View source for Detroit River

{{short description|River connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Detroit River
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = Rivière Détroit
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Line7133 (25152922307).jpg
| image_size         = 275
| image_caption      = Southern end as it enters [[Lake Erie]] with Canada in the foreground and the U.S. in the background
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#United States
| pushpin_map_size   = 250
| pushpin_map_caption= Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = United States, Canada
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_type3  = Province
| subdivision_name3  = [[Ontario]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = Cities
| subdivision_name5  = '''US:''' [[Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan|Grosse Pointe Park]], [[Detroit]], [[River Rouge, Michigan|River Rouge]], [[Ecorse, Michigan|Ecorse]], [[Wyandotte, Michigan|Wyandotte]], [[Riverview, Michigan|Riverview]], [[Trenton, Michigan|Trenton]], [[Gibraltar, Michigan|Gibraltar]]<br>'''Canada:''' [[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]], [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[La Salle, Ontario|La Salle]], [[Amherstburg, Ontario|Amherstburg]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|28|mi|km|abbr=on}} 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= 
| discharge1_min     = 
| discharge1_avg     = 
| discharge1_max     = 
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = [[Lake St. Clair]]
| source1_location   = 
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|42|21|07|N|82|55|03|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|574|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Lake Erie]]
| mouth_location     = 
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|42|03|06|N|83|09|05|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|571|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|700|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = Little River, [[River Canard]]
| tributaries_right  = [[River Rouge (Michigan)|River Rouge]], [[Ecorse River]]
| custom_label       = Islands
| custom_data        = 31 ([[List of islands in the Detroit River|list of islands]])
| extra              = 
}}

The '''Detroit River''' is an [[List of international river borders|international]] [[river]] in [[North America]]. The river, which forms part of the border between the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]] and the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Ontario]], flows west and south for {{convert|24|nmi|km mi|lk=in}} from [[Lake St. Clair]] to [[Lake Erie]] as a [[strait]] in the [[Great Lakes]] system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], and [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[Ontario]]—an area collectively referred to as [[Detroit–Windsor]]. The [[Ambassador Bridge]], the [[Detroit–Windsor Tunnel]], and the [[Michigan Central Railway Tunnel]] connect the cities.

The river's English name comes from the [[French language|French]] {{Lang|fr|Rivière du Détroit}} (translated as "River of the Strait"). The Detroit River has served an important role in the [[history of Detroit]] and Windsor, and is one of the world's busiest waterways.<ref name=detnews>{{Cite news |last = Nolan |first = Jenny |title = How the Detroit River shaped lives and history |url = http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=186 |work = [[The Detroit News]] |date = February 11, 1997 |access-date = June 15, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20120710095530/http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=186 |archive-date = July 10, 2012 }}</ref> It is an important transportation route connecting [[Lake Michigan]], [[Lake Huron]], and [[Lake Superior]] to Lake Erie and eventually to [[Lake Ontario]], the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway|St. Lawrence Seaway]] and the [[Erie Canal]]. When Detroit underwent rapid industrialization at the turn of the 20th century, the Detroit River became notoriously [[water pollution|polluted]] and toxic. Since the late 20th century, however, a vast [[Environmental restoration|restoration]] effort has been undertaken because of the river's ecological importance.

In the early 21st century, the river today has a wide variety of economic and recreational uses. There are numerous [[List of islands in the Detroit River|islands in the Detroit River]], and much of the lower portion of the river is part of the [[Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge]]. The portion of the river in the city of Detroit has been organized into the [[Detroit International Riverfront]] and the [[William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor]]. The Detroit River is designated both an [[American Heritage Rivers|American Heritage River]] and a [[Canadian Heritage Rivers System|Canadian Heritage River]]—the only river to have this dual designation.<ref name=AHRS/><ref name=CHRS/>

==Geography==
[[File:The Detroit River Between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario (21702477435).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Aerial view of the Detroit River looking east-northeast]]
The Detroit River flows for {{convert|28|mi|km|lk=on|abbr=on}} from [[Lake St. Clair]] to [[Lake Erie]].<ref name="NHD">{{cite web |title=National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. |url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archive-date=March 29, 2012 |access-date=November 7, 2011 |work=The National Map |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> By definition, this classifies it as both a [[river]] and a [[strait]] — a strait being a narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water,<ref>{{Cite web |publisher = [[Merriam–Webster]] |url = http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strait%5B3%5D |year = 2009 |title = Definition of strait (noun) |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> which is how the river earned its name from early French settlers.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher = [[Windsor Public Library]] |url = http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Folklore/english/intro/francophonese.htm |year = 2004 |title = Who are the Detroit River French? |access-date = June 16, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090411104301/http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Folklore/english/intro/francophonese.htm |archive-date = April 11, 2009 }}</ref> However, today, the Detroit River is rarely referred to as a strait, because bodies of water referred to as straits are typically much wider relative to their length. The river forms the southern portion of the waterway connecting [[Lake Huron]] to the north and Lake Erie to the south, with other portions including the [[St. Clair River]] and [[Lake St. Clair]].

