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Rouge River Watershed

Map of Rouge River Watershed

The City of Bloomfield Hills drains entirely to the Rouge River, so you live in the Rouge River Watershed.

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water such as a river or lake.  Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes and their boundaries can cross jurisdictions.  No matter where you live, you live in a watershed. 

The Rouge River Watershed, located in Southeast Michigan, runs through the most densely populated and urbanized land area in the state.  The watershed is approximately 438 square miles in size and includes all or part of 48 municipalities in three counties with a population of over 1.5 million.  There are over 40 lakes, impoundments, and ponds in the watershed.  More than 50% of the watershed is considered urbanized, mostly in the south and east portions.