DirtyWaterWatch Public waters. Public record.

Michigan / Waters /

River Rouge

River in Michigan, past Detroit, River Rouge and Rochester Hills

Current status

Discharge or advisory reported

A discharge is reported as ongoing, a post-discharge period applies, or an official advisory is listed. Open the report for its source, dates and advice. This status since . Why this status, and its source

This status counts every report affecting this water, including discharges arriving from upstream.

This badge describes the water outline. Check the downstream stretches on the map and below for discharge statuses.

Map sources: water outlines and launches from OpenBoatLaunch and OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database License); wastewater outlets from EPA and state records; downstream estimates by DirtyWaterWatch using U.S. Geological Survey maps and flow data. Base map: OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.

Dashed river stretches are estimates.

Check City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA WRRF)'s notices · Bookmark this water page and check it before each trip · Report a missing notice or error

About this status

Discharge or advisory reported: discharge reported as ongoing; shown while reported ongoing, up to 7 days without an end (site rule). 6.4 in of rain fell in the 24 hours to Nov 5, 2026, 1:00 AM EST at City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA WRRF)'s outfalls (NOAA radar estimate).

Source: NOAA National Weather Service, MRMS radar-only rainfall estimate, valid Nov 5, 2026, 1:00 AM EST, retrieved 2026-11-05 06:22 UTC; threshold: site default; rule: How it works, discharge likely or possible. · Updated

Reports behind this status

Combined sewer overflow (CSO): sewage mixed with rainwater spills from a shared sewer system.

Reports behind the status of River Rouge, newest first
WhenReportStatus
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:32 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:31 PM
City of Dearborn · CSO · volume in each report mapto Nov 5, 4:22 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:21 PM
City of Dearborn · CSO · 1.27 million gallons in all mapto Nov 15, 2:23 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 14, 10:50 PM

Sources: EGLE MiEnviro CSO/SSO List, retrieved 2026-11-05 06:11 UTC. A report's record id and times show when you hover or focus its "report" link.

Estimated downstream stretches on River Rouge

60 estimated stretches from 1 outlet

Estimated downstream stretch — not checked by water sampling. Estimated by DirtyWaterWatch using U.S. Geological Survey river maps and flow measurements; not an official advisory area. This estimates water movement, not bacteria levels.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet

    0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 6 hours, or as little as 3 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet

    0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 6 hours, or as little as 3 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet

    0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 6 hours, or as little as 3 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet

    0 to 5.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 6 hours, or as little as 3 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet

    5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 11 hours, or as little as 6 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet

    5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 11 hours, or as little as 6 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet

    5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 11 hours, or as little as 6 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet

    5.7 to 12.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 11 hours, or as little as 6 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet

    12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 12 hours, or as little as 7 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • Discharge or advisory reported 12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet

    12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 12 hours, or as little as 7 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet

    12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 12 hours, or as little as 7 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

  • End not confirmed 12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet

    12.7 to 13.7 kilometres below the outlet · from City of Dearborn

    Estimated travel time from outlet 001: about 12 hours, or as little as 7 hours. Estimate based on the river's average yearly flow; no current gauge reading was available.

Showing 12 of 60 estimated stretches, nearest the outlets first.

Estimated routes below wastewater outlets

7 routes below outlets
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 101 · 34.229 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 102 · 38.772 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 103 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 104 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 107 · 28.083 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit MI0022802, outlet 109 · 27.014 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Discharge or advisory reported Permit MI0025542, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit

Source: DirtyWaterWatch estimates using U.S. Geological Survey river maps and flow measurements. The estimate stops at tidal water, the first lake or the distance limit.

The last 90 days

Last 90 days, hour by hour. Red: discharge or advisory reported. Amber: caution. Hatched amber: end not confirmed. Plum: algal bloom advisory. Red or amber with a light line inside: beach advisory or caution. Dotted: monthly report (days with discharge, dates not given). Grey: no current status on the water outline. Purple hatching: source update overdue.
  • Discharge or advisory reported: to the latest update
    5 reports: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 3, City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Caution: to
    2 reports: City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    1 report: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Caution: to
    43 reports: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 43
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    2 reports: City of Dearborn 1, Wayne County/River Rouge CSO RTB 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Caution: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 3, Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 3, Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Caution: to
    7 reports: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 5, City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    1 report: City of Dearborn 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

  • Caution: to
    6 reports: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 5, City of Dearborn 1
    Show records

    The records are also in the report table on this page.

12 earlier periods appear as you scroll.

Source: DirtyWaterWatch calculations using the reports named above and the published status rules. Updated 2026-11-05 06:27 UTC.

