View source for Sterling State Park

{{short description|Park in Michigan, USA}}
{{for|the state park in New York|Sterling Forest State Park}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox park
| name = William C. Sterling State Park
| photo = Sterling State Park Michigan pedestrian bridge over lagoon.JPG
| photo_alt = Pedestrian bridge over lagoon
| photo_caption = Pedestrian bridge over lagoon
| photo_width = 280
| map = USA Michigan#USA
| map_caption = Location in Michigan
| map_width = 280
| relief = 1
| location = [[Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan|Frenchtown Charter Township]], [[Monroe County, Michigan]], United States
| nearest_city = [[Monroe, Michigan]]
| coordinates = {{coord|41|54|56|N|83|20|01|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}} 
| coords_ref = 
| elevation = {{convert|591|ft}}
| area = {{convert|1300|acre}}
| designation = [[List of Michigan state parks|Michigan state park]]
| established = 1935<ref name=mdnr3/>
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| administrator = [[Michigan Department of Natural Resources]]
| website = {{Official website}}
}}
[[Image:Sterling State Park Michigan picnic area.JPG|thumb|Picnic area adjacent to Lake Erie]]

'''William C. Sterling State Park''' is a public recreation area located in [[Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan|Frenchtown Charter Township]] with a small portion lying within the city limits of [[Monroe, Michigan|Monroe]], Michigan. It is the only Michigan [[state park]] located on [[Lake Erie]]. The park encompasses {{convert|1300|acre}} of mostly man-made lagoons and beachfront near the mouth of [[Sandy Creek (Michigan)|Sandy Creek]].  The main attractions at the park include a 256-site campground, beach area, boat launch, and shore fishing lagoons. There are over {{convert|7|mi|spell=in}} of biking and hiking trails within the park.<ref name=mdnr/>

==History==
The park is named for William Clark Sterling (1849–1924),<ref name=woodlawn/> a businessman and outdoorsman who bought marshland at the mouth of the [[Detroit River]] and was one of the first to see the value in protecting swamps for future generations and the good of the environment.<ref name=warnes/> The state acquired the park's first 134 acres—a narrow strip lying between Lake Erie and a lagoon—in 1935. A portion of the land had been donated by the city of Monroe and the Monroe Piers Land Company, which had once been owned by Sterling. The park was dedicated the following year.<ref name=bayless/>

For quite some time, Sterling State Park was greatly polluted by river runoff from Detroit, and swimming in the water was not recommended and even illegal. In an effort to preserve the Lake Erie coastline after decades of pollutants from the [[Detroit River]] emptied into the region—killing off tremendous amounts of wildlife and leaving the lake largely uninhabitable—millions of dollars were spent and the region was cleaned up and partially restored.<ref name=espnswan/>

In the late 1990s, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] declared the area to be an environmental concern due to the level of pollutants in Lake Erie and the [[River Raisin]]. When studying fish in the area, [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]] levels increased 87% from the 1988 to 1998. The result of the overpollution came from the sudden industrial growth surrounding the River Raisin delta and Lake Erie.<ref name=assessment/> The largest of these industries include a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] plant and the coal-burning [[Monroe Power Plant]], both of which caused severe impacts on the ecosystem of the area. In September 1997, the Ford completed an environmental dredging project in the River Raisin and removed approximately 25,000 cubic yards (19,000 m³) of toxic PCB-contaminated sediment from the River Raisin.

In 2001, William C. Sterling State Park was included as the southern border of the [[Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge]].<ref name=fws/> This allowed the park to receive federal funding for a $12&nbsp;million renovation project. The park was closed during the 2003 season while the renovation was carried out to the park, which was remodeled to include miles of wetland walking paths open to the public in an area that had been closed since the early 1900s. Today, the park boasts many lagoons and marshes, providing good habitat for a variety of wildlife and bird life that have returned to the area. During the time of renovation, there was a threat of [[Escherichia coli|''E. coli'']] bacteria in the lake waters, which resulted in several deaths in neighboring [[Ontario]]. William C. Sterling State Park was not tested since the park was closed at the time. Swimming in Lake Erie is constantly monitored to make sure that the level of toxins are low enough not to pose a threat to human safety. The once severely polluted lake has undergone much restoration in the past decade, which has greatly benefited William C. Sterling State Park.

==Activities and amenities==
William C. Sterling State Park includes 256 camp sites, as well as picnic areas and shelters, biking and hiking trails, a recreational metal detecting area, beach access, and playgrounds.<ref name="mdnr"/>

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="mdnr">{{Cite web |url=https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=497&type=SPRK |title=Sterling State Park |publisher=Michigan Department of Natural Resources  |access-date=December 1, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="mdnr3">{{Cite web |title=When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established? |url=https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/DatesEstablished_650313_7.pdf |access-date=April 22, 2020 |publisher=Michigan Department of Natural Resources}}</ref>

<ref name="espnswan">{{Cite web |last=Swan |first=James |date=July 17, 2007 |title=The Detroit River's amazing comeback |url=https://www.espn.com/outdoors/hunting/columns/story?columnist=swan_james&page=g_col_swan_det_river |access-date=June 16, 2009 |publisher=ESPN}}</ref>

<ref name="assessment">{{Cite web |last=Dodge |first=Kenneth |year=1998 |title=River Raisin Assessment |url=http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/special/abstracts/SR23_execsum.pdf |access-date=June 17, 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="bayless">{{Cite web |last=Bayless |first=Brittany N. |title=The Show Windows of a State |url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/bgsu1143423813/inline |access-date=July 13, 2018 |publisher=Bowling Green State University |pages=23–24}}</ref>

<ref name="warnes">{{Cite web |last=Warnes |first=Kathy |date=February 17, 2017 |title=William Clark Sterling Sr. and Sterling State Park |url=https://monroemichigan.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/william-clark-sterling-sr-and-sterling-state-park/ |access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>

<ref name="fws">{{Cite web |title=Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/detroit_river/ |access-date=July 13, 2018 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref>

<ref name="woodlawn">{{Cite web |title=Monroe's Historic Woodland Cemetery Tour |url=http://monroe.hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_10126506/File/EngineeringDPS/Woodland%20Cemetery%20Guidebook%20ALL.pdf |access-date=July 13, 2018 |publisher=Genealogical Society of Monroe County |quote="William C. Sterling (1849–1924) Owner of the Sterling Cedar & Lumber Company and commodore of the Monroe Yacht Club. Family donated part of the land that became William C. Sterling State Park in his honor."}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Sterling State Park}}
*[https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=497&type=SPRK Sterling State Park] Michigan Department of Natural Resources
*[https://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/sterling_map.pdf Sterling State Park Map] Michigan Department of Natural Resources

{{Monroe, Michigan}}
{{Parks in metropolitan Detroit}}
{{Michigan state parks}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:State parks of Michigan]]
[[Category:Beaches of Michigan]]
[[Category:Landforms of Monroe County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Monroe County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1935]]
[[Category:1935 establishments in Michigan]]