Detroit

Environment

Air pollution is a point of great concern for the Motor City. Like other major cities, Detroit's air is contaminated daily by human activities, such as driving cars, burning fuel, and industrial manufacturing.

The Detroit region is surrounded by hundreds of lakes and miles of rivers and streams. Most are working or recreational bodies of water. Some watershed areas have previously been plagued with environmental degradation, like Zug Island, Metropolitan Beach Parkway, and the Detroit River. The state, U.S. Federal, and Canadian governments have identified the Detroit River as an international area of concern. The river's environmental problems and ecological impairments stem from urban growth and industrial development. Since the late 1800s, 95 percent of the Detroit River's original wetland habitat has been lost through urban and industrial development. Areas of the Detroit River have sediments contaminated with high concentrations of metals and organic compounds, a legacy of industry and a naive understanding of the ecosystem.

Although industrial history has played a significant role in the river's problems, the environmental degradation continues. Municipal and industrial discharges, poor land-use practices, combined sewer overflows, urban and agricultural runoff, and contaminants from air deposition continue. Plans to address the environmental concerns and improve the overall quality of the ecosystem have been developed and implemented by several different conservancy organizations in and around the Detroit area. A plan with priority action is to protect the remaining fish and wildlife habitat in the Detroit River watershed.