Grassy Island
Encyclopedia
Grassy Island is a small, uninhabited 72-acre (29 ha) American
island in the Detroit River
. It is located just north of Grosse Ile
and west of Fighting Island
, about 600 feet (183 m) west of the Canada–United States border. The island is part of Wayne County
, Michigan
with Wyandotte
being the closest city. The island is part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
. Grassy Island should not be confused with Grass Island, which is an island of Ontario
on the exact opposite side of the Detroit River.
Grassy Island was first charted by French
explorers in 1796 as Ile Marecageuse (Marshy Island). At the time, the island's size was only six acres (2.4 ha), and the whole length of the Detroit River was a prominent coastal marshland
. During the nineteenth century, the island was primarily used as a fishery
and later held a lighthouse
. From around 1960–1982, the island served as a disposal facility for millions of cubic meters of toxic soil dredged from the nearby River Rouge
, and the island's size was increased dramatically. Because of that, the island remains heavily contaminated today.
declared Grassy Island and the surrounding area as part of the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge
in 1961. However, larger shipping lanes were needed in the Detroit River and its main tributary, the River Rouge
, with the increase of commercial shipping and larger freighters
during this time. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
took control of Grassy Island from 1960–1982 and used it as a disposal facility for millions of cubic meters of sediments dredged from the nearby River Rouge for better navigation of that river. Dikes
were constructed around Grassy Island to hold the sediments— much of which were heavily contaminated from nearby industries.
When the dredging project was completed, Grassy Island swelled from its original six acres (2.4 ha) to 72 acres (29 ha). Because of the island's massive expansion, it can be considered an artificial island
, as no real remnants of the original island are seen today. The mouth of the River Rouge was effectively diverted to an easier route (creating the artificial Zug Island
in the process) with all the sediments from this new River Rouge route being dumped at Grassy Island with no regard to the amount of pollutants that were within the soil. The island now has an unnatural appearance and composition. The sides of the island are steep earthen dikes used to hold up the island, and this can pose a variety of hazards for those who attempt to dock boats at the shore or walk on the island.
in 1960, at least nine major industries (including the Ford River Rouge Complex) freely dumped their waste products into that river. This caused a huge buildup of toxic waste around the mouth of the river— the exact location where the sediments came from that were deposited on Grassy Island. The soil that was deposited on Grassy Island was highly contaminated from Detroit's unregulated industrialism for many decades. Grassy Island is now contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl
, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
, and lethal amounts of harmful heavy metals, such as mercury
and lead
.
While there is no imminent danger to human trespassers because of a thin layer of protective topsoil
on Grassy Island, public access is prohibited but not often enforced. The island has become largely void of wildlife and vegetation, as 97% of the original wetlands around the Detroit River were depleted by 1982. The soil contains 28 different contaminants that exceed state and federal limits. While the site has not been declared a Superfund
site, similar procedures are being used by the Environmental Protection Agency
and other organizations to clean up Grassy Island. In 1994, the Department of the Interior
began working on Grassy Island in order to find remedies for such hazardous sites. Currently, the island is still being evaluated to see if the many contaminants within the soil are leaking into the surrounding Detroit River.
In 2001, the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge, including Grassy Island, was absorbed into the newly created Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
, which allowed for more federal funds necessary to cleanup the river. Large portions of land have been set aside for ecological restoration. Because of this, much of the Detroit River has been cleaned up, and a number of native animal and plant species have returned.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
island in the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
. It is located just north of Grosse Ile
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township is a general law township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is situated on several islands in the Detroit River, but the largest island is also referred to as simply Grosse Ile. The name comes from French Grosse Île, meaning "Big Island"...
and west of Fighting Island
Fighting Island
Fighting Island is a island in the Detroit River— the largest Canadian island in the river. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte, Michigan and downriver from Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario....
, about 600 feet (183 m) west of the Canada–United States border. The island is part of Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
with Wyandotte
Wyandotte, Michigan
Wyandotte is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,883 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 7.6% from 2000. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and is part of the collection of communities known as...
being the closest city. The island is part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. It was established in 2001 and is managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The refuge is located along the western coast of Lake...
