Dead water as in the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Sadly, that was the case around here several years ago.
You couldn't hardly buy a fish in either body of water. The Rogue River which flows into the Detroit was another example of man's ability to destroy parts of nature.
This river was a sewage pit. It remained that way for years as it meandered it's way through Hines Park, slipping, slurping and smelling it's way into the Detroit River.
Game fish were non existent. So were flies and other aquatic bugs that signal a healthy river. Vegetation had been stripped from it's banks and wildlife shunned it.
These days, the Rogue has made a comeback just like it's relatives, the Detroit River and Lake Erie. One shining example is Newburgh Lake in Wayne County.
Drastic measures were taken to improve the overall conditions of the lake. It was drained, contaminated soil removed along with "junk" fish, then re-filled and stocked with a nice array of game fish.
Today, one can fish the lake with a good change of catching bluegill, perch, crappie, bass or walleye and not have a bad smell to contend with.
In the Detroit River and Lake Erie, walleye begin showing up, especially this time of the year. Known around the country as the premier fishing locations for walleye from eaters to wall hangers these systems have made a remarkable comeback.
For a good historical read on how these and other bodies of water went from pollution to survival read "Burning Rivers," By Dr. John H. Hartig, 183 pages, Multi-Science Publishing.
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