As Detroit expanded over the past two centuries, one of its most treasured natural resources receded from the city’s riverfront. Wetlands—waterlogged areas where the city’s soils bordered the Detroit River—once stretched a mile wide and rested along the land between Lake St.Clair and Lake Erie.
In the years since the Industrial Age in the 1800s, Michigan has lost roughly half of its wetlands. What was once a common sight has become a rare occurrence. Southeast Michigan, in particular, has seen some of the highest rates of wetland destruction in the state.
What are wetlands?
Wetlands are areas where soil is partially or fully saturated in water all year round or for varying periods, including during the growing season. Ryan Vance, lead supervisor at Belle Isle Nature Center, said the prolonged water exposure favors the growth of certain plants called hydrophytes.
Wetlands come in different forms and names, including mangroves, marshes, swamps, forested wetlands, bogs, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and vernal pools. At least 33 different types of wetlands occur in Michigan, with 26 of them considered rare.
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments’s GREEN Initiative reports that the region currently has roughly 337,000 acres of wetlands – a sliver of what was once here.
Wetlands play a significant role in the health of Michigan’s environment. They can improve water quality by filtering pollutants and excess nutrients, replenish surface and underground drinking water sources, and help control flooding by soaking up extra rainwater.
They also provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals, as well as wintering grounds for migrating birds. Experts trace environmental challenges such as declining fisheries, water quality concerns, and flooding to the historic decline in wetland acreage.
“I don’t think a lot of people think of the Detroit River as a natural area, so it’s hugely important to send that message back to young kids,” said Thomas Bissett, an urban district supervisor for the MDNR. “It’d be great to have them experience the Detroit River and then get more curious about what the rest of the state of Michigan offers them in the way of parks and natural areas.”
Despite the massive loss of wetlands, the city still offers locals a chance to witness these centuries-old habitats in person. For families interested in visiting Detroit’s remaining wetlands, we’ve compiled a list of area organizations that offer kid-friendly opportunities to learn more.
Where to see Detroit wetlands
Belle Isle Nature Center
Address: 176 Lakeside Dr, Detroit, MI 48207
Located on the east side of the city’s island park, the Belle Isle Nature Center provides visitors with free, year-round outdoor programming, including opportunities to hike the island park’s nature trails, birdwatch, take art lessons outdoors, and visit nearby honeybee hives and ponds, said Vance.
The center is also home to native reptiles, amphibians, and honeybees, which live in observation exhibits inside the building, such as bullfrogs, black rattlesnakes, and musk turtles.
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What Metro Detroiters should know about wetlands
One of the nature center’s flagship programs is “Over and Under the Pond,” which combines reading, nature exploration, and watercolor painting activities for children.
Adjacent to the nature center are acres of wet-mesic flatwoods overseen by the Department of Natural Resources. The department has worked to restore the rare, swampy forested wetlands after a flood damaged them. Those who visit the nature center can see the island park’s woodlands on one of its guided exploration hikes.
Other annual events include “Bee Fest,” “Green Day,” and “Mudpuppypalooza,” which celebrates the long, brownish salamanders that live along the Detroit River.
Vance said the center’s goal is to connect area residents with the island park’s natural environment and encourage visitors to “ignite positive change” in their homes or communities.
Milliken State Park & Harbor (Ponds Between Chene and Downtown)
1900 Atwater St, Detroit, MI 48207
first urban state park, William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, offers visitors a chance to learn about the important role of wetlands through demonstration areas and interpretative signs scattered along trail pathways.
Visitors can learn “how the wetlands in nature act as a water filtration system,” explaining how they ” remove pollutants from water and return them into the Detroit River as clean water,” Bissett said.
“Milliken State Park is meant to show how we can improve water quality with small changes,” he said.
The state park also houses fishing spots and butterfly gardens, alongside walking and bike paths that let visitors stroll or pedal past the riverfront wildlife and plants.
Outdoor Adventure Center
1801 Atwater St, Detroit, MI 48207
Directly across from Milliken State Park, the State of Michigan’s Outdoor Adventure Center offers over 20 interactive activities, all centered around the many natural resources and habitats found around the state.
“The concept of the Outdoor Adventure Center was to sort of bring all the state parks to the people of the city of Detroit,” said Bissett.
Located inside the historic former Globe building, the museum features exhibits and simulators that recreate the sensation of climbing an oak tree, touching a waterfall and walking up a sand dune.
Among the center’s many exhibits is a recreation of a beaver lodge, where visitors can walk through to learn about how beavers build dams and create wetlands.
The Outdoor Adventure Center will be closed this September for annual deep cleaning, maintenance, and exhibit enhancements, but activities will resume in October.
Humbug Marsh (Downriver)
5437 West Jefferson Ave, Trenton, MI 48183
About 20 miles south of Detroit lies the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the only one of its kind in North America. The refuge, which stretches 48 miles along the shoreline of the Detroit River and Lake Erie, is home to islands, marshes, shoals and coastal wetlands. Among those is Humbug Marsh.
Of the over 2,400 internationally recognized wetlands across the globe, Humbug is one of 41 in the United States and the only one in Michigan.
The 410-acre site offers birders, paddlers, anglers, hunters, and hikers an opportunity to experience the Detroit River’s natural habitat.
Visitors can stop by the refuge’s John D. Dingell Jr. Visitor Center to begin their trek through the trails surrounding the marsh or participate in family-friendly nature programming.
To learn more about wetlands in Metro Detroit, read the other stories in our “500,000 acres of wetlands” series and sign up for our webinar on Sept 19 at noon.