alumni Class Notes John Hartig Preservation-minded alum helps revitalize the Detroit River
FRESHWATER THINKING “The Detroit River has experienced the single most dramatic
ecological recovery in North America,” says John Hartig (BA74, MA77), who’s played a significant role in its revival. Since 2005, he’s managed the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, a department of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. He has a doc- torate in limnology (freshwater science) from the University of Windsor. Hartig oversees efforts to restore the water quality and native species along 48 miles of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The area includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals and riverfront lands. “When the refuge was established in 2001, it contained 300 acres,” says Hartig, 57. “With subse- quent land donations, purchases and management agreements, it’s now up to 5,760 acres. It’s a challenge to conserve that many acres within an urban, industrial area.”
MURKY WATERS Hartig’s environmental interests stem from outdoor ad-
ventures as a child. Family canoeing and fishing trips up north confirmed the poor water quality near his native Allen Park. “I loved the outdoors and knew the Great Lakes very well,” he says. “As a kid in the 1960s, I was able to compare those waters to the Detroit River. I would ride my bike down Southfield Road to the foot of the river to fish. I noticed that the shoreline was coated with oil and there were major oil slicks floating down toward Lake Erie. The river had a grayish-black color. You certainly couldn’t eat any of the fish I caught.”
RIVER REVISITED While employed by the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources in the 1980s, Hartig worked for the International Joint Commission on the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. After helping clean up the Great Lakes’ most polluted areas, Hartig focused on the Detroit River. When the Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative was created by presidential executive order in 1999, Hartig was hired to promote environmental stewardship as the River Navigator. Since then, he’s documented the river’s
34 Eastern | FALL 2011 by Jeff Samoray
dramatic recovery, helped substantially by the Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. “It’s totally inaccurate to say that the Detroit River is nothing but a polluted, Rust Belt water- way,” Hartig says. “Since the time I fished in the river as a kid, there’s been a 90 percent decline in phosphorous loadings, a 70 percent decline in mercury contamination of fish, and a 90 percent decline in DDT contamination. Even more exciting is the ecological recovery. There are bald eagles nesting and producing young in seven locations. We’ve seen peregrine falcons after a 25-year absence and osprey nesting for the first time since the 1890s. Walleye were in crisis in the 1970s—now they’re plentiful.”
A MARSHLAND OASIS The Detroit riverfront bears little resemblance to the
shores where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed in 1701. But Hartig’s favorite spot is a remarkably preserved area that appears much as it did when French colonists first arrived. “Humbug Marsh [a 440-acre area near Trenton] represents the river’s last mile of natural shoreline on the U.S. side,” he says. “The remainder of the 32 miles is hardened with concrete and steel. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands identified the marsh as one of 29 U.S. wetlands of international importance, which has helped with preservation. You’ll find migratory birds and numerous threatened waterfowl, regionally rare dragon- flies and 300-year-old oak trees. Those would have been here when Cadillac arrived. It’s a very peaceful place. If you went there blindfolded and suddenly opened your eyes, you’d have no idea you were near a major urban area.”
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH Hartig is working with EMU students to map out invasive
phragmites—a tall, dense plant species that’s out-competing more desirable vegetation along the Detroit River. “We’ve proven that mankind and wildlife can co-exist within an indus- trial setting, but doing so takes continuous vigilance,” Hartig says. “I want to share that with lots of students so this work can continue into the future.” 3
Photograph by Kathleen Galligan/Detroit Free Press
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