The Detroit River is only {{convert|0.5–2.5|mi|km|1}} wide. It begins with an east-to-west flow from Lake St. Clair, but curves and runs north to south. The deepest portion of the Detroit River is {{convert|53|ft|m|1}} in its northern portion. At its source, the river is at an elevation of {{convert|574|ft|m}} above sea level. The river is relatively level, dropping only {{Convert|3|feet|metres|1|}} before entering Lake Erie at {{convert|571|ft|m}}. As the river contains no [[dam]]s and no [[lock (water transport)|locks]], it is easily [[Navigability|navigable]] by even the smallest of vessels. The [[Drainage basin|watershed basin]] for the Detroit River is approximately {{convert|700|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name="EPA">{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2009 |title=Detroit River Area of Concern |url=http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/detroit.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801103314/http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/detroit.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2012 |access-date=June 16, 2009 |publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]]}}</ref> 

Since the river is fairly short, it has few tributaries, the largest being the [[River Rouge (Michigan)|River Rouge]] in Michigan; this is four times longer than the Detroit River and contains most of the watershed. The only other major American tributary to the Detroit River is the much smaller [[Ecorse River]]. Tributaries on the Canadian side include Little River, Turkey Creek, and the [[River Canard, Ontario|River Canard]]. The [[Discharge (hydrology)|discharge]] for the Detroit River is relatively high for a river of its size. The river's discharge averaged over the year is {{Convert|5300|m³/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}, and the river's flow is relatively constant.<ref>{{cite book |publisher = Environmental Protection Agency |url = http://www.epa.gov/ecopage/aquatic/lkstrugeon/index.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090525115501/http://www.epa.gov/ecopage/aquatic/lkstrugeon/index.html |archive-date = May 25, 2009 |title = Spawning by Lake Sturgeon (''Acipenser fulvescens'') in the Detroit River |first1 = N. M. |last1 = Caswell |first2 = D. L. |last2 = Peterson |first3 = B. A. |last3 = Manny |first4 = G. W. |last4 = Kennedy |id = Great Lakes Grant GL97505001‑1 |location = Washington, DC |date = August 2002 |page = 4 }}</ref>

The Detroit River forms a major element of the [[Canada–United States border|international border]] between the United States and Canada. The river on the American side is all under the jurisdiction of [[Wayne County, Michigan]], and the Canadian side is under the administration of [[Essex County, Ontario]]. The largest city along the Detroit River is [[Detroit]], and most of the population along the river lives in [[Michigan]]. The Detroit River has two automobile traffic crossings connecting the United States and Canada: the [[Ambassador Bridge]] and the [[Detroit–Windsor Tunnel]]. Both of these are strongly protected by the [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] and the [[Canada Border Services Agency]].

The upper portion of the river is one of the two places where a Canadian city lies directly south of an American city. In this case, the city of [[Detroit]] is directly north of the city of [[Windsor, Ontario]]. The only other location where this occurs is [[Fort Erie, Ontario]], which lies south of several cities in [[Niagara County, New York]]. The cities and communities southwest of Detroit along the American side of the river are popularly referred to as the [[Downriver]] area, because those areas are said to be "down the river" from Detroit. Several of these communities do not border the Detroit River but the term "Downriver" refers broadly to the cluster of 18 suburban communities that lie to the southwest of the city of Detroit and to the west of the Detroit River.
[[File:Lake st clair landsat.jpeg|thumb|Satellite photo showing [[Lake Saint Clair]] (center) with the Detroit River connecting it to [[Lake Erie]] (to the south) and the [[St. Clair River]] connecting it to [[Lake Huron]] (to the north).]]

===Islands===
{{Main|List of islands in the Detroit River}}
The Detroit River contains 31 charted islands.  The majority of the islands are located on the American side of the river.  Many of the islands are small and uninhabited, and none are divided by the international border, as the two countries do not share a land border along the river. [[Grosse Ile (Michigan)|Grosse Ile]] is the largest and most populated of all islands, and [[Fighting Island]] is the largest Canadian island.  Most islands are located in the southern portion of the river.

==History==
[[File:Yard and ferry.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Aerial view of a [[classification yard]] and two [[train ferries]], 1943]]
Europeans first recorded navigating the Detroit River in the 17th century. The [[Iroquois]] traded [[Fur clothing|furs]] with the [[Dutch Empire|Dutch colonists]] at [[New Amsterdam]] by traveling through the Detroit River.<ref name=detnews/> The [[French colonial empire|French]] later claimed the area for [[New France]]. The famed sailing ship ''[[Le Griffon]]'' reached the mouth of the Detroit River in mid-August 1679 on its maiden voyage through the [[Great Lakes]].<ref>{{Cite web |first = Ken |last = VanEseltine |url = http://my.net-link.net/~vaneselk/ussgryphon/name.htm |date = August 26, 2008 |title = ''Le Griffon'' is a Meaningful Name |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> Later, when the French began settling in the area, they navigated the river using [[canoe]]s made of [[birch]] or [[elm]] bark. Handcrafted vessels were a common mode of travel across the river, and [[pirogue]]s and [[bateaux]] were also used. 

As the [[North American fur trade]] intensified, European settlers expanded their trade westward into uncharted territories. French explorer [[Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac]] sailed up the Detroit River on July 23, 1701. The next day, he established [[Fort Detroit|Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit]], which developed as Detroit.<ref>{{Cite web |first = T. |last = Granzo |url = http://www.historydetroit.com/people/antoine_cadillac.asp |year = 2008 |title = History of Detroit: Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> The French named the river as ''Rivière Détroit''. ''Détroit'' is [[French language|French]] for "[[strait]]". The river was known literally as the "River of the Strait".

When [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] defeated the French in the Seven Years' War (known as the [[French and Indian War]] on the American front), it took over control of the Detroit River, as well as other French territory east of the Mississippi River. The newly formed [[United States]] claimed this territory during the [[American Revolution]], but the British did not transfer it until 1796. 

During the [[War of 1812]], the Detroit River served as a major barrier between the American [[Michigan Territory]] and British [[Upper Canada]], especially during the [[Siege of Detroit|Battle of Fort Detroit]] in August 1812. Detroit briefly fell to the British.<ref>{{Cite web |first = J. |last = Rickard |url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_detroit.html |date = November 21, 2007 |title = Battle of Detroit, 16 August 1812 |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> After the completion of the [[Erie Canal]] in 1817, which opened up easier travel to Lake Erie from the [[East Coast of the United States]], connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and the port of New York City, the Detroit River became a route for many migrating settlers traveling to northern Michigan. Detroit rapidly attracted a share of new residents. Following the [[Patriot War]], in which British regulars and Michigan militia nearly came to armed conflict on the ice-covered Detroit River, the United States built [[Fort Wayne (Detroit)|Fort Wayne]] at Detroit to counter Britain's riverside [[Fort Malden]] at Amherstburg across the river.

The Detroit River served as a final stop on the [[Underground Railroad]] and was the most active entry point along the United States–Canada border for fugitive slaves.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last = Frost |first = Karolyn Smardz |display-authors = etal |title = A Fluid Frontier: Slavery, Resistance, and the Underground Railroad in the Detroit River Border Land |publisher = Wayne State University |year = 2016 |location = Detroit |pages = xii }}</ref> 

Escaping slaves often chose to cross through the Detroit River rather than flee to Mexico because of the river's location near free states made it less risky than traveling through slaveholding states that border Mexico. The strong Underground Railroad networks in the Canadian border region also assisted Blacks hoping to flee from the U.S. once the [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1850|Fugitive Slave Act]] was strengthened in 1850.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title = One of American History's Worst Laws Was Passed 165 Years Ago |url = https://time.com/4039140/fugitive-slace-act-165/ |access-date = December 11, 2020 |magazine = Time }}</ref> Canada also granted legal immigration status to Blacks, while Mexico did not for many years. 

