To restore, protect, and enhance the Rouge River watershed through stewardship, education, and collaboration.

Friends of the Rouge was founded in 1986 by a group of concerned citizens to address the health of the Rouge River watershed, one of the most polluted river systems in the country. Friends of the Rouge works to actively empower community to achieve the vision of a clean and vibrant Rouge River in the heart of Metro Detroit.

Program areas include:
Restoration
Each year, hundreds of volunteers take part in building a clean water future with Friends. Rain gardens, bioswales, stormwater parks, and tree plantings create green solutions across Metro Detroit to combat neighborhood flooding, water pollution, heat, and habitat loss. One small rain garden may capture and absorb as much as 10,000 gallons of water every time it rains! The gardens, planted with Michigan native plants, create a sense of place and provide a beautiful oasis for butterflies, songbirds, and people! They also bring cleaner water to Rouge River fish, frogs, plants, and you. A recently tree planting project reforested a branch of the Rouge River with 14,000 new, native Michigan tree saplings. The Restoration program area is growing the most rapidly to meet the needs of a changing climate. To date, hundreds of rain gardens have been planted at schools, community centers, parks, in the front yard of neighbors homes across Metro Detroit.

Water Trail
The Lower Rouge River Water Trail is made up of 29 continuous river miles of adventure to explore by kayak or canoe. The Water Trail program is creating kayak launches, trailheads, and a built environment to allow access to a river that has been historically walled off from its surrounding community. Programming includes curated paddling trips and community outreach to build a trail that best fits the 10 communities that stretch along the ribbon of blue - the Lower Rouge River.
Rouge Education Project
The Rouge Education Project is an environmental education program involving elementary, middle, and high schools from across Metro Detroit. Students engage in the lifechanging experience of hands-on
scientific exploration, in waders, at the Rouge River. Students conduct real science, that they see the meaning of, and evaluate chemical, biological, and physical parameters of water quality to determine
the overall health of their “bend” of the River. And in turn, they forge connections with nature, their River, and science that last a lifetime.
“You have a lot of kids who come in and say ‘I don’t like science.’ ‘I am not a scientist.’ I have never even been to the river.’ The Rouge Education Project changes them.” –Tracy Ortiz, participating Rouge Education Project teacher at Clippert Academy in Detroit.

Biological Monitoring
The collection of year-round biological data, thanks to the incredible efforts of volunteer scientists, allows the measurement and tracking of Rouge River health over time. Working alongside trained team leaders, these volunteer are part of a citizen scientist movement. Their efforts have resulted in the most comprehensive, long-term fish and bug data set on the Rouge River system. In fact, the Rouge River is the most sampled river in the state of Michigan for fish!  And, a recent study by University of Michigan found that data collected by Friends of the Rouge citizen scientists is on par with professionally collected data. Data, analysis and findings are with the public, Rouge River watershed communities, and state agencies for use in local decision making.
Monitoring participants become active, engaged, and committed stewards of the River. 



Friends of the Rouge

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We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

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