Resources

Managing a national wildlife refuge is complicated business; what helps one species may have drawbacks for another species. For example, should a refuge restore prairie habitat to benefit grassland birds, or should staff time and funding be used to improve habitat for forest-associated species? Should staff focus on wildlife research or combating invasive species? A new trail will enhance access for fishing, but will it make an area less desirable for nesting birds? Answering these and other questions shapes the future of national wildlife refuges.

Following a heavy rain event, a mixture of diesel fuel and lube waste oil was observed the morning of April 9, 2002, in the Rouge River. In the late evening of April 12, 2002, or the early morning of April 13th, another oil spill occurred after a heavy rainfall. It appeared the oil came from one of the combined sewer outfalls on the River Rouge (Baby Creek Outfall). This release was trapped in the River Rouge due to booming at the mouth, preventing further releases oil into the Detroit River. This spill was significantly greater than the first release.

The purpose of the Canadian Lake St. Clair Management Plan is to recommend actions required to address identified ecosystem management issues affecting the sustainability of the Lake St. Clair ecosystem. The Lake St. Clair Canadian Management Plan is the result of six years of work to: gather, interpret, and identify management issues; identify a binational vision, principles and goals for the Lake St. Clair basin; gather input from over 500 stakeholders, partners, and the public of the Lake St.

Beginning in the 1940s, industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants on the Saginaw River, Michigan, released PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and related compounds into the Saginaw River. Because of on-site contamination, releases from the facilities continued after PCBs were banned in the 1970s. These releases also damaged the Saginaw Bay ecosystem. Saginaw Bay is one of the prime walleye fishing and waterfowl hunting areas in the Great Lakes and also drains into Lake Huron.

The Huron River Watershed Council protects and restores the Huron River for the benefit of healthy and vibrant communities. HRWC is a nonprofit coalition of Huron Valley residents, businesses, and local governments. The Council bridges political boundaries by building partnerships between and among communities, community leaders, residents, and commercial enterprises.

Cedar Creek is a significant area of natural beauty within the St. Joseph River watershed in northeastern Indiana. This Cedar Creek Watershed Management Plan is intended to be a living document designed to assist watershed stakeholders in their efforts toward restoration and protection of the Cedar Creek, the largest tributary of the St. Joseph River in the Maumee River Basin. This document describes a sub-watershed of the St. Joseph River and is intended to be a subsection of the St. Joseph River Watershed Management Plan.

The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority provides leadership in southwestern Ontario through coordination of watershed planning, implementation of resource management programs, and promotion of conservation awareness in cooperation with others. Because what happens on the land is reflected in the water and ecosystems, the SCRCA develops programs that protect land resources and promotes watershed stewardship practices that lead to healthy, sustainable communities and industries.

NOAA's C-CAP Land Cover Atlas is an online, interactive map that displays regional land cover and land cover change for coastlines in the United States, including those along the Great Lakes. The map summarizes general change trends (such as forest losses or new development), highlights specific changes of interest (salt marsh losses to open water, or evergreen forest losses to development, for instance), and provides tables, maps, and reports to enhance communication and decision-making.

The Delft3D Flexible Mesh Suite (Delft3D FM) models coastal, estuarine, river, rural, and urban environments in order to support coastal and marine management. This software can simulate storm surges, hurricanes, tsunamis, detailed flows and water levels, waves, sediment transport and morphology, water quality and ecology, and is capable of handling the interactions between these processes.