Detroit River Update Report November 1999

Detroit River Update Report November 1999 Detroit River Canadian Cleanup Committee Table of Contents Table of Contents iii Acknowledgements v Executive Summary vii 1 Introduction 1-1 2 Overview of the Detroit River Corridor 2-1 3 Overview of the Recent Detroit River Management 3-1 Processes 4 Environmental Quality 4-1 4.1 Water Quality 4-2 A Historic and Current Monitoring 4-2 B Contaminant Loadings 4-4 C Chemical Water Quality Assessment 4-14 D Biological Water Quality Assessment 4-21 4.2 Sediment Quality 4-23 A Contaminants in sediments and Biota 4-24 B Toxicity 4-31 C Benthos 4-31 D Sediment Quality at Select Detroit River Sites 4-32 E Spatial Trends 4-37 F Temporal Trends 4-37 G Quality of the Detroit River Sediment Contaminant 4-38 Database 4.3 Contaminants of Fish and Birds 4-42 AFish 4-42 B Birds 4-46 5 Habitat 5-1 6 Progress 6-1 7 Conclusions 7-1 8 Recommendations 8-1 Appendix One A-1 Glossary B-1 iii References C-1 iv Acknowledgements The Canadian federal government’s Great Lakes 2000 Cleanup Fund, a component of the Great Lakes 2000 program, provided funding in support of this Detroit River Update Report. The Cleanup Fund provides resources for demonstration projects addressing remediation of Areas of Concern and other priority areas in the Great Lakes. The report that follows addresses water quality in the Detroit River Area of Concern in Windsor, Ontario. The project also received financial support from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Staff members of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) and Citizen’s Environment Alliance (CEA) prepared the report. In particular, the efforts of principal authors Cameron Straughan (GLIER), Matthew Child (ERCA) and Derek Coronado (CEA) are acknowledged. The principal editor of this report was Dr. Jennifer Read under the direction of Dr. Douglas Haffner, both of GLIER. Appreciation is extended to Jennifer Welsh (GLIER) who formatted the document. The document was reviewed by members of the Canada and U.S. scientific community whose input is gratefully acknowledged. Although subjected to technical review, the Detroit River Update Report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Cleanup Fund, Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, or the city of Windsor. v Executive Summary This review of the state of the his Detroit River Update Report T Detroit River discovered that thousands summarises progress that has been made of kilograms of pollutants are released on the Detroit River since a July 1996 annually from the Canadian side of the report presented during stage two of the Detroit River; air emissions are the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) process dominant source. Among the pollutants under the Canada-United States Water released are persistent toxic substances Quality Agreement of 1978. This report which violate the zero discharge is designed to inform the public about philosophy endorsed by the International progress in clean up efforts. It is also Joint Commission. Resuspension of intended to help the members of the pollutants from contaminated sediments Detroit River Canadian Cleanup is also a major source of pollutants in the Committee identify problems causing water and research indicates that the environmental degradation of the sediment quality has remained stable or Detroit River and prioritise the actions declined since the 1980s. This report required to restore its ecological contains data on the levels of specific integrity. pollutants in the river’s water, The Detroit River Update Report sediments, bird and fish populations. It provides an overview of the provides information on the environmental state of the Detroit River, environmental quality of specific sites summarises known pollutant inputs, and on the river. provides an assessment of the quality of Unfortunately, this report finds water and sediment in the river as well that both Canadian and United States as the contaminant levels in fish and agencies have reduced their commitment birds. Furthermore, the report assesses to monitoring Detroit River water historic loss of Detroit River habitat and quality in recent years. Local agencies, current efforts to conserve and restore however, have demonstrated a remaining habitat. This document also willingness to meet the shortfall, reviews difficulties associated with the regardless of the response from the other Detroit River RAP process. levels of government. The herring gull The report finds several monitoring programme, for instance, considerable challenges for the Detroit provides the best contaminant data set River Canadian Cleanup Committee. for the Detroit River; this programme Key among these is the need to must be maintained and included in any encourage governments at all levels to future monitoring and assessment plan. assume a strong leadership role in Clear, scientifically valid and Detroit River cleanup. This kind of socially acceptable objectives for de- leadership will enable the Cleanup listing the Detroit River as an AOC must Committee to set