Come join us! The Detroit River Family Fishing Day will be held on Saturday July 2, 2022 from 8am to 1pm at Front Road Park. This park is located at 1 Laurier Drive, at the intersection of Laurier Driver and Front Road, LaSalle, ON. Parking available at the public lot on Adams Lane.

This event takes place during Ontario Family Fishing Event week when residents can fish in Ontario waters without the mandatory license. Join expert anglers from Just Fishin’ Friends for a fun morning on the river. Fishing equipment will be available for public use for free and there will be displays, giveaways and more!

Participants are encouraged to bring their own rods (if they have them) as we have a limited number available, personal flotation devices for those under the age of 18, folding chairs, a hat, sunscreen/bug spray, reusable water bottle, snacks and plenty of patience while waiting for a bite!

All children must be accompanied by a parent, grandparent or legal guardian who will be required to sign a waiver and release form on site for each participating child.

For more information please contact Gina Pannunzio, Partnerships and Outreach Coordinator at 519-776-5209 ext. 245 or email gpannunzio@erca.org.

A recent article from CBC Windsor highlights a local scuba diver's finds and insight on what is at the bottom of the Detroit River. Matt Zuidema has spotted toilets, spare tires, a grand piano, cannons and even two classic cars covered in zebra mussels and fishing gear! Special shout out to Peter Berry, the Harbour Master with Windsor Port Authority for being part of this important Detroit River news story as well.

While it is certainly interesting to hear about these unique items at the bottom of the Detroit River, their presence tells us we can always learn from the past and protect it from future issues that can 100% be prevented by diverting waste from storm, sanitary and combined sewers, not using our toilets as garbage cans and taking advantage of the resources and waste diversion streams available at the Public Dropoff Depot.

Fats, Oils and Grease (FOGs): FOGs accumulate in the sewers, restricting flows, and may contribute to basement flooding. FOGs that make it to the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) clog pipes and screens, and reduce the effectiveness of the overall treatment process, increasing plant operation costs. FOGs should be allowed to solidify in a jar and then be disposed of with the garbage.

Plastics: Plastics and rags are unhealthy for sewers. These objects float, clog and can by-pass the chemical and physical collection processes at WWTP. The following should be disposed of as regular garbage: personal hygiene products, wrappers, rags and product labels.

Household Chemicals: The WWTPs are designed to treat human waste only. Other chemicals entering the WWTP may pass through the plant to the Detroit River. All waste household chemicals, including pesticides, paints, etc. should be taken to the Household Chemical Waste Depot, 3560 North Service Road East in Windsor (on the corner of E.C. Row and Central), the same location as the Public Drop Off Depot or EWSWA Transfer Station #2 in Kingsville.

Storm Sewers carry stormwater runoff only. Storm Sewers eventually drain to the Detroit River, untreated. There are 732 kilometres of storm sewers within the City of Windsor.

The photo above, on the right shows a storm drain with a fish marking. This means means any precipitation or runoff plus any materials like litter, pollution, organic leaf litter and more goes directly to a water body without being treated first. In Windsor, LaSalle and Amherstburg, these storm drains flow into the Detroit River. If you have one in your neighborhood, you can keep it clear of debris during storm events. This not only helps protect fish and wildlife in the Detroit River watershed, but also prevents storm drain backups that can lead to street flooding. You can also keep a tight lid on your trash can and recycle bins to reduce wind blown litter.

Some other outdoor actions you can implement at home to protect the Detroit River include:

Detroit's City Council approved new legislation in June to improve drinking water and environmental quality of the Detroit River. This legislation also known as the Detroit River Protection Ordinance amends property standards of waterfront properties that are used for industrial or commercial purposes. It also increases city inspections on these properties and reporting obligations if an incident occurs and greater enforcement of fines for violations.

This new ordinance follows the shoreline collapse that occurred in November 2019 at the former Revere Copper site. Detroit Bulk Storage, an aggregate company was responsible for the collapse after only reporting to the US Coast Guard, and failing to report the incident to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the City of Detroit.

Muskegon Lake, located in Michigan, USA, was designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) in 1987, due to historic industrial pollution & sawmill debris, shoreline hardening & development, and infilling of open water and coastal wetlands. Shortly after the designation, cleanup efforts and restoration began. In total, four sediment remediation projects have been completed through engaged partnerships with state agencies, industry, local municipalities and other stakeholders at a total cost a total of $46.6 million, with approximately $30.3 million from federal funding and $16.3 million in non federal contributions. The four projects collectively remediated approximately 200,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment!