Rouge River Revived: How People are Bringing Their River Back to Life ed. by John H. Hartig and Jim Graham (review)

Reviewed by: Rouge River Revived: How People are Bringing Their River Back to Life ed. by John H. Hartig and Jim Graham Daniel Macfarlane John H. Hartig and Jim Graham, eds. Rouge River Revived: How People are Bringing Their River Back to Life. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2022. Pp. 219. Bibliography. Index. Maps. Photographs. Paperback: $19.95. The Rouge River flows through three different counties in southeastern Michigan, as well as part of Detroit, on the way to its confluence with the Detroit River. Its lower reaches are heavily urbanized and industrialized— enough so that the Rouge was reputedly the most polluted river in Michigan and one of the most polluted in the United States. Rouge River Revived, an edited collection of essays, surveys the many degradations heaped upon this river and, as the book's subtitle suggests, emphasizes its contemporary recovery and rehabilitation. Long considered a "working river," the Rouge and its banks have hosted the Ford Motor Company's flagship factories, as well Henry Ford's estate, along with myriad other sources of pollution, including municipal effluent. The Rouge River infamously caught fire in 1969, though this was overshadowed by the conflagration of the same year in the nearby Cuyahoga River, and in [End Page 94] the 1980s a man perished after falling into the river and contracting rat fever. The mid-1980s marked a turning point for the Rouge. Friends of the Rouge, an environmental group, was formed in 1986, at about the same time that the Rouge River received an Area of Concern (AOC) and Remedial Action Plan (RAP) designation under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Today, this river is in much better shape than it was a few decades ago. The two editors provide an introduction and a conclusion, and one of them (Hartig) contributