Click here to view the report, Preliminary Hydrologic Comparison of Demonstration CSO Facilities. This is done to determine whether the river is improving. Water quality parameters of interest include dissolved oxygen, nutrients and suspended solids. Baseline Sampling Data Fish and other aquatic animals obtain their oxygen from the dissolved oxygen in the water. If dissolved oxygen is low than life can not be supported.
Nutrients are elements needed for growth in all living plants and animals.
Excessive amounts of two types of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, are found in the Rouge River. This increased plant and algae growth robs the water of oxygen that fish and other aquatic life depend on to survive. If there are too many suspended solids in the water the water appears cloudy. This cloudiness is call turbidity. When the water has a high turbidity the sunlight that plants need to grow is blocked out, reducing the amount of plants.