Individuals and organizations assisted escaping slaves hoping to cross the Detroit River from the United States into Canada. The [[Second Baptist Church (Detroit, Michigan)|Second Baptist Church of Detroit]] and First Baptist Church of Amherstburg coordinated ferrying thousands of Blacks across the Detroit River into Canada, and Detroit's Colored Vigilant Committee assisted over 1,500 fugitives in crossing into Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Aboard the Underground Railroad-- Second Baptist Church |url = https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/mi2.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071119230446/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/mi2.htm |url-status = dead |archive-date = November 19, 2007 |access-date = December 11, 2020 |publisher = National Park Service }}</ref> Famous abolitionists and Underground Railroad conductors including [[George DeBaptiste]] and William Lambert worked individually and with these organizations to assist fleeing slaves and condemn slavery.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Detroit Anti-Slavery Society  |publisher = Detroit Historical Society |url = https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/detroit-anti-slavery-society |access-date = December 11, 2020 }}</ref>  

There was considerable transnational fluidity between the Canadian and American sides of the river until the middle of the 19th century.<ref name=":1" /> The 1833 [[Blackburn Riots]] in Detroit, which erupted after slave hunters detained couple Lucie and Thornton Blackburn, marked the end of hundreds of years of a nearly porous border between Canada and the United States on the Detroit River. Detroit's African American population protested and helped the Blackburns escape across the Detroit River to Upper Canada, where the British colonial government in Canada declared former slaves could not be extradited to be returned to their owners.<ref>{{Cite news |last = Frost |first = Karolyn Smardz |date = June 17, 2007 |title = 'I've Got a Home in Glory Land' (Published 2007) |language = en-US |work = The New York Times |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/books/chapters/0617-1st-fros.html |access-date = December 11, 2020 |issn = 0362-4331 }}</ref> With their freedom in Canada secured, crossing the Detroit River out of the United States became an imperative for escaping slaves. 

During the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865), the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] feared the seceded [[Confederate States of America]] (CSA) would plan a northerly attack from Canada, which was controlled by the British Empire and remained neutral in the war. The Union feared the CSA would cross the Detroit River to launch this attack. For that reason, Union forces regularly patrolled the Detroit River and the fortification at Fort Wayne improved, although it was far removed from any major combat. A Confederate plot to capture the U.S. Navy warship, [[USS Michigan (1843)|USS ''Michigan'']], and liberate Confederate prisoners from [[USS Michigan (1843)#American Civil War|Johnson Island]], in western Lake Erie, was narrowly averted only after the Confederates had captured two passenger steamships.<ref name="detnews" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wolverine-i.html |title=''Wolverine'' |author=Naval History and Heritage Command |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=January 25, 2015 |ref={{sfnref|Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships: ''Wolverine''}}}}</ref>

At the beginning of the 20th century, Detroit's industrialization took off on an unprecedented scale. The Detroit River became the world's busiest commercial river and in 1908 was dubbed "the Greatest Commercial Artery on Earth" by ''[[The Detroit News]]''. In 1907, the Detroit River carried 67,292,504 tons (61 billion kg) of shipping commerce through Detroit to markets all over the world. By comparison, [[London]] shipped 18,727,230 tons (16 billion kg), and [[New York City|New York]] shipped 20,390,953 tons (18 billion kg).<ref name="detnews" />

===Prohibition===
{{Further|Rum-running in Windsor}}
From 1920 to 1933, the United States (US) enforced the [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition era]]. The sale, manufacture, and transportation of [[alcoholic beverages|alcohol]] for consumption were nationally banned. Detroit, as the largest city bordering Canada, where alcohol remained legal during Prohibition, became the center of a new industry known as [[rum-running]], smuggling liquor into the US.

No bridges connected Ontario, Canada and Michigan, US, until the [[Ambassador Bridge]] was finished in 1929 and the [[Detroit–Windsor Tunnel]] in 1930. Smugglers used boats of varying sizes to transport alcohol across the river during the summer, and during the winter months, rum-runners traveled back and forth across the frozen Detroit River by car. In some cases, overloaded cars fell through the ice. In the 21st century, car parts from this era are occasionally still found on the bottom of the river.<ref name=":0" /> [[Rum-running in Windsor]] and production of bootleg liquor became common practices. American mobsters such as [[the Purple Gang]] of Detroit used violence to control the route known as the "Detroit-Windsor Funnel," and continue to gain lucrative returns from the trade. The name parodied the newly built tunnel between the cities and nations.<ref>{{Cite web |first = Mark |last = Gribben |url = http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/gang/purple/1.html |year = 2008 |title = The Purple Gang: Bootlegger's Paradise |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> The Detroit River, [[Lake St. Clair]], and the [[St. Clair River]] are estimated to have carried 75% of all liquor smuggled into the United States during Prohibition. Government officials were unable or unwilling to deter the flow.

