Watersheds
Watershed Management
The City of Bloomfield Hills is located in the Rouge River Watershed of Southeast Michigan. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a small body of water (stream, tributary, or river) that flows into a larger body of water. The ultimate discharge point of a watershed may be a pond, lake, or river.
Rouge River Watershed
The Rouge River watershed drains approximately 467 square miles. It has 4 major branches (Main, Upper, Middle, and Lower) with 126 river miles and numerous tributaries. In addition to the flowing water, there are more than 400 lakes, impoundments and ponds. Within the watershed, there are over 1.35 million people in 48 municipalities. Three counties (Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne) are part of the watershed and the land is more than 50% urbanized with less than 25% remaining undeveloped.
In conjunction with state and federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, local nonprofit and other organizations promote the protection of the Rouge River Watershed. Such organizations include Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) and Alliance of Rouge Communities (ARC).
Rouge River Organizations
The City of Bloomfield Hills is located in the Rouge River Watershed of Southeast Michigan. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a small body of water (stream, tributary, or river) that flows into a larger body of water. The ultimate discharge point of a watershed may be a pond, lake, or river.
Rouge River Watershed
The Rouge River watershed drains approximately 467 square miles. It has 4 major branches (Main, Upper, Middle, and Lower) with 126 river miles and numerous tributaries. In addition to the flowing water, there are more than 400 lakes, impoundments and ponds. Within the watershed, there are over 1.35 million people in 48 municipalities. Three counties (Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne) are part of the watershed and the land is more than 50% urbanized with less than 25% remaining undeveloped.
In conjunction with state and federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, local nonprofit and other organizations promote the protection of the Rouge River Watershed. Such organizations include Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) and Alliance of Rouge Communities (ARC).
Rouge River Organizations
- Friends of the Rouge - is a nonprofit organization established in 1986 to bring attention to the environmental needs of the Rouge River. Their mission statement is “To promote restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River ecosystem through education, citizen involvement and other collaborative efforts, for the purpose of improving the quality of life for the people, plants, and animals of the watershed.”
- Alliance of the Rouge Communities - is a voluntary organization consisting of 35 municipalities, 3 counties, and several other cooperating partners. The ARC encourages and supports communities seeking water quality assistance. The ARC has multiple committees dedicated to maintain the ARC and achieve its goals dedicated to the Rouge River Watershed.