Rouge River Revived: How People Are Bringing Their River Back to Life

The Rouge River, a mostly urbanized watershed of 500 square miles, has played a significant role in southeast Michigan's history, including housing Ford's massive Rouge Factory and becoming the subject of Diego Rivera's "Detroit Industry" murals. In recent decades, it has been the site of grassroots environmental activism, with community groups working to restore and protect the watershed after pollution caused it to catch on fire in 1969. The book "Rouge River Revived" explores the river's history from pre-European times to the present, covering topics such as Native American life, indigenous flora and fauna, the river's role in local city founding, its involvement in Detroit's urban development and industrialization, and the clean-up efforts that have resulted from citizen concern and activism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2022
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

The Rouge River, a mostly urbanized watershed of approximately 500 square miles, is home to nearly 1.4 million people. Despite its relatively small geographical size, the river has played a significant role in the history of southeast Michigan, notably as the site of Ford's massive Rouge Factory, designed by architect Albert Kahn and later immortalized in Diego Rivera's famous "Detroit Industry" murals. In recent decades, the Rouge River has also been the focus of grassroots environmental activism. In 1969, pollution from the Ford complex and neighboring factories caused the river to catch on fire, prompting community groups to launch a heroic effort to restore and protect the watershed. Today, the Rouge River stands as one of the most successful examples of urban river revival in the country. Rouge River Revived chronicles the river's history from pre-European times to the 21st century, covering various topics such as Native American life on the Rouge, indigenous flora and fauna over time, the river's role in the founding of local cities, its key involvement in Detroit's urban development and intensive industrialization, and the dramatic clean-up that resulted from citizen concern and activism. This book not only provides a history of the environment of the Rouge River but also explores the complex and evolving relationship between humans and natural spaces.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472039081