Landsat satellite photo, showing Lake Saint Clair (center), as well as St. Clair River connecting it to Lake Huron (to the North) and Detroit River connecting it to Lake Erie (to the South)

The Detroit River is about 32 miles (51 km) long and 0. Lake St Clair ( French Lac Sainte-Claire) is a Lake that lies between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan in the Navigation on St Clair Riverjpg|thumb|250px|Great Lakes Freighters navigating on the lower St Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally 5 to 2. 5 miles (1–4 km) wide in the Great Lakes system. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The name comes from French Rivière du Détroit, i. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people e. "River of the Strait". A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water The name is a reference to the fact that the river connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. Lake St Clair ( French Lac Sainte-Claire) is a Lake that lies between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan in the Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally However, it is not a strait by definition. The boundary between Canada and the United States of America passes through the river lengthwise. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Its elevation is 579 feet (175 m) above sea level. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface

Geography

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife preserve in North America, uniquely located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international Wildlife refuge in North America. nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora The Refuge includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands along 48 miles of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline. The Western Basin of Lake Erie is the shallow flat basin that comprises the western third of the lake

Tributaries

Detroit River seen from Grosse Ile Township, Michigan

While primarily a lake outlet, the Detroit River does have a few tributaries of its own which drain 2,000 square kilometers (772 sq mi). Grosse Ile Township is a Civil township of Wayne County in the U The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. These include the Rouge River, Ecorse River, Conner Creek and Marsh Creek in the United States, and Turkey Creek, Little River and River Canard in Canada. The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a River in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. The Ecorse River is a small River in southern Michigan. Because of its small size it is often times identified as Ecorse Creek. River Canard is a hamlet of roughly 500 people in Amherstburg Ontario, Canada that is approximately 12 miles south of Windsor Ontario, situated

Islands

Islands in the Detroit River include Peche Island, Belle Isle, Zug Island, Fighting Island, Turkey Island, Grassy Island, Grosse Ile, and Bois Blanc (also known as Boblo) Island. Peche Island, (original French pronunciation Americanized to IPA, therefore occasionally misspelled “Peach” Belle Isle is a 982  Acre (39 km² 242 sq mi island park in the Detroit River managed by the Detroit Recreation Department Zug Island is a heavily industrialized island in the city of River Rouge near the southern city limits of Detroit in the U Fighting Island is a island in the Detroit River. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte Michigan Grosse Ile Township is a Civil township of Wayne County in the U Bois Blanc Island, commonly called Boblo Island, is an island located directly west of Amherstburg Ontario in the The islands of the lower Detroit River are part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international Wildlife refuge in North America.

History

The Detroit River as seen from Belle Isle Park. Belle Isle is a 982  Acre (39 km² 242 sq mi island park in the Detroit River managed by the Detroit Recreation Department

Historical events concerning the Detroit River began with the arrival of the French voyageurs, the first non-natives to navigate the river and land on Detroit's shores. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( A coureur des bois (runner of the woods was an individual who engaged in the Fur trade without permission from the French authorities Canoes made of birch or elm bark were a common mode of travel across the river, although the pirogue and bateaux were also used. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the Elms are Deciduous and Semi-deciduous Trees comprising the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae, found A pirogue is a small flat-bottomed boat of a design associated particularly with West African fishermen and the Cajuns of the Louisiana marsh A bateau is a shallow- draft, flat-bottomed Boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the Fur trade.

The War of 1812 was partially fought along the Detroit River front, and by 1850, the census showed 21,019 people populated Detroit. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Ferries, schooners and steamboats were found traveling along the river. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and A schooner (ˈskuːnɚ is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts Schooners were first used by the A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller

During the Civil War, the river was patrolled in case of a Confederate attack from the Canadian north. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

As commerce grew, Detroit was becoming the busiest port in the world, and was dubbed "the Greatest Commercial Artery on Earth. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer " 67,292,504 tonnage had passed through the Detroit River in 1907, compared with 18,727,230 through London, and 20,390,953 through New York City. Tonnage is a measure of the size or Cargo capacity of a Ship. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

From 1919 to 1933, when Prohibition outlawed the manufacture, distribution and purchase of alcoholic beverages in the United States, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River carried 75 percent of all liquor smuggled into the United States. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol Navigation on St Clair Riverjpg|thumb|250px|Great Lakes Freighters navigating on the lower St ^[1] It was known as "The Detroit-Windsor Funnel". Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Each winter during Prohibition, the local used car market (one of the only markets of its kind in the country at the time) would boom as would-be bootleggers purchased anything that would make it across the river. Parts and rusted bodies of Model T Fords and other Prohibition-era vehicles can still be found on the river bottom. These vehicles, often late at night, carried liquor across the frozen river. Sometimes, their heavy loads sent these cars and trucks crashing through the ice.

