Detroit River - wikipedia Detroit River Detroit River Rivière Détroit A Canadian police boat from Windsor, passing by the Renaissance Center in 2007. Countries United States, Canada State Michigan Province Ontario Tributaries - left Little River, River Canard - right River Rouge, Ecorse River Cities United States : Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park, River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte, Riverview, Trenton, Grosse Ile, Gibraltar, Canada : Tecumseh, Windsor, La Salle, Amherstburg Source Lake St. Clair - elevation 574 ft ( 175 m ) - coordinates 42 ° 21 ′ 07 '' N 82 ° 55 ′ 03 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.35194 ° N 82.91750 ° W ﻿ / 42.35194 ; - 82.91750 Mouth Lake Erie - elevation 571 ft ( 174 m ) - coordinates 42 ° 03 ′ 06 '' N 83 ° 09 ′ 05 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.05167 ° N 83.15139 ° W ﻿ / 42.05167 ; - 83.15139 Coordinates : 42 ° 03 ′ 06 '' N 83 ° 09 ′ 05 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.05167 ° N 83.15139 ° W ﻿ / 42.05167 ; - 83.15139 Length 28 mi ( 45 km ) Basin 700 sq mi ( 1,813 km ) Discharge - average 188,000 cu ft / s ( 5,324 m / s ) Location of the Detroit River in the United States Landsat satellite photo showing the St. Clair River ( top ), Lake St. Clair ( center ), and the Detroit River connecting it to Lake Erie ( bottom ) The Detroit River ( French : Rivière Détroit ) flows for 24 nautical miles ( 44 km ; 28 mi ) from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system and forms part of the border between Canada and the United States. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario -- an area referred to as Detroit -- Windsor. The two cities are connected by the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit -- Windsor Tunnel and the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel. The river 's name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, meaning 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 travels west and south from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, and the whole river is coterminous with the border between Canada and the United States. The river serves as an important transportation route connecting Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior to the St. Lawrence Seaway and Erie Canal. When Detroit underwent rapid industrialization at the turn of the 20th century, the Detroit River became notoriously polluted and toxic. In recent years, however, the ecological importance of the river has warranted a vast restoration effort, and the river today has a wide variety of economical and recreational uses. There are numerous islands in the Detroit River, and much of the lower portion of the river is incorporated into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The portion of the river in the city of Detroit has been organized into the Detroit International Riverfront and the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. The Detroit River is designated an American Heritage River and a Canadian Heritage River -- the only river to have this dual designation. Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Islands 2 History 2.1 Prohibition 2.2 Pollution and conservation efforts 3 Economy 4 Bridges and crossings 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Geography The Detroit River flows for 24 nautical miles ( 44 km ; 28 mi ) from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. By definition, this classifies it as both a river and a strait -- a strait being a narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water, which is how the river earned its name from early French settlers. However, today, the Detroit River is rarely referred to as a strait, because bodies of water referred to as straits are typically much wider. The Detroit River is only 0.5 to 2.5 miles ( 0.80 to 4.02 km ) wide. The Detroit River starts on an east to west flow but then bends and runs north to south. The deepest portion of the Detroit River is 53 feet ( 16 m ) deep in the northern portion of the river. At its source, the river is at an elevation of 574 feet ( 175 m ) above sea level. The river drops only three feet before entering into Lake Erie at 571 feet ( 174 m ). As the river contains no dams and no locks, it is easily navigable by even the smallest of vessels. The watershed basin for the Detroit River is approximately 700 square miles ( 1,800 km ). Since the river is fairly short, it has few tributaries. Its largest tributary is the River Rouge in Michigan, which is actually four times longer than the Detroit River and contains most of the basin. The only other major American tributary to the Detroit River is the much smaller