Reported discharges over time

  • Discharges affecting the River Rouge in Michigan, last 12 months221221 affecting this stretch: 169 reported on the River Rouge; 52 arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA))December 2025 to November 2026Verified reports where available, else notices; revisions and duplicates counted once. Arriving discharges are estimated from modeled downstream reaches.
  • Days with a discharge affecting the River Rouge in Michigan, last 12 months74Reported on the River Rouge: 66 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 54 (counted apart; together they need not equal the total)December 2025 to November 2026A day counts once however many discharges were under way on it.
  • Hours with a discharge or advisory status on the River Rouge in Michigan, last 12 months1,128Reported on the River Rouge: 1,012 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 465 (counted apart; together they need not equal the total)December 2025 to November 2026Red hours by the map's rules: each discharge to its reported end plus the state's post-discharge period; overlapping hours count once.
  • 2026 season with a discharge or advisory status on the River Rouge in Michigan17%May to October 2026Share of May 1 to October 31 hours with red status by the map's rules, of the hours a source covered.
  • Records behind the last-90-days strip for the River Rouge in Michigan95Reported on the River Rouge: 78 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 17last 90 daysEvery distinct record the strip lists for its red, yellow and unresolved hours, notices and unresolved reports included; counted as the strip counts them.

Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO): sewage spills from a sewer meant to carry sewage separately from rainwater. Treatment bypass: wastewater skips one or more treatment steps. Blended discharge: wastewater that skipped some treatment is mixed with treated wastewater. Outfall: a pipe or outlet where wastewater enters a water body.

Reported discharges per month

1,188 reported discharges, January 2022 to November 2026.

  • Combined sewer overflow
  • Sanitary sewer overflow
  • Treatment bypass, blended or other

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Hours with a discharge or advisory status per month

Hours when this water had a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported

191 discharge reports have no end time and are not marked ongoing; under DirtyWaterWatch rules they show caution, not a discharge or advisory status, and add no hours here. 7 discharges reported to last more than 31 days are counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Days with a reported discharge per month

A day counts when any counted discharge was under way on it, from its start to its reported end in Eastern Time; a report with no end counts its start day.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges per year, 2001 to 2026

5,304 reported discharges, 2001 to 2026.

  • Combined sewer overflow
  • Sanitary sewer overflow
  • Treatment bypass, blended or other

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Reported volume per year

Gallons (axis: K thousand, M million), summed from the 5,197 reports that gave a volume as a number (107 did not).

107 of 5,304 discharge reports gave no volume as a number; only numbers are summed. 1 report gives more than 5 billion gallons for a single discharge, which looks like an entry error; it is not summed.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Hours with a discharge or advisory status per year

Hours with a discharge or advisory status each year under DirtyWaterWatch rules; 2026 to date.

  • Discharge or advisory reported

191 discharge reports have no end time and are not marked ongoing; under DirtyWaterWatch rules they show caution, not a discharge or advisory status, and add no hours here. 7 discharges reported to last more than 31 days are counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Share of the May to October season with a discharge or advisory status

Share of the hours from May 1 to October 31 with a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported

191 discharge reports have no end time and are not marked ongoing; under DirtyWaterWatch rules they show caution, not a discharge or advisory status, and add no hours here. 7 discharges reported to last more than 31 days are counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges by calendar month, all years

Every counted discharge report, by the calendar month it began.

Months are summed over every year a tracked source covers; the table gives the number of years behind each month.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges by wastewater outlet

Wastewater outlets with the most tracked discharge records: 10 of 56, all years. Counts depend on reporting coverage and do not measure legal compliance or harm.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 5, 2026.

Show table
How these charts are counted

We count each discharge once. Where a source publishes notices and confirmed reports, we use confirmed reports for an operator's month when available; otherwise we use notices. We combine revisions and exclude duplicate state reports copied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Monthly and yearly totals appear separately. Status hours follow this site's rules. Shaded gaps mean missing coverage, not zero discharges.

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sewer overflow records: records from May 3, 2022 to the latest update (limited records)
  • mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list: records from January 1, 2001 to the latest update

Reports linked to River Rouge

Reports linked to River Rouge, newest first
WhenReportStatus
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:32 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:31 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 5, 4:21 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapto Nov 14, 10:50 PM
Wayne County/River Rouge CSO RTB · 101 · CSO · volume not reported report · notice · mapongoing
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 64.2 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 9.5 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 28.35 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 110,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 130.2 million gallons in all mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 440,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 87 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 1,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 1,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 220,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 3.9 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 1,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 258.2 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 1,000 gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 3.33 million gallons report · notice · mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 90.68 million gallons in all mapended
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 1.53 million gallons in all mapended

Download these reports as CSV

Showing the latest 25 records of 4,179 records.See them all with filters.

All reports in Michigan by year: 2026 (154 here) · 2025 (187 here) · 2024 (253 here) · 2023 (211 here) · 2022 (131 here) · 2021 (263 here) · 2020 (218 here) · 2019 (231 here) · 2018 (260 here) · 2017 (155 here) · 2016 (183 here) · 2015 (106 here) · 2014 (113 here) · 2013 (90 here) · 2012 (45 here) · 2011 (113 here) · 2010 (82 here) · 2009 (128 here) · 2008 (101 here) · 2007 (144 here) · 2006 (399 here) · 2005 (147 here) · 2004 (321 here) · 2003 (29 here) · 2002 (22 here) · 2001 (93 here)

Wastewater outlets on this water

No wastewater outlet in our records is linked to this water.

Sewer operators listed for this water: City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA WRRF), Wayne County/River Rouge CSO RTB (RIVER ROUGE CSO RTB), Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD).

Boat launches

No public boat launch is listed in our records for this water.

Nearby waters

Sources covering this water

4,176 records linked to this water, besides 3 earlier versions or duplicates. Updated .