In March of 2003, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy was formed. The Conservancy is tasked with clean up and improvement of the Detroit riverfront from the Ambassador Bridge to the MacArthur Bridge. The Ambassador Bridge is a Privately-owned Suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor The MacArthur Bridge is a bridge that spans the Detroit River between Detroit Michigan and Belle Isle. The central focus of the effort is the RiverWalk, which will be a riverfront pathway extending the entire 4. __NOEDITSECTION__ The Detroit International Riverfront is an area so designated by the nonprofit city sponsored managing entity the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy incorporated as a 7 miles between the two bridges. 75% of the east RiverWalk is expected to be completed by late 2007. ^[2]

For more information visit the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy website.

Vessels

The Detroit River is a major transportation artery, as well as place of recreation for boaters. In some cases less is more The purpose of this article is to give an overview Below are samples of typical ships and water craft that use the river.

Laker passes the Renaissance Center.	Detroit Princess Riverboat is a floating restaurant and charter boat available for private parties.	Tug boat pushes ships on the river.	A laker sails along the Detroit International Riverfront. __NOEDITSECTION__ The Detroit International Riverfront is an area so designated by the nonprofit city sponsored managing entity the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy incorporated as a
Ocean going freighter.	The classic laker design puts the wheelhouse forward.	Privately owned sail boat.	Small boat and pleasure crafts often use the river in warm months.
Jet skis are a common sight in the summer.	Police boat cuts through the river in a hurry.	View of laker from Detroit.	Windsor Police boat
Laker as seen from Renaissance Center hotel room.

Bridges and crossings

This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Detroit River from Lake Erie upstream to Lake St. Clair. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally Lake St Clair ( French Lac Sainte-Claire) is a Lake that lies between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan in the

Crossing	Carries	Location	Coordinates
Wayne County Bridge		Trenton, Michigan and Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Toll Bridge		Riverview, Michigan and Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry		Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario
Ambassador Bridge	I-96 Highway 3
Michigan Central Railway Tunnel	Canadian Pacific Railway
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel	I-375 M-10 Highway 3B
MacArthur Bridge		Detroit, Michigan and Belle Isle, Michigan

The Ambassador Bridge spans the Detroit River. The Wayne County Bridge is a Swing bridge that crosses the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River connecting Grosse Ile Township Michigan Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U Grosse Ile Township is a Civil township of Wayne County in the U The Grosse Ile Toll Bridge is a Swing bridge that crosses the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River connecting Grosse Ile Township Michigan Riverview is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan. Grosse Ile Township is a Civil township of Wayne County in the U The Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry is a Ferry service that has been shuttling cars and Trucks across the Detroit River for over 100 years Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. The Ambassador Bridge is a Privately-owned Suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor Interstate 96 (I-96 is an intrastate Interstate highway that is entirely within the U Highway 3 is a provincially maintained Highway in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel is a Railroad tunnel under the Detroit River connecting Detroit Michigan, USA with Windsor Ontario The Canadian Pacific Railway ( The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel is a partially submerged Highway tunnel connecting Detroit Michigan in the United States, with Windsor Ontario At only in length Interstate 375 (I-375 in Detroit has the distinction of being the shortest signed Interstate Highway that is up to Interstate Standards M-10, also known as the John C Lodge Freeway, and Northwestern Highway is a state trunkline route in the U This road is not to be confused with the Highway 3B that is now Norfolk County highway 51 (Simcoe Street. The MacArthur Bridge is a bridge that spans the Detroit River between Detroit Michigan and Belle Isle. Belle Isle is a 982  Acre (39 km² 242 sq mi island park in the Detroit River managed by the Detroit Recreation Department	Detroit River during a winter day from Windsor, Ontario, looking at Detroit, Michigan. Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.	Detroit River ice spring break-up makes loud "clitter-clatter" sounds day and night.	Detroit River during a winter day from Windsor, Ontario, looking at Detroit, Michigan. Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.
Windsor, ONT skyline from Detroit

Modern uses

The Detroit River supplies the drinking water for over five million people. It was also designated an American Heritage River in 1998, and a Canadian Heritage River in 2003, the only river in North America to have dual designations. American Heritage Rivers are designated bythe United States Environmental Protection Agency to receive special attention (coordinating efforts of multiple governmental entities Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS was established in 1984 by the federal provincial and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada A shipping channel for the Great Lakes Waterway system is maintained in the river. The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and Canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels The river flows past the American cities of Detroit, River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte, Grosse Ile, Riverview, Trenton, and Gibraltar and the Canadian cities of Windsor, LaSalle, and Amherstburg. River Rouge is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan. Ecorse is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan, named for the Ecorse River. Wyandotte is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan. Grosse Ile Township is a Civil township of Wayne County in the U Riverview is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan. Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U Gibraltar is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan. Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. LaSalle is a town in Essex County, Ontario. It is located on the Detroit River, south of the City of Windsor. Amherstburg (2006 population 21748 UA population 13410 is a Town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County

See also

• Belle Isle (Michigan)
• Great Lakes
• Hart Plaza
• Lake Saint Clair (North America)
• List of Michigan rivers
• List of Ontario rivers
• Renaissance Center
• Detroit-Windsor
• Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival

References

External links

• Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
• Detroit River, Canadian Heritage River site
• Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative
• US EPA page on Detroit River
• Sea Grant Michigan