Ecorse River. Tributaries on the Canadian side include Little River, Turkey Creek and the River Canard. The discharge for the Detroit River is relatively high for a river of its size. The river 's average discharge is approximately 188,000 cubic feet per second ( 5,324 m3 / s ), and the river 's flow is constant. Location of the Detroit River in the Great Lakes system The Detroit River forms a major element of the international border between the United States and Canada. The river on the American side is all under the jurisdiction of Wayne County, Michigan, and the Canadian side is under the administration of Essex County, Ontario. The largest city along the Detroit River is Detroit, and most of the population along the river lives in Michigan. The Detroit River has only two automobile traffic crossings connecting the United States and Canada : the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit -- Windsor Tunnel. Both of these are heavily protected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency. The upper portion of the river is one of the few places where a Canadian city lies directly south of an American city. In this case, the city of Detroit is directly north of the city of Windsor, Ontario. The only other location where this occurs is Fort Erie, Ontario, lying south of several cities in Niagara County, New York. The cities and communities southwest of Detroit along the American side of the river are popularly referred to as the Downriver area, because those areas are said to be `` down the river '' from Detroit. Several of these communities do not actually border the Detroit River ; the term `` Downriver '' is used to refer to a cluster of 18 suburban communities that lie to the southwest of the city of Detroit and to the west of the Detroit River. Islands Main article : List of islands in the Detroit River The Detroit River contains numerous islands, whose ownership and control varies depending on their location along the river. The majority are on the American side of the river ; there are none that are divided by the international border. Many are very small and uninhabited. However, Grosse Ile on the U.S. side and Bois Blanc ( Boblo ) Island on the Canadian side have permanent populations. Most are in the southern portion of the waterway, close to where the river empties into Lake Erie. Belle Isle, in the northern section of the river, is a Michigan State Park, and is open to the public via a bridge connection with the city. History See also : History of Detroit The Detroit River was first navigated by non-natives in the 17th century. The Iroquois traded furs with the Dutch colonists at New Amsterdam by traveling through the Detroit River. The French later claimed the area for New France. The famed sailing ship Le Griffon reached the mouth of the Detroit River in mid-August 1679 on its maiden voyage through the Great Lakes. Later, when the French began settling in the area, they navigated the river using canoes made of birch or elm bark. Handcrafted vessels were a common mode of travel across the river, and the pirogue and bateaux were also used. As the North American fur trade intensified, European settlers began expanding their trade westward into the uncharted territories. French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac sailed up the Detroit River on July 23, 1701. The next day, he established Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which became Detroit. The river itself became known as the Rivière Détroit, in which détroit is French for `` strait ''. The river was known literally as the `` River of the Strait ''. The Detroit River -- and the larger area surrounding it -- was taken from the French by Great Britain during the French and Indian War. It was claimed by the newly formed United States during the American Revolution but was not turned over by the British until 1796. During the War of 1812, the Detroit River served as a major barrier between the American Michigan Territory and British Upper Canada, especially during the Battle of Fort Detroit in August 1812, when Detroit briefly fell to the British. Following the completion of the Erie Canal in 1817, which opened up easier travel to Lake Erie from the East Coast of the United States, the Detroit River became a heavily traversed route for settlers traveling to northern Michigan, and Detroit, as well, experienced a sudden increase in population. Following the Patriot War which nearly saw a battle between British regulars and Michigan militia on the ice - covered Detroit River, Fort Wayne was constructed at Detroit to counter Britain 's riverside Fort Malden at Amherstburg. During the American Civil War ( 1861 -- 1865 ), the Union feared that the