The rum-running industry died when prohibition was repealed in 1933 by the [[Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-first Amendment]].<ref name=detnews/><ref>{{Cite book |first = Michael D. |last = LaFaive |first2 = Patrick |last2 = Fleenor |first3 = Todd |last3 = Nesbit |chapter-url = http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=10016 |date = December 3, 2008 |chapter = Appendix B: Prohibition in Michigan and the Avenue de Booze |title = Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling: A Statistical Analysis and Historical Review |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first = Philip |last = Mason |url = http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/extra/2008/marapr/couldnt_get_drink.html |date = Sep–Oct 1994 |title = Anyone Who Couldn't Get a Drink Wasn't Tryin' |work = Michigan History |access-date = June 16, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090805093913/http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/extra/2008/marapr/couldnt_get_drink.html |archive-date = August 5, 2009 }}</ref>

===Submerged objects===
Because of the booming businesses and long history of [[Metro Detroit]] and [[Windsor, Ontario]], the Detroit River has been the site of many artifacts, some lost with sunken ships and others abandoned, such as murder weapons or stolen bronze statues. A [[DMC DeLorean]] has also been recovered from the river.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/01/11/detroit-river-artifacts-ambassador-bridge/2545900002/ |title = Reports: Archaeologists find 30,000 artifacts along Detroit River |last = Siacon |first = Aleanna |website = Detroit Free Press |language = en |access-date = December 27, 2019 }}</ref> The artifacts recovered are well preserved due to the river's [[fresh water]] but low visibility makes them difficult to find.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url = https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2017/02/01/guns-cannons-cars-history-detroit-river/96833680/ |title = Detroit River's muddy bottom conceals cannons, cars, guns |last = Allen |first = Robert |website = Detroit Free Press |language = en |access-date = December 27, 2019 }}</ref>

A 1940s-era bronze statue depicting a classical nude woman was originally installed to overlook a reflecting pool in the [[Grosse Pointe War Memorial]]. It was nicknamed "The Nude," and, in 2001, was believed to have been successfully stolen for display in some art collector's private cache. During a police diving exercise near a submerged [[Jeep]], the statue was found in 2009, restored, and returned to the memorial.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.secondwavemedia.com/metromode/devnews/warmemorialstatue0116.aspx |title = Grosse Pointe War Memorial to restore, display recovered statue |date = May 14, 2009 |website = Metromode |language = en |access-date = December 27, 2019 }}</ref>

Anchors from the SS ''Greater Detroit,'' a luxury [[steamship]] that toured the Detroit River from 1924 to 1950, and the famed {{SS|Edmund Fitzgerald}}, a [[lake freighter]] that sank in a 1975 storm on [[Lake Superior]], have notably both been recovered from the river. The {{convert|6000|lb|adj=on}} anchor of the SS ''Greater Detroit'' was raised in November 2016. It was installed at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Building. The lost anchor of the SS ''Edmund Fitzgerald'' was recovered during a July 1992 project, and the anchor was installed in the yard of the [[Dossin Great Lakes Museum]] on [[Belle Isle Park (Michigan)|Belle Isle]].<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.glmi.org/Default.htm |title = Great Lakes Maritime Institute |website = www.glmi.org |access-date = December 28, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/11/15/greater-detroit-anchor-river-steamship/93876838/ |title = Historic anchor pulled from Detroit River |last = Allen |first = Robert |website = Detroit Free Press |language = en |access-date = December 28, 2019 }}</ref>

Since the 1980s, divers have recovered a total of six 1700s-era [[cannon]]s from the river. The last was found in 2011 near the [[Cobo Center]]. They are believed to have been part of the pre-[[War of 1812]] inventory kept by the [[British Armed Forces|British garrison]] in this area. Historians believe another three cannon may still be in the river. Inventory documents record a total of 17 cannons and 14 have been accounted for. It is believed that the British dragged the cannons onto the frozen river so they would sink with the spring thaw, and be kept from use by the American enemy. Another seven, larger cannons may have fallen off a [[barge]] closer to [[Amherstburg]], [[Ontario]], and may yet be found in the river.<ref name=":0" />

===Pollution and conservation efforts===
{{Multiple image
   | align     = right
   | direction = vertical
   | width     = 250
   | footer    = Both sides of the joint Detroit River / Detroit River Recovery historic marker in [[Trenton, Michigan|Trenton]]
   | image1    = Detroit_River_MSHS_marker.jpg
   | alt1      = The Detroit River
   | caption1  =
   | image2    = Detroit_River_Recovery.jpg
   | alt2      = Detroit River Recovery
   | caption2  =
  }}
Much of the land that surrounds the Detroit River is urbanized and, in some places, has been used for industrial purposes for more than 100 years. There has been excessive [[water pollution]] of the river from the long-term, unregulated dumping of chemicals, industrial waste, garbage, and sewage. Much of the Detroit River and its shoreline were polluted and unsafe for recreational use. Thousands of migrating birds died each year because of the oil slicks and contaminated water around the mouth of the Detroit River at [[Lake Erie]]. The river's oxygen levels were depleted to the point where fish could not inhabit its waters. Because this pollution often drained into and affected Lake Erie, the lake was considered "dead" and unable to support aquatic life.<ref name=hartig>{{Cite web |first = John |last = Hartig |url = https://www.espn.com/outdoors/hunting/columns/story?columnist=swan_james&page=g_col_swan_det_river |date = July 17, 2007 |title = The Detroit River's amazing comeback |publisher = [[ESPN]] |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=swan>{{Cite web |first = James |last = Swan |url = http://www.glu.org/news/2009/03/return-of-the-detroit-river%E2%80%99s-charismatic-megafauna/ |date = March 19, 2009 |title = Return of the Detroit River's Charismatic Megafauna |access-date = June 16, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090922140030/http://www.glu.org/news/2009/03/return-of-the-detroit-river%E2%80%99s-charismatic-megafauna/ |archive-date = September 22, 2009 }}</ref>

In 1961, a congressional order founded the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge. That began the government's placing tighter restrictions on industries; substantial government funding at various levels has been allocated to clean up the river. In this early period, opponents believed that such efforts would adversely affect Detroit's industry and economy. In 1970, toxic levels of [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] in the water resulted in the total closing of the [[fishing industry]] in the [[St. Clair River]], [[Lake St. Clair]], the Detroit River, and Lake Erie. Finally, a massive conservation effort was initiated to clean up the Detroit River.<ref name=hartig/> For years, the multi-million dollar cost of removing pollutants from the river and the political influence of nearby industries, hindered conservation efforts.<ref name=swan/>

In 1998, the Detroit River was designated as an [[American Heritage Rivers|American Heritage River]] by the US [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] and in 2001 as a [[Canadian Heritage Rivers System|Canadian Heritage River]].<ref name="AHRS">{{Cite web |work = [[American Heritage Rivers]] |url = http://www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/detroit.html |date = October 19, 2006 |title = Detroit River (MI): An American Heritage Designated River |publisher = Environmental Protection Agency |access-date = June 16, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090722101841/http://www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/detroit.html |archive-date = July 22, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="CHRS">{{Cite web |work = [[Canadian Heritage Rivers System]] |url = http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Detroit/Detroit_e.htm |title = Detroit River, Ontario: A Unique International Heritage |access-date = June 16, 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090802233729/http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Detroit/Detroit_e.htm |archive-date = August 2, 2009 }}</ref>  It is the only river in North America to have such dual designations.

In 2001, the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge was absorbed into the larger [[Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge]], a cooperative effort between the United States and Canada to preserve the area as an ecological refuge. The millions of dollars spent since that time to dredge pollutants out of the Detroit River has led to a remarkable restoration, although problems remain.<ref name="hartig" /> Today, many species of native animals that had been driven out by human development are returning to the area. The river is home to a growing number of bird species such as [[eagle]]s (including reintroduced [[bald eagle]]s), [[osprey]]s, and [[peregrine falcon]]s. Large numbers of [[lake whitefish]], [[sturgeon]], [[silver bass]], [[black bass]], [[salmon]], [[perch]], and [[walleye]] are again thriving in the river.<ref name="swan" /> 

