The Rouge River Advisory Council (RRAC), formerly the Rouge River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Advisory Council, was founded in 1993 to advise the Rouge River Remedial Action Plan Team on RAP issues. Work on “The Rouge River Strategy” was started in October 1985. It later became the Rouge River RAP, and was completed and adopted by stakeholders in 1989. The RAP described actions needed to clean up and preserve the Rouge River, and set out a 20-year plan to accomplish these goals. Michigan’s RAP process required that the RAP be updated every two years. A technical group known as the “RAP Team” was formed in 1993 to revise the RAP (1992 RAP Progress Report, 1994 RAP Update, 1998 RAP Progress Report, 2004 RAP Revision).
In 2008, the RRAC developed the Delisting Targets for Fish and Wildlife Habitat & Population Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) for the Rouge River Area of Concern (AOC). The RRAC continued to support and advocate for activities in the Rouge AOC that would benefit the large
population within its boundaries and has been a visible member at the annual AOC and Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) meetings, sharing its lessons learned and is a cooperating partner in the Alliance of Rouge Communities (ARC). The RRAC has representatives on both the SPAC Habitat Subcommittee and the SPAC EJ-DEI Subcommittee.
In 2016 the RRAC focused time and effort on developing the final management action Rouge AOC Habitat Project list for the removal of the Habitat BUIs. In 2018 the list was approved by both the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as the remaining projects needed to be completed in order to remove the Habitat BUIs and move the Rouge River towards delisting.
RRAC is responsible for advising EGLE on the update and implementation of the Rouge RAP and over the years have formed a number of subcommittees to deal with more specific issues such as habitat destruction, nonpoint source pollution (such as stormwater runoff), on-site sewage disposal, public education, contaminated sites, and headwater land use. They also act as liaison with the public at large and with interest groups to ensure that there is adequate public participation in the RAP process.
The mission of the RRAC is to assist in the attainment of the goals of the RAP by enhancing public awareness and education concerning RAP issues, providing a mechanism for the participation of all interested parties, seeking broad-based support for the RAP update, assisting in implementation of the Rouge RAP, and independently evaluating progress toward the goal of restoring designated uses and delisting the Rouge River watershed as an Area of Concern (AOC). In 2022 the RRAC Bylaws were updated to better serve the mission and goals of the RRAC.
Rouge River AOC Map
The Alliance of Rouge Communities and the RRAC, along with USEPA, EGLE, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and our local members developed a formal list of specific projects that needed to be completed in the watershed in order to remove the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Beneficial Use Impairment (BUIs) to begin moving towards delisting the Rouge River as an Area of Concern (AOC). This work resulted in the development of a Rouge AOC habitat list that was approved by EGLE and EPA in 2018. The ARC, with RRAC support, has been actively applying for funding to implement many of the projects on the list. Several of them have received funding and are in process or complete. These projects are highlighted below along with other projects that the RRAC has supported in the Rouge River Watershed.
Seeley Creek Habitat Restoration
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02700)
Nankin Lake Habitat Restoration
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02040-1)
Rouge AOC Habitat Restoration Design & Implementation Tamarack Creek/Johnson Creek Fish Hatchery
View project info for Tamarack Creek Restoration (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02344-2 & GL-00E02478) View project info for Johnson Creek Fish Hatchery (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02344-2 & GL-00E02478)
Rouge River AOC PAC Support
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI/Michigan EGLE GL-00E02481)
Henry Ford Estate Fishway
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02040-1)
Rouge River AOC Habitat Colonial & Venoy Restoration
(Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02830-0) View Colonial Park project info View Venoy Dorsey Park project info
Rouge River AOC Habitat Restoration Design Implementation Wayne County Parkland
View Lola Valley Park project info View Bell Creek project info View Riverview Park project info View Sherwood Park project info View Lower Rouge project info
(Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02432-0 & GL-00E02896-0)
Rouge River AOC Habitat Restoration at LTU Wetland
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02976-0)
Rouge River AOC Habitat Restoration Design Wilcox/Phoenix/Inkster & Implementation Wilcox/Phoenix
(Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02997-0 & GL-00E03267-0) Wilcox Lake project info Phoenix Lake project info Inkster Park project info (Funded by USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02997-0)
Lower Rouge Old Channel
View project info (Funded by GLRI Economy Act Agreement with EPA)
Johnson Creek Intercounty Drain Restoration
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E02919-0 &
G-00E03261-0)
Firefighters Park Sprague Drain Habitat Improvement
View project info (Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E003266-0 &
G-00E03520-0)
Rouge River AOC Habitat Restoration Design at Merriman Hollow & Wallaceville Parks
(Funded by a USEPA GLRI Grant GL-00E003452) Merriman Hollow Park project info Wallaceville Park project info
Rouge River Concrete Channel Restoration Design
(Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the framework of the GLRI) Concrete Channel project webpage Public Meeting: September 4, 2024, Dearborn Baptist Church, 16350 Rotunda Dr., Dearborn
With funding provided through an AOC GLRI grant from Michigan EGLE and assistance from SEMCOG, RRAC began development of the below interactive dashboard which visually documents restoration projects in the Rouge River watershed. The initial phase of the dashboard includes AOC projects with future phases planned to incorporate other initiatives in the watershed. The dashboard allows you to click on the pins on the map to get more information on each of the projects. In addition the dashboard allows you to toggle the status or category bars as well.
RRAC, with assistance from the ARC, continues to look for funding under an Area of Concern Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant through EGLE to complete or start the rest of the projects listed below from the Rouge AOC Habitat List .
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Phone | 734-768-2180 | 46036 Michigan Ave., Suite 126 | Canton, Michigan 48188