seceded Confederate States of America ( CSA ) would plan a northerly attack from Canada, which was still owned by the British Empire and remained neutral in the war. The Union feared that the CSA would cross the Detroit River to launch this attack. For that reason, the Detroit River was heavily patrolled and the fortification at Fort Wayne improved, even though it was far removed from any real combat. While no major attack came from Canada, a plot to capture the U.S. Navy warship, USS Michigan and liberate Confederate prisoners from Johnson Island, in western Lake Erie, was narrowly averted only after the Confederates had captured two passenger steamships. At the beginning of the 20th century, Detroit 's industrialization took off on an unprecedented scale. The Detroit River became the busiest commercial river in the world and was dubbed `` the Greatest Commercial Artery on Earth '' by The Detroit News in 1908. In 1907, the Detroit River carried 67,292,504 tons ( 61 billion kg ) of shipping commerce through Detroit to locations all over the world. For comparison, London shipped 18,727,230 tons ( 16 billion kg ), and New York shipped 20,390,953 tons ( 18 billion kg ). As one of the most important waterways in the world, large freighters are a common sight on the Detroit River. Prohibition From 1920 to 1933 there was Prohibition in the United States, and the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption were nationally banned. Detroit, as the largest city bordering Canada, where alcohol remained legal during Prohibition, became the center of a new industry known as rum - running. There were no bridges in the area connecting Canada and the United States until the Ambassador Bridge was finished in 1929 and the Detroit -- Windsor Tunnel in 1930 so boats were used to smuggle alcohol across the river during the summer, and during the winter months, rum - runners traveled across the frozen Detroit River by car to Canada and back with trunk loads of alcohol. In some cases, overloaded cars fell through the ice, and today, car parts from this illegal era can still be seen on the bottom of the river. Rum - running in Windsor became a very common practice, and led to the rise of mobsters such as the Purple Gang, who used violence as a means to control the route known as the `` Detroit - Windsor Funnel '' -- parodying the newly built tunnel. The Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River are estimated to have carried 75 % of all liquor smuggled into the United States during Prohibition. Government officials were unable or unwilling to deter the flow. The rum - running industry died when prohibition was repealed in 1933 by the Twenty - first Amendment. Further information : Rum - running in Windsor Pollution and conservation efforts Much of the land surrounding the Detroit River is urbanized and, in some places, heavily industrialized. This has resulted in excessive water pollution from the unregulated dumping of chemicals and industrial waste for many decades. Much of the garbage and sewage from Detroit 's rapid industrialization found its way into the river. Much of the Detroit River and its shoreline were heavily polluted and unsafe for recreational use. Large quantities of this pollution collected around the mouth of the Detroit River at Lake Erie. The pollutants were so high after the spring thaw that thousands of migrating birds were killed by oil slicks and contaminated water every year. Oxygen levels in the river were depleted to the point where fish were unable to inhabit its waters. Because much of this pollution drained into and affected Lake Erie, the lake itself was considered `` dead '' and unable to support aquatic life. Much of the lower portion of the river ( Mud Island pictured ) is now part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. In 1961, the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge was founded by congressional order. That paved the way for tighter restrictions on industries and allocated substantial amounts of government funding to clean up the river. However, there was little support toward cleaning up the river, because it would negatively affect Detroit 's industrialism and economy. In 1970, the entire fishing industry in the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie had to be closed due to toxic levels of mercury found in the water. This, in turn, spurred a massive conservation effort aimed at cleaning up the Detroit River. For years before, conservation efforts were halted by the enormous multimillion - dollar cost of removing pollutants from the river. In addition to that, industries, which had significant political influence, detested the regulations necessary to lessen the