priorities and develop be developed in conjunction with the the long-term monitoring programmes United States. Objectives should include required to measure restoration and a detailed implementation schedule with maintenance of the ecological integrity a clear understanding of the involved of the Detroit River. governments’ responsibilities. vii In addition, the report urges researchers. As well, there is a need to governments to protect remaining habitat increase outreach efforts to engage the and restore lost or degraded habitat community in cleanup efforts. This under the Biodiversity Conservation should include educational programs Strategy developed for the Canadian side designed for the general public and of the river. The report also urges the students at all levels. two federal governments and the The Detroit River Canadian International Joint Commission to Cleanup Committee is currently extend the AOC downstream to include involved in several projects designed to the mouth of the Detroit River and its improve our understanding of the Detroit submerged delta. Additionally, Lake St. River and to begin restoring habitat and Clair should be declared an AOC. water quality. The Committee welcomes The report suggests creating a your response to this report and “clearing-house” for information on the encourages you to become involved in Detroit River AOC which can serve as a restoring our river to a state where we resource for both the general public and can all enjoy it again. Problems with a technical term? See the Glossary for help. viii 1. Introduction he Detroit River is one of the most Pollution, Contaminated Sediments, T Combined Sewer Overflow, Habitat, and important rivers in North America. It Public Involvement and Communication. has been central to a number of First Through the co-ordinated activities of Nation communities for three thousand each Subcommittee, the Cleanup years. Since European settlement in the Committee is able to chart a course that 1700s, the river has provided a will return the Detroit River to a state of harvesting ground for fish and wildlife, a good environmental health. source of water for numerous uses, a This report has been developed corridor for the efficient transportation by the Committee to summarise the of goods, a recreation playground, and current environmental health of the river. an international boundary. (see The report will be used as a benchmark Overview of the Detroit River) to measure success in cleaning up the Intensive use of the river for all river in the future. It is part of a larger these purposes has not come without project that includes collecting and cost: over time, the environmental summarising available scientific quality of the river has been impaired. information on the Detroit River, and Today, virtually all aspects of the river modelling pollution in the river to bear some evidence of human impact, understand the origin and fate of including sediment and water quality, contaminants. The results of this fish and wildlife habitat, and the health activity will be used to provide guidance of fish and wildlife populations that live on priority cleanup activities and in or around the river. These impacts are predicted benefits. significant enough that the Canadian and U.S. federal governments have identified the Detroit River as one of 43 Areas of Concern (AOC), or pollution ‘hot spots,’ around the Great Lakes. The river’s designation as an AOC requires that a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) be developed to clean up the pollution. As part of this requirement, in 1998 the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup Committee (DRCCC) was formed to cleanup, enhance, and restore Enjoying the Detroit River (Photo courtesy of the environmental health of the river. Essex Region Conservation Authority) The Committee consists of all levels of This report is divided into four government, local industries, business sections – an overview, a summary of groups, and community and environmental quality, a review of environmental organisations. The processes, and progress and Committee relies on six Subcommittees recommendations. Section 2, however, to implement projects that will lead to is the main focus of the report, and the environmental restoration of the river describes the environmental health of the - these Sub-committees include Point river including water quality, sediment Source Pollution, Non-Point Source 1-1 quality, contaminants in fish and birds, and habitat. The third section describes the resource management processes that The reader is reminded that have been used for the Detroit River, although the report addresses issues including the Remedial Action Planning pertinent to both the Canadian and U.S. that occurred up until 1996, and the sides of the river, the focus of the report activities of the Detroit River Canadian is on the Canadian side. The Detroit Cleanup Committee that began in 1998. River Canadian Cleanup Committee will Section 4 summarises progress to date in be working with its U.S.

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