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Michigan / Waters /

River Rouge

River in Michigan, past Melvindale

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.

Square boat markers mark boat launches listed by OpenBoatLaunch. Dashed river stretches are estimates.

Check Acacia Park CSO Drainage District (OAKLAND CO-ACACIA PARK CSO RTB)'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). 6.3 in of rain fell in the 24 hours to Nov 4, 2026, 7:00 PM 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 4, 2026, 7:00 PM EST, retrieved 2026-11-05 01:19 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
City of Dearborn · CSO · volume in each report mapto Nov 5, 4:22 PM
City of Dearborn · CSO · 1.27 million gallons in all mapto Nov 15, 2:23 PM

Sources: EGLE MiEnviro CSO/SSO List, retrieved 2026-11-05 01:07 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

8 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 107 · 28.083 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops here
  • Caution Permit MI0025461, outlet 001 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit
  • Caution Permit MI0025461, outlet 002 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit
  • Caution Permit MI0025534, outlet 101 · 40 kilometres estimated · Estimate stops at the 40-kilometre limit
  • 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
    2 reports: City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

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

  • Caution: to
    45 reports: Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 43, City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

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

  • Caution: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 4
    Show records

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

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 4
    Show records

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

  • Caution: to
    5 reports: City of Dearborn 5
    Show records

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

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    3 reports: City of Dearborn 3
    Show records

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

  • Caution: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 4
    Show records

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

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    2 reports: City of Dearborn 2
    Show records

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

  • Caution: to
    4 reports: City of Dearborn 4
    Show records

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

  • Discharge or advisory reported: to
    2 reports: City of Dearborn 2
    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 01:25 UTC.

Reported discharges over time

  • Discharges affecting the River Rouge in Michigan, last 12 months169169 affecting this stretch: 125 reported on the River Rouge; 44 arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of DearbornDecember 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 months55Reported on the River Rouge: 53 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 52 (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 months500Reported on the River Rouge: 494 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 285 (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 Michigan5.6%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 Michigan79Reported on the River Rouge: 67 · Arriving from outfalls upstream on the Lower River Rouge, City of Dearborn; outfalls further up the River Rouge (Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)), estimated: 12last 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

701 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 4, 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

80 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. 1 discharge reported to last more than 31 days is counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 4, 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 4, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges per year, 2001 to 2026

3,449 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 4, 2026.

Show table

Reported volume per year

Gallons (axis: K thousand, M million), summed from the 3,419 reports that gave a volume as a number (30 did not).

30 of 3,449 discharge reports gave no volume as a number; only numbers are summed.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 4, 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

80 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. 1 discharge reported to last more than 31 days is counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 4, 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

80 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. 1 discharge reported to last more than 31 days is counted as 31 days.

Source: mi-egle-mienviro-cso-sso-list. Records cover January 1, 2001 to November 4, 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 4, 2026.

Show table

Reported discharges by wastewater outlet

Wastewater outlets with the most tracked discharge records: 10 of 12, 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 4, 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
City of Dearborn · CSO · volume in each report mapto Nov 5, 4:22 PM
City of Dearborn · CSO · 1.27 million gallons in all mapto Nov 15, 2:23 PM
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) · CSO · 64.2 million gallons report · notice · mapended
to 6:40 AMCity of Dearborn · 017 Rouge Manufacturing Complex Turning Basin · CSO · 6.44 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 2,358 records.See them all with filters.

All reports in Michigan by year: 2026 (119 here) · 2025 (71 here) · 2024 (111 here) · 2023 (93 here) · 2022 (84 here) · 2021 (103 here) · 2020 (101 here) · 2019 (99 here) · 2018 (106 here) · 2017 (97 here) · 2016 (96 here) · 2015 (75 here) · 2014 (89 here) · 2013 (110 here) · 2012 (72 here) · 2011 (134 here) · 2010 (120 here) · 2009 (129 here) · 2008 (104 here) · 2007 (100 here) · 2006 (121 here) · 2005 (90 here) · 2004 (71 here) · 2003 (53 here) · 2002 (1 here) · 2001 (9 here)

Wastewater outlets on this water

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

Sewer operators listed for this water: Acacia Park CSO Drainage District (OAKLAND CO-ACACIA PARK CSO RTB), Bloomfield Village CSO Drainage District (BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE CSO RTB), CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS, City of Dearborn (DEARBORN CSO), City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA WRRF), DEARBORN CSO DEWATERING, OAKLAND CO DPW-FARM EVERGR CSO, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office (BIRMINGHAM CSO RTB).

Boat launches

Source: OpenBoatLaunch launch records (public agency data and OpenStreetMap, Open Database License). · River Rouge on OpenBoatLaunch

Nearby waters

Sources covering this water

2,355 records linked to this water, besides 3 earlier versions or duplicates. Updated .