amount of pollutants in the river. In 2001, the Wyandotte National Wildlife Refuge was absorbed into the much larger Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which is a cooperative effort between the United States and Canada to preserve the area as an ecological refuge. Millions of dollars so far have been used to dredge pollutants out of the river, and the recent cleaning up and restoration of the Detroit River is remarkable, although other problems are still at hand. Today, many species of native animals are returning to the area after being driven out by human development. The Detroit River is home to a growing number of bird species, such as eagles ( including reintroduced bald eagles ), ospreys, and peregrine falcons. Fish species in abundance in the area include lake whitefish, sturgeon, silver bass, black bass, salmon, perch, and walleye. The Detroit River was designated as an American Heritage River in 1998 and a Canadian Heritage River in 2001 -- the only river to have dual designations. Economy See also : Economy of metropolitan Detroit The Detroit River is used for shipping and trading. The earliest use of the river for such economic activities was the shipping of furs for trade as early as the 17th century. When the fur trade decreased, Michigan had already begun to exploit the lumber - rich areas of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Detroit turned into a major industrial region, largely because of the Detroit River. The only way a ship could travel out of the upper Great Lakes system was to travel down the Detroit River. From there, ships could travel anywhere in the world out of the St. Lawrence Seaway or the Erie Canal to New York City. At the beginning of the 20th century, the automotive industry boomed, and the many manufacturers shipped in abundant supplies of iron ore, sand, limestone and wood. The Renaissance Center, located in downtown Detroit, is one of the most recognizable features along the shores of the Detroit River. First hand, the Detroit River provides a substantial amount of revenue for the local economies. A study in 1991 showed that $20.1 million came from sales related to waterfowl hunting along the Detroit River. During the same year, bird watching, photography, and other non-consumptive uses of waterfowl contributed an additional $192.8 million to Michigan 's economy. Local economies benefit through boating registrations and fishing licenses. It is estimated that walleye fishing alone brings in $1 million to the economy of communities along the lower Detroit River each spring. Other fish caught by recreational fisherman include white bass, bluegill, crappie, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskie. There are over 800,000 recreation boats in the state of Michigan, and more than half of those are regularly used on or near the Detroit River. A percentage of the tourist revenue depends on the Detroit River, which is the most noticeable environmental feature in Detroit. Popular river destinations in the city of Detroit include the Detroit International Riverfront and Belle Isle Park -- both of which host a number of events throughout the year. Several restaurants on the river have dock facilities for boaters. Tour boats and dinner cruises travel through the sights of Detroit and the undeveloped islands downriver. Cruise ships support tourism on the Great Lakes and dock at the Port Detroit passenger terminal downtown. The iconic Renaissance Center is located on the banks of the Detroit River. Bridges and crossings According to a 2004 study, 150,000 jobs and $13 billion in annual production depend on the river crossings connecting Detroit to Windsor. In 2004, the total American trade with Ontario alone was $407 billion, in which 28 % ( $113.3 billion ) crossed the Detroit River. The only two automobile traffic routes that completely cross the river are the privately owned Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit - Windsor Tunnel, both of which connect Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario. A railway tunnel and a commercial truck ferry service also travel between Detroit and Windsor. In Michigan, there are two bridges connecting the mainland to Grosse Ile and the MacArthur Bridge, popularly known as the `` Belle Isle Bridge, '' that connects the City of Detroit to Belle Isle Park. All crossings ( ports of entry ) on the American side are secured by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 's Office of Field Operations and on the Canadian side by the Canada Border Services Agency ; all areas between the American ports of entry and on the American side of the river are secured by the United States Border Patrol. Proposals have been made to create a third crossing to connect Detroit and Windsor. The exact location for this crossing is the most debated element, as it could negatively affect a large number of environmental features and communities along the river. