I 
107TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5535
To expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
and of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2002
Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. GILCHREST, and Mr. UNDER-
WOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Resources 
A BILL 
To expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National Wildlife 
Refuge Complex and of the Detroit River International 
Wildlife Refuge.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ottawa National Wild-
life Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River Inter-
national Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The western basin of Lake Erie, as part of 
the Great Lakes ecosystem, the largest freshwater 
ecosystem on the face of the Earth, is vitally impor-
tant to the economic and environmental future of 
the United States. 
(2) Over the past three decades, the citizens 
and governmental institutions of both the United 
States and Canada have devoted increasing attention 
and resources to the restoration of the water quality 
and fisheries of the Great Lakes, including the west-
ern basin. This increased awareness has been accom-
panied by a gradual shift to a holistic ‘‘ecosystem 
approach’’ that highlights a growing recognition that 
shoreline areas—the nearshore terrestrial eco-
systems—are an integral part of the western basin 
and the Great Lakes ecosystem as a whole. 
(3) The Great Lakes account for more than 90 
percent of the surface freshwater in the nation. The 
western basin receives approximately 90 percent of 
its flow from the Detroit River and only approxi-
mately 10 percent from tributaries. 
(4) The western basin of Lake Erie is an im-
portant ecosystem that includes a number of distinct 
islands, channels, rivers, and shoals that support
dense populations of fish, wildlife, and aquatic 
plants. 
(5) The coastal wetlands of Lake Erie support 
the largest diversity of plant and wildlife species in 
the Great Lakes. The moderate climate of Lake Erie 
and its more southern latitude allow for many spe-
cies that are not found in or along the northern 
Great Lakes. More than 300 species of plants, in-
cluding 37 significant species, have been identified in 
the aquatic and wetland habitats of the western 
basin. 
(6) The shallow western basin of Lake Erie, 
from the Lower Detroit River to Sandusky Bay, is 
home to the largest concentration of marshes in 
Lake Erie, including Mouille, Metzger, and Magee 
marshes, the Maumee Bay wetland complex, the 
wetland complexes flanking Locust Point, and the 
wetlands in Sandusky Bay. The larger United States 
islands in western Lake Erie have wetlands in their 
small embayments. 
(7) The wetlands in the western basin of Lake 
Erie comprise as some of the most important water-
fowl habitat in the Great Lakes. Waterfowl, wading 
birds, shore birds, gulls and terns, raptors, and 
perching birds all use the western basin wetlands for
migration, nesting, and feeding. Hundreds of thou-
sands of diving ducks stop to rest in the Lake Erie 
area on their fall migration from Canada to the east 
and south. The wetlands of the western basin of 
Lake Erie provide a major stopover for ducks such 
as migrating bufflehead, common goldeneye, com-
mon mergansers, and ruddy duck. 
(8) The international importance of Lake Erie 
is manifested in the United States congressional des-
ignation of the Ottawa and Cedar Point National 
Wildlife Refuges. 
(9) Lake Erie has an international reputation 
for walleye, perch, and bass fishing, recreational 
boating, birding, photography, and duck hunting. On 
an economic basis, Lake Erie tourism accounts for 
an estimated $1,500,000,000 in retail sales and 
more than 50,000 jobs. 
(10) Many of the 417,000 boats that are reg-
istered in Ohio are used in the western basin of 
Lake Erie, in part to fish for the estimated 
10,000,000 walleye that migrate from other areas of 
the lake to spawn. This internationally renowned 
walleye 
fishery 
drives 
much 
of 
Ohio’s 
$2,000,000,000 sport fishing industry.