ey are lost to fu rth er d evelop m en t, an d to rehabilitate degraded ones The purpose of this document is to outline a conservation vision for the Lower Detroit River to help achieve that end

U.S.A.

1 M ud Island

2 Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge

3 Grassy Island

4 Hennepin M arsh

5 Black Lagoon

6 Solutia Property

7 DaimlerChrysler Property

8 Humbug Complex

9 Humbug Island

10 Calf Island

11 Sturgeon Bar

12 Celeron Island

13 Sugar Island

14 Gibraltar Bay

15 Stony Island

Canada

16 Detroit River

Wetlands

17 Fighting Island

18 Grass Island

19 Turkey Island

20 Canard River

M arsh

21 Crystal Island

& Bay

22 White Sands

Examples Of

Ecologically

Significant Areas

and Potential

Rehabilitation

Sites

Note: Ojibway Shores

is presently being

assessed for its

biological significance

and habitat values;

it may be appropriate

to add this site to the

map based on the

outcome of this

assessment.

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Image: US Army Corps of Engineers Map: Wayne County Geographic Information System Management Unit

Lower Detroit River is Unique and Important

Th e Low er Detroit River is th e d ow n stream reach of th e river, from th e con flu en ce of th e Rou ge River to th e m ou th at Lake Erie

It con tain s sh ip p in g ch an n els an d n u m erou s sh oals th at su p p ort

d en se stan d s of aqu atic p lan ts, an d m an y islan d s Th ese d istin ct

ch an n els an d oth er u n iqu e h abitats an d ecological featu res (see

m ap ) attract an d su stain m an y fish an d w ild life sp ecies

Situated at the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, the Detroit River is an important migration corridor for hundreds of fish, butterfly, raptor, neo-tropical bird, and waterfowl species

An estimated three million ducks, geese, swans, and coots migrate annually through this region

Home to many waterfowl, fish, and wildlife

Th e Detroit River an d Western Lake Erie con tain exten sive feed in g an d n estin g h abitats for

w aterfow l For exam p le, over 300,000 d ivin g d u cks stop each year to rest an d feed on bed s

of w ild celery in th e Low er Detroit River d u rin g th eir fall m igration from Can ad a to th e east

an d sou th In 1960, th e in tern ation al im p ortan ce of th is area w as m an ifested in th e U.S

Con gression al d esign ation of th e 460-acre Wyan d otte Nation al Wild life Refu ge in th e low er river Near th is refu ge is th e Can ard River Marsh Com p lex in Can ad a, an oth er im p ortan t

w aterfow l stagin g area Th ese h abitats are in tern ation ally sign ifican t becau se th ey are

am on g th e m ain restin g an d feed in g areas for can vasback d u cks

m igratin g from th eir n estin g grou n d s in th e Can ad ian p rairies

to th e east coast Man y can vasbacks also overw in ter in

th e area Th e Can ad a-Un ited States North Am erican Waterfow l Man agem en t Plan h as id en tified th e Detroit River as p art of on e

of 34 Waterfow l Habitat Areas of Major Con cern in th e

The Michigan

Department

of Natural

Resources and

Ontario Ministry

of Natural

Resources

recognize the Detroit

River as having one of

the highest diversities

of wildlife and fish in

all of the Great Lakes.

More than 29 species

of waterfowl and 65

kinds of fish make

their home in the

Detroit River.

(Top) Ringneck Ducks

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

(Inset Lower Right)

Merganser Duck

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

(Right) Yellow-headed

Blackbird, Pte Mouille

State Game Area

Michigan D epartment

of N atural Resources

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A Diverse Ecosystem

A diverse ecosystem

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources recognize the Detroit River as having one of the highest diversities of wildlife and fish in all of the Great Lakes More than 29 species of waterfowl and 65 kinds of fish make their home in the Detroit River The Detroit Audubon Society has documented over 300 species of birds in the Detroit-Windsor area About 150 bird species nest near the river

In 1998, the Canada-U.S State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference identified the Detroit River-Lake St Clair ecosystem as one of 20 Biodiversity Investment Areas in the entire Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem because it supports an exceptional diversity of plants, fish, and birds, and the requisite habitats to support them Biodiversity Investment Areas are unique areas around the Great Lakes with exceptionally high ecological values that warrant special attention to protect them from degradation High ecological values include:

• Com m u n ities of u n iqu e p lan ts an d an im als fou n d in

p laces su ch as coastal w etlan d s an d islan d s;

• Species of special interest and rare, threatened, or endangered species;

• High sp ecies an d h abitat d iversity; an d

• High levels of ecological con n ectivity, both alon g th e

sh orelin e an d to islan d or offsh ore n atu ral featu res.