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a new bridge project which began construction in 2015 ; it will directly connect Highway 401 in Canada to Interstate 75 in the U.S. 28 % of all merchandise trade between the United States and Ontario crosses the Detroit River at the Ambassador Bridge. Detroit river flowing between Detroit & Windsor Crossing Carries Locations connecting Coordinates Wayne County Bridge Grosse Ile Parkway Trenton -- Grosse Ile 42 ° 07 ′ 39.2 '' N 83 ° 10 ′ 31.2 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.127556 ° N 83.175333 ° W ﻿ / 42.127556 ; - 83.175333 Grosse Ile Toll Bridge Bridge Road Riverview -- Grosse Ile 42 ° 10 ′ 20.9 '' N 83 ° 09 ′ 34.3 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.172472 ° N 83.159528 ° W ﻿ / 42.172472 ; - 83.159528 Detroit - Windsor Truck Ferry ( Ferry services ) Detroit -- Windsor 42 ° 16 ′ 40.9 '' N 83 ° 06 ′ 03.2 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.278028 ° N 83.100889 ° W ﻿ / 42.278028 ; - 83.100889 Ambassador Bridge Ambassador Bridge Street I - 96 / I - 75 / H - 3 42 ° 18 ′ 43.0 '' N 83 ° 04 ′ 26.8 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.311944 ° N 83.074111 ° W ﻿ / 42.311944 ; - 83.074111 Michigan Central Railway Tunnel Canadian Pacific Railway 42 ° 19 ′ 06.6 '' N 83 ° 03 ′ 37.8 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.318500 ° N 83.060500 ° W ﻿ / 42.318500 ; - 83.060500 Detroit - Windsor Tunnel I - 375 / M - 10 / H - 3B 42 ° 19 ′ 28.2 '' N 83 ° 02 ′ 24.2 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.324500 ° N 83.040056 ° W ﻿ / 42.324500 ; - 83.040056 MacArthur Bridge E. Grand Boulevard / Casino Way Detroit -- Belle Isle Park 42 ° 20 ′ 30.1 '' N 82 ° 59 ′ 52.3 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.341694 ° N 82.997861 ° W ﻿ / 42.341694 ; - 82.997861 See also Metro Detroit portal Canada -- United States border Detroit - Windsor Detroit - Windsor Tunnel Detroit International Riverfront Detroit Water and Sewerage Department List of international border rivers List of islands in the Detroit River List of Michigan rivers List of Ontario rivers Renaissance Center Riverfront Condominiums Detroit William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor Windsor - Detroit International Freedom Festival Zug Island References ^ Jump up to : U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high - resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012 - 04 - 05 at WebCite, accessed November 7, 2011 ^ Jump up to : Environmental Protection Agency ( 29 April 2009 ). `` Detroit River Area of Concern ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Nolan, Jenny ( 11 February 1997 ). `` How the Detroit River shaped lives and history ''. The Detroit News. Detroit, Michigan. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2009. ^ Jump up to : American Heritage Rivers ( 19 October 2006 ). `` Detroit River ( MI ) : An American Heritage Designated River ''. Archived from the original on July 22, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Canadian Heritage Rivers System. `` Detroit River, Ontario : A Unique International Heritage ''. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Merriam -- Webster ( 2009 ). `` Definition of strait ( noun ) ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Windsor Public Library ( 2004 ). `` Who are the Detroit River French ? ''. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Environmental Protection Agency ( 9 March 2006 ). `` Spawning by Lake Sturgeon in the Detroit River ''. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ VanEseltine, Ken ( 26 August 2008 ). `` Le Griffon is a Meaningful Name ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Granzo, T. ( 2008 ). `` History of Detroit : Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Rickard, J. ( 21 November 2007 ). `` Battle of Detroit, 16 August 1812 ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Naval History And Heritage Command. `` Wolverine ''. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 25 January 2015. Jump up ^ Gribben, Mark ( 2008 ). `` The Purple Gang : Bootlegger 's Paradise ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ LaFaive, Fleenor, and Nesbit ( 3 December 2008 ). `` The Appendix B : Prohibition in Michigan and the Avenue de Booze ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Mason, Philip ( Sep -- Oct 1994 ). `` Anyone Who Could n't Get a Drink Was n't Tryin ' ''. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Hartig, John ( 17 July 2007 ). `` The Detroit River 's amazing comeback ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Swan, James ( 19 March 2009 ). `` Return of the Detroit River 's Charismatic Megafauna ''. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ International Association for Great Lakes Research ( 2009 ). `` Conserving Detroit River Habitats ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Detroit Princess Riverboat ( 2009 ). `` Detroit Princess Riverboat ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. Jump up ^ Detroiter Contributor ( 1 November 2005 ). `` Detroit / Windsor Border Update : Part I - Detroit River International Crossing Study ''. Retrieved June 16, 2009. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Detroit River. Wikisource has the text of the 1879 American Cyclopædia article Detroit River. Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Sea Grant Michigan Friends of the Detroit River U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System : Detroit River The Detroit River Looking Up to the Entrance to Lake St. Clair, Windsor, Canada, September 24, 1864 by D.J. Kennedy, Historical Society of Pennsylvania Nolan, Jenny, `` How the Detroit River shaped lives and history '' ( February 11, 1997 ), Detroit News. Articles relating to the Detroit River Windsor, Ontario General topics Demographics Economy Transportation Windsor Suburban Roads Media Sister Cities Windsor, Ontario Category Politics History Windsor City Council Windsor City Hall Mayors of Windsor Flag of Windsor Coat of arms of Windsor Sister Cities Attractions Education St. Clair College University of Windsor Hiram Walker Caesars Windsor Canadian Club Devonshire Mall Windsor -- Detroit International Freedom Festival Windsor Pride Windsor Salt Mine Culture and Parks Neighbourhoods Skyscrapers and buildings Ojibway Prairie Complex Odette Sculpture Park Bike Trails Riverfront Bike Trail Ganatchio Trail Little River Extension Grand Marais Trail Trans - Canada Trail Chrysler Canada Greenway Russell Street Neighbourhood Trail Weather and Climate Windsor, Ontario 's Climate 1946 Windsor - Tecumseh Tornado 1974 Windsor Tornado 1997 Windsor Tornadoes Weather Records in Windsor Infrastructure and Transportation Ambassador Bridge Detroit -- Windsor Tunnel Essex Terminal Railway List of numbered roads in Essex County Windsor International Airport List of Windsor roads Windsor roads template Related topics Detroit Detroit River Detroit -- Windsor Essex County Ontario Peche Island Quebec City -- Windsor Corridor Essex County LaSalle Tecumseh Lakeshore Amherstburg Essex Kingsville Leamington Pelee List of municipalities in Ontario City of Detroit Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Fire & Rescue Freeways Government History Timeline Historic places International Riverfront Media Music Neighborhoods Parks and beaches People Police & Crime Performing arts Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation Water works Metro Detroit Michigan United States Metro Detroit Topics Architecture Culture Detroit River Economy Freeways History Historic places International Riverfront Lake St. Clair Media Music Parks and beaches People Performing arts Skyscrapers Sports Tourism Transportation Detroit Downtown Detroit Midtown Detroit New Center Municipalities over 80,000 Canton Township Clinton Township Dearborn Livonia Sterling Heights Troy Warren Westland Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 Bloomfield Township Chesterfield Township Commerce Township Dearborn Heights Farmington Hills Grosse Pointe Macomb Township Novi Pontiac Redford Township Rochester Hills Roseville Royal Oak St. Clair Shores Shelby Charter Township Southfield Taylor Waterford Township West Bloomfield Township Cultural enclaves Ann Arbor Auburn Hills Birmingham Bloomfield Hills Dearborn Downriver Downtown Detroit Grosse Pointe Midtown Detroit New Center Northville Rochester Royal Oak Southfield Troy Plymouth Satellite cities Ann Arbor Brighton Flint Howell Lapeer Monroe Port Huron Toledo Windsor Ypsilanti Counties in MSA Lapeer Livingston Macomb Oakland St. Clair Wayne Counties in CSA Genesee Monroe Washtenaw Southeast Michigan United States Parks in metropolitan Detroit Detroit city Belle Isle Campau Park Campus Martius Chandler Park Clark Park Central Park Dequindre Cut International Riverfront Engel Memorial Park Ford Park Fort Wayne Gabriel Richard Park Grand Circus Howell Park Lafayette Park Milliken State Park and Harbor New Center Park Owen Park Palmer Park Patton Park Reid Memorial Park Roosevelt Park River Rouge Park State Fairgrounds Three Mile Drive Park UIS Irish Plaza Metro 600 to 1,500 acres ( 243 to 607 ha ) Addison Oaks Algonac State Park Belle