The Detroit River and its recovery efforts were listed as a [[Michigan State Historic Preservation Office|Michigan State Historic Site]] in 2007.  A historic marker was erected along the river in a park that now serves as the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge visitor center in the city of [[Trenton, Michigan|Trenton]].<ref>{{cite web |work = MichMarkers.com |url = http://www.michmarkers.com/default?page=S0704 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201206011138/http://michmarkers.com/default?page=S0704 |url-status = usurped |archive-date = December 6, 2020 |title = Detroit River / Recovery: Registered Site S0704 |date = 2021 |accessdate = May 16, 2021 }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{See also|Economy of metropolitan Detroit}}
[[File:American Courage.jpg|thumb|right|250px|{{MV|American Courage}} passing through the Detroit River. [[Lake freighter]]s are a common sight on the river.]]
[[File:Detroit River Princess.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The ''Detroit Princess'' is one of many cruise ships on the river.]]
The Detroit River is used for shipping and trading. The earliest use of the river for these economic activities was the shipping of furs for trade as early as the 17th century.<ref name=detnews/> By the time the [[North American fur trade|fur trade]] decreased, Michigan had begun to exploit the [[lumber]]-rich areas of Northern Michigan and the [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]]. Detroit turned into a major industrial region, largely because of the Detroit River. The only way a ship could travel out of the upper Great Lakes system was to travel down the Detroit River. From there, ships could travel anywhere in the world out of the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway|St. Lawrence Seaway]] or the [[Erie Canal]] to [[New York City]]. At the beginning of the 20th century, the automotive industry boomed, and the many manufacturers imported abundant supplies of [[iron ore]], sand, limestone and wood.

The Detroit River provides substantial revenue for the local economies. A 1991 study showed $20.1 million came from sales related to waterfowl hunting along the Detroit River. The same year, bird watching, photography, and other non-consumptive uses of waterfowl contributed another $192.8 million to Michigan's economy. Local economies benefit through boating registrations and fishing licenses. It is estimated walleye fishing alone brings in $1 million to the economy of communities along the lower Detroit River each spring.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher = International Association for Great Lakes Research |url = http://www.iaglr.org/scipolicy/issues/detroithabitat.php |title = Conserving Detroit River Habitats |year = 2009 |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> Other fish caught by recreational fisherman include [[white bass]], [[bluegill]], [[crappie]], [[freshwater drum]], [[smallmouth bass]], [[northern pike]] and [[Muskellunge|muskie]]. There are over 800,000 recreation boats in Michigan, and more than half of them are regularly used on or near the Detroit River. Popular river destinations in Detroit include the [[Detroit International Riverfront]] and [[Belle Isle Park]] — both of which host events throughout the year. Several restaurants on the river have docks for boaters. Tour boats and dinner cruises travel through the sights of Detroit and the undeveloped islands downriver.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher = Detroit Princess Riverboat |url = http://www.detroitprincess.com/ |title = Detroit Princess Riverboat |year = 2009 |access-date = June 16, 2009 }}</ref> Cruise ships support tourism on the Great Lakes and dock at the Port Detroit passenger terminal downtown. The iconic [[Renaissance Center]] is on the banks of the Detroit River.

==Bridges and crossings==
According to a 2004 study, 150,000 jobs and $13 billion in annual production depend on the river crossings connecting Detroit to Windsor. In 2004, the American trade with Ontario alone was $407 billion, in which 28% ($113.3 billion) crossed the Detroit River.

There are two automobile traffic routes that completely cross the river: the [[Detroit–Windsor tunnel]] and the privately owned [[Ambassador Bridge]], both of which connect Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario. A railway tunnel and a commercial truck ferry service also travel between Detroit and Windsor. In Michigan, there are two bridges connecting the mainland to [[Grosse Ile Township, Michigan|Grosse Ile]], as well as the [[MacArthur Bridge (Detroit)|MacArthur Bridge]] that connects the mainland Detroit to [[Belle Isle Park (Michigan)|Belle Isle]].  All ports of entry on the American side are secured by the [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]], and the Canadian side is secured by the [[Canada Border Services Agency]]; all areas between the American ports of entry and on the American side of the river are secured by the [[United States Border Patrol]].

The [[Gordie Howe International Bridge]] is a new bridge project which began construction in 2019; it will directly connect [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway 401]] in Canada to [[Interstate 75]] in the United States.