. Grassy Island should not be confused with Grass Island, which is an island of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
on the exact opposite side of the Detroit River.
Grassy Island was first charted by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorers in 1796 as Ile Marecageuse (Marshy Island). At the time, the island's size was only six acres (2.4 ha), and the whole length of the Detroit River was a prominent coastal marshland
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. During the nineteenth century, the island was primarily used as a fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
and later held a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. From around 1960–1982, the island served as a disposal facility for millions of cubic meters of toxic soil dredged from the nearby River Rouge
River Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
, and the island's size was increased dramatically. Because of that, the island remains heavily contaminated today.
Expansion
When Detroit underwent rapid industrialization beginning at the turn at the twentieth century, much of the pollutants from the growing industries found their way into the Detroit River and had devastating consequences on the ecosystem. When the Detroit River became so polluted as to warrant federal intervention, CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
declared Grassy Island and the surrounding area as part of the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
in 1961. However, larger shipping lanes were needed in the Detroit River and its main tributary, the River Rouge
River Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
, with the increase of commercial shipping and larger freighters
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
during this time. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
took control of Grassy Island from 1960–1982 and used it as a disposal facility for millions of cubic meters of sediments dredged from the nearby River Rouge for better navigation of that river. Dikes
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
were constructed around Grassy Island to hold the sediments— much of which were heavily contaminated from nearby industries.
When the dredging project was completed, Grassy Island swelled from its original six acres (2.4 ha) to 72 acres (29 ha). Because of the island's massive expansion, it can be considered an artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
, as no real remnants of the original island are seen today. The mouth of the River Rouge was effectively diverted to an easier route (creating the artificial Zug Island
Zug Island
Zug Island is a heavily industrialized island in the city of River Rouge near the southern city limits of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located where the mouth of the River Rouge spills into the Detroit River...
in the process) with all the sediments from this new River Rouge route being dumped at Grassy Island with no regard to the amount of pollutants that were within the soil. The island now has an unnatural appearance and composition. The sides of the island are steep earthen dikes used to hold up the island, and this can pose a variety of hazards for those who attempt to dock boats at the shore or walk on the island.
Pollution
Around the time that Grassy Island became a disposal facility for the dredging of the nearby River RougeRiver Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
in 1960, at least nine major industries (including the Ford River Rouge Complex) freely dumped their waste products into that river. This caused a huge buildup of toxic waste around the mouth of the river— the exact location where the sediments came from that were deposited on Grassy Island. The soil that was deposited on Grassy Island was highly contaminated from Detroit's unregulated industrialism for many decades. Grassy Island is now contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons , also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are potent atmospheric pollutants that consist of fused aromatic rings and do not contain heteroatoms or carry substituents. Naphthalene is the simplest example of a PAH...
, and lethal amounts of harmful heavy metals, such as mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
.
While there is no imminent danger to human trespassers because of a thin layer of protective topsoil
Topsoil
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.-Importance:...
on Grassy Island, public access is prohibited but not often enforced. The island has become largely void of wildlife and vegetation, as 97% of the original wetlands around the Detroit River were depleted by 1982. The soil contains 28 different contaminants that exceed state and federal limits. While the site has not been declared a Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site, similar procedures are being used by the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
and other organizations to clean up Grassy Island. In 1994, the Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
began working on Grassy Island in order to find remedies for such hazardous sites. Currently, the island is still being evaluated to see if the many contaminants within the soil are leaking into the surrounding Detroit River.
In 2001, the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge, including Grassy Island, was absorbed into the newly created Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. It was established in 2001 and is managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The refuge is located along the western coast of Lake...
, which allowed for more federal funds necessary to cleanup the river. Large portions of land have been set aside for ecological restoration. Because of this, much of the Detroit River has been cleaned up, and a number of native animal and plant species have returned.
See also
- Detroit RiverDetroit RiverThe Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
- Detroit River International Wildlife RefugeDetroit River International Wildlife RefugeThe Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. It was established in 2001 and is managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The refuge is located along the western coast of Lake...
- List of islands in the Detroit River
- River RougeRiver Rouge (Michigan)The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....