Calf Island, Trenton Channel

US Army Corps of Engineers

(Inset) Sugar Island, South Shore

Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy

(Inset Lower) Bufflehead Duck

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

(Inset Top, Right Center)

Great Blue H eron Don Breneman, National Park Service

(Inset Right Center)

Professional W alleye Trail,

N ational Record W alleye

Mike Barkley, Downriver Walleye Federation

Un ited States an d Can ad a (i.e., Low er Great Lakes-St Law ren ce Basin ) In ad d ition , m arsh es alon g

th e Low er Detroit River an d North w est Oh io h ave been d eclared p art of a Region al Sh orebird Reserve by th e Western Hem isp h eric Sh orebird Reserve Netw ork

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Michigan State Representative George Mans and Congressman John Dingell

“W alleye W eek,”

Trenton, Michigan Gerald Laura

Citizen benefits

The diversity of biota and habitats in the Lower Detroit River provides numerous benefits to the over five

million people who live near it The Lower Detroit River has an international reputation for duck hunting

In 1991, retail sales related to waterfowl hunting in Michigan were estimated at

$20.1 million Also during 1991, bird watching, photography, and other non-consumptive uses of waterfowl contributed an additional $192.8 million to Michigan’s economy Similar statistics from 1998 for

hunting and fishing for the Essex region (i.e., City of Windsor and Essex

County) show that spending for these activities totaled $2.2 million, while

an additional $14.6 million was spent on non-consumptive activities,

including naturalist activities

Over 870,000 p leasu re boats are registered in Mich igan an d abou t

Lake St Clair, in p art to fish for th e estim ated 10 m illion w alleye th at ascen d

th e river from Lake Erie each sp rin g to sp aw n , creatin g an in tern ation ally

ren ow n ed sp ort fish ery In 1999, th e City of Tren ton h osted a m ajor w alleye

fish in g tou rn am en t called “Walleye Week,” attractin g p eop le from all over North Am erica

to com p ete for $240,000 in p rize m on ey It is estim ated th at w alleye fish in g alon e brin gs in

$1 m illion to th e econ om y of com m u n ities alon g th e Low er Detroit River each sp rin g In 2000,

th e Win d sor Can ad ian Pro-Am Bass Fish in g Tou rn am en t gen erated $163,000 in d irect sp en d in g

an d an overall econ om ic ben efit of $360,000 on th e Can ad ian sid e of th e Detroit River

Urgency and Opportunity

Desp ite in creased aw aren ess an d scien ce su p p ortin g th eir im p ortan ce, fish an d w ild life h abitats

in th e Low er Detroit River con tin u e to be d estroyed an d d egrad ed Th ere is a sen se of u rgen cy

an d a u n iqu e op p ortu n ity to p rotect th e rem ain in g h igh -qu ality h abitats before th ey are lost to

Canard River Marsh, O ntario Essex Region Conservation Authority

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fu rth er d evelop m en t, as w ell to reh abilitate an d en h an ce th ose alread y d egrad ed Th is is essen tial

to su stain th e “qu ality of life” th at attracts so m an y p eop le to th e Detroit River corrid or

Th e Essex Region Con servation Au th ority an d its p artn ers in Sou th w estern On tario, Can ad a alon g

w ith th e U.S Geological Su rvey’s Great Lakes Scien ce Cen ter, h ave in ven toried an d d evelop ed

tru e to a con servation vision

It is h op ed th at a con servation vision w ill fu rth er bin ation al coord in ation of efforts to p rotect

d esired fish an d w ild life p op u lation s, an d to p reserve biod iversity Fu rth er, it is h op ed th at th is

con servation vision w ill en cou rage all stakeh old ers to m an age in lan d w atersh ed s sin ce

th ose w atersh ed s also im p act on th e Detroit River Th e tim e is righ t for agreem en t on a con servation vision for th e Low er Detroit River Ecosystem

The Vision Statement

A vision is a clear im age of a d esired fu tu re state Th is con servation vision for th e Low er Detroit River Ecosystem w ill:

• Provide strategic direction for habitat conservation program s in the Lower Detroit River and support linkages with sim ilar efforts in tributaries and their watersheds;

• Fu rth er bin ation al coord in ation of efforts to con serve n atu ral resou rces in th is

in tern ation ally sign ifican t region ;

• Provide the rationale and direction for local conservation and land use planning initiatives, and illustrate their role in achieving this conservation vision; and

• Catalyze actions in both Canada and the United States to conserve and protect unique habitats and ecological features for the benefit of present and future generations.