{| class=wikitable
! Crossing
! Image
! Carries
! Connecting
! Coordinates
|-
| [[Wayne County Bridge]]
| [[File:WayneCountyBridge (Dec 2019).jpg|100px]]
| Grosse Ile Parkway
| [[Trenton, Michigan|Trenton]] – [[Grosse Ile Township, Michigan|Grosse Ile]]
| {{Coord|42|07|39.2|N|83|10|31.2|W}}
|-
| [[Grosse Ile Toll Bridge]]
| [[File:Grosse_Ile_Toll_Bridge_in_2006.jpg|100px]]
| Bridge Road
| [[Riverview, Michigan|Riverview]] – [[Grosse Ile Township, Michigan|Grosse Ile]]
| {{Coord|42|10|20.9|N|83|09|34.3|W}}
|-
| [[Gordie Howe International Bridge]]<br><small>(under construction)</small>
| [[File:Gordie Howe International Bridge - WDBA - Architect Erik Behrens - Photographer Matt Moniz.jpg|100px]]
| 
| rowspan="5" |[[Detroit]] – [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]]
| {{Coord|42|17|16.8|N|83|05|51|W}}
|-
| [[Detroit–Windsor Truck Ferry]]
| [[File:Detroit–Windsor Truck Ferry dock.jpg|100px]]
| Truck [[Ferry|ferry services]]
| {{Coord|42|16|40.9|N|83|06|03.2|W}}
|-
| [[Ambassador Bridge]]
| [[File:Ambassadorbridgefrombase.jpg|100px]]
| Ambassador Bridge Street<br />{{jct|state=MI|Tour|LECT}}
|{{Coord|42|18|43.0|N|83|04|26.8|W}}
|-
| [[Michigan Central Railway Tunnel]]
| [[File:Detroit_River_Train_Tunnel.jpg|100px]]
| [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]
| {{Coord|42|19|06.6|N|83|03|37.8|W}}
|-
| [[Detroit–Windsor Tunnel]]
| [[File:DWTunnel.JPG|100px]]
| 
| {{Coord|42|19|28.2|N|83|02|24.2|W}}
|-
| [[MacArthur Bridge (Detroit)|MacArthur Bridge]]
| [[File:MacArthur Bridge in the Winter.jpg|100px]]
| [[Grand Boulevard (Detroit)|E. Grand Boulevard]] / Casino Way
| [[Detroit]] – [[Belle Isle Park (Michigan)|Belle Isle Park]]
| {{Coord|42|20|30.1|N|82|59|52.3|W}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Michigan}}
{{colbegin|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Canada–United States border]]
* [[Detroit–Windsor]]
* [[Detroit-Windsor Tunnel]]
* [[Detroit International Riverfront]]
* [[Detroit Water and Sewerage Department]]
* [[Great Lakes Water Authority]]
* [[List of international river borders]]
* [[List of islands in the Detroit River]]
* [[List of rivers of Michigan]]
* [[List of rivers of Ontario]]
* [[Renaissance Center]]
* [[Riverfront Towers]]
* [[William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor]]
* [[Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading== 
* Scott, I.D. (1921) [https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=D10MAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PR22&hl=en Inland Lakes of Michigan] Michigan Geological Society.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{AmCyc Poster}}
* [http://www.detroitriverfront.org/ Detroit Riverfront Conservancy]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071029101427/http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greenways/map.html Sea Grant Michigan]
* [http://www.detroitriver.org/ Friends of the Detroit River]
* {{GNIS|624587|Detroit River}}
* [http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/3867 The Detroit River Looking Up to the Entrance to Lake St. Clair, Windsor, Canada, September 24, 1864 by D.J. Kennedy, Historical Society of Pennsylvania] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610220750/http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/3867 |date=June 10, 2015 }}
* [https://archive.today/20120710095530/http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=186 Nolan, Jenny, "How the Detroit River shaped lives and history" (February 11, 1997)], ''[[Detroit News]]''.

{{Navboxes
|title = Articles relating to the Detroit River
|list =
{{Windsor, Ontario}}
{{Detroit}}
{{Metro Detroit}}
{{Parks in metropolitan Detroit}}
{{Great Lakes}}
{{AHR}}
{{Canadian Heritage Rivers System}}
}}
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[[Category:Detroit River| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Michigan]]
[[Category:Rivers of Ontario]]
[[Category:Border rivers]]
[[Category:Canada–United States border]]
[[Category:International rivers of North America]]
[[Category:American Heritage Rivers]]
[[Category:Canadian Heritage Rivers]]
[[Category:Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Straits of Canada]]
[[Category:Straits of Michigan]]
[[Category:Geography of Detroit]]
[[Category:History of Detroit]]
[[Category:Lake St. Clair]]
[[Category:Rivers of Wayne County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Michigan in the War of 1812]]
[[Category:Southwestern Ontario]]
[[Category:Tributaries of Lake Erie]]