Isle Camp Dearborn Crosswinds Marsh Hayes State Park ( Irish Hills ) Independence Oaks Lower Huron Lakeport State Park Maybury State Park Metamora - Hadley Recreation Area Metro Beach Metropark Sterling State Park 1,500 to 5,000 acres ( 607 to 2,023 ha ) Bald Mountain Brighton Recreation Area Hines Drive Hudson Mills Huron Meadows Indian Springs Kensington Lake Erie Metropark Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Oakwoods Pointe Mouillee State Game Area Stony Creek Metropark Wolcott Mill Willow over 5,000 acres ( 2,023 ha ) Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Highland Recreation Area Ortonville Recreation Area Pinckney State Recreation Area Waterways Clinton River Detroit River ( Islands ) Huron River Lake St. Clair River Rouge St. Clair River Major beaches Belle Isle Kensington Lakeside Beach and Park Lighthouse Beach and Park Metro Beach Stony Creek Trails 5 to 36 miles ( 8 to 58 km ) Bald Mountain Detroit River Walk / Dequindre Cut Highland Recreation Lakes Kensington Lakelands Trail State Park Novi North Park Paint Creek Trail Poly Ann Trail Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Stony Creek Inwood Trails Trails in Detroit Waterloo - Pinckney Trail Zoological and botanical Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Cranbrook Detroit Zoo Matthaei Botanical Gardens See also Tourism in metropolitan Detroit and Huron -- Clinton Metroparks Great Lakes of North America Main lakes Erie Huron Michigan Ontario Superior Secondary lakes Nipigon Nipissing St. Clair Simcoe Winnebago Bays and Waterways Detroit River Erie Canal French River Georgian Bay Great Lakes Waterway Green Bay Lake George Lake Kagawong Lake Manitou Lake Nicolet Manitou Passage Lake Mindemoya Munuscong Lake Niagara River Nipigon River North Channel Nottawasaga Bay Porte des Morts Potagannissing Bay Saginaw Bay St. Clair River Saint Lawrence River Saint Lawrence Seaway St. Marys River Sandusky Bay Sault Ste. Marie Canal Soo Locks Straits of Mackinac Trent -- Severn Waterway Welland Canal Islands Detroit River State of Michigan ( in Lake Huron, part of Isle Royale National Park ) Ontario Historic geology Lake Agassiz Lake Chicago Lake Maumee Mackinac Falls Midcontinent Rift System Niagara Escarpment Wisconsin glaciation Government Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers Great Lakes Commission Great Lakes Fishery Commission International Joint Commission Related topics Basin Great Lakes region Lake - effect snow Lake Michigan -- Huron Marine protected areas Megalopolis Quebec City -- Windsor Corridor Great Lakes museum and historic ships Lake freighter Tall ships Great Lakes Areas of Concern Great Lakes Treaties American Heritage Rivers Rivers Blackstone & Woonasquatucket Connecticut Cuyahoga Detroit Hanalei Hudson Lower Mississippi Potomac New Rio Grande St. Johns Upper Mississippi Upper Susquehanna & Lackawanna Willamette Canadian Heritage Rivers System Rivers Alsek Arctic Red Athabasca Bay du Nord Bloodvein Bonnet Plume Boundary Waters Clearwater Cowichan Detroit Fraser French Grand Hayes Hillsborough Humber Kazan Kicking Horse Main Margaree Mattawa Missinaibi North Saskatchewan Red Rideau Seal Shelburne Soper South Nahanni St. Croix St. Marys Tatshenshini Thames Thelon The Three Rivers Upper Restigouche Yukon Nominated Adams Churchill Coppermine Ottawa Saint John See also American Heritage Rivers Category : American Heritage Rivers Category : Canadian Heritage Rivers Category : Rivers of Canada GND : 4218693 - 6 LCCN : sh86008199 NARA : 10042747 VIAF : 245054232 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Detroit_River&oldid=845413999 '' Categories : Detroit River Rivers of Michigan Rivers of Ontario Border rivers Canada -- United States border International rivers of North America American Heritage Rivers Canadian Heritage Rivers Straits of Canada Straits of Michigan Geography of Detroit History of Detroit Lake St. Clair Rivers of Wayne County, Michigan Michigan in the War of 1812 Southwestern Ontario Tributaries of Lake Erie Hidden categories : Webarchive template webcite links CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Coordinates on Wikidata Geobox usage tracking for river type Articles containing French - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NARA identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans تۆرکجه বাংলা Български Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Македонски मराठी Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Українська 中文 35 more Edit links This page was last edited on 11 June 2018, at 16 : 46 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the deepest part of the detroit river
Answer: 53 feet (16 m) deep in the northern portion of the river