Heritage River

Designations

I n 1998, all of t hese nat ur al r esour ce

values and socioeconom ic benefit s were

acclaim ed when t he D et roit River was

designat ed an A m er ican H er it age River.

O n July 19, 2001, t he D et roit River received

a C anadian H er it age River designat ion,

m aking it t he first river syst em t o receive

dual her it age r iver designat ions in

N or t h Am erica.

Crystal and Stony Islands (N orth End)

U S., Canadian border Visual Image Produc-tions, W indsor, Ontario

(Inset) Canard River

Marsh, Ontario Essex Region Conservation

Author-it y

Yellow Perch,

P Ceisel, Shedd Aquarium

Eastern Box Turtle National Park Service Vision

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Recogn izin g th e im p ortan ce of th e Low er Detroit River Ecosystem in su stain in g “qu ality of life,”

th e follow in g con servation vision w as d evelop ed to p rovid e strategic d irection for m an agem en t:

In 10 y e a rs the Low e r De troit Riv e r Ecosy ste m w ill b e a n inte rna tiona l conse rv a tion

re gion w he re the he a lth a nd d iv e rsity of w ild life a nd fish a re susta ine d through

p rote ction of e xisting significa nt ha b ita ts a nd re ha b ilita tion of d e gra d e d one s, a nd

w he re the re sulting e cologica l, re cre a tiona l, e conom ic, e d uca tiona l, a nd “q ua lity of life ”

b e ne fits a re susta ine d for p re se nt a nd future ge ne ra tions.

Th is con servation vision is su p p orted by th e follow in g elem en ts th at fu rth er d efin e

th e d esired fu tu re state of th e Low er Detroit River:

• Rem ain in g m arsh es, coastal w etlan d s, islan d s, an d n atu ral sh orelin es are p rotected in p erp etu ity from d evelop m en t:

• Degrad ed m arsh , w etlan d , islan d , an d sh orelin e h abitats are reh abilitated ,

w h erever an d w h en ever p ossible, an d p rotected in p erp etu ity;

• A n In tern ation al Wild life Refu ge h as been establish ed an d is m an aged

in a p artn ersh ip con sisten t w ith th is vision statem en t;

• T h e en viron m en t is clean an d safe for all w ild life, fish , an d oth er biota, in clu d in g h u m an s;

• Fish an d w ild life com m u n ities are h ealth y, d iverse, an d self-su stain in g;

• Levels of tox ic su bstan ces d o n ot th reaten w ild life, fish , or h u m an h ealth ;

• Econ om ic d evelop m en t an d red evelop m en t is well p lan n ed , aesth etically p leasin g,

an d en viron m en tally su stain able; an d

• Pu blic access an d recreation al an d ed u cation al u ses are seen as p riorities for ach ievin g “qu ality of life.”

Next Steps

to achieve this vision and ensure that all stakeholder groups participate As much as possible, future

Mud Island is one of many islands in the Lower Detroit River that provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife N ational Steel Corporation’s donation of Mud Island

to the U.S Fish and

W ildlife Service at a ceremony in July 2001

is an important step forward in realizing the Lower Detroit River Conservation Vision.

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W ood Duck Michigan Department of

Natural Resources

(Inset) Sturgeon

Patrice Ceisel, Shedd Aquarium

US Army Corps of Engineers

Detroit American Heritage River Initiative, and the Canadian Heritage River Initiative for the Detroit River The present binational effort to develop delisting criteria for restoring beneficial uses of water (i.e., environ-mental and natural resource, rehabilitation targets) should provide good direction

Future activities can be broadly organized into two categories The first focuses on habitat protection, whereby existing high-quality habitats or features are protected before their functions are lost Protecting existing habitats or features is a higher priority than rehabilitating degraded ones — although all stakeholders recognize the critical importance of rehabilitating degraded habitats along the river Most of the remaining habitats or features are irreplaceable to the Lower Detroit River Ecosystem Their protection is essential if the Detroit River is to maintain the significant fish and wildlife it possesses The

Achieving the Vision

Achieving this conservation vision will require that people on both sides of the Detroit River recognize that ecosystem integrity is the foundation for healthy economies and communities All stakeholders are

outreach programs will be necessary for municipalities, businesses, and citizens to understand their important roles and their individual responsibilities in making this conservation vision a reality

Stony Island

US Army Corps of Engineers

(Inset top) Egret

Essex Region

Conservation Authority

(Inset Center) Canard River

Marsh, O ntario

Essex Region

Conservation Authority

(Inset Bottom)

H umbug Island and Marsh,

Gibraltar, Michigan

Visual Image Productions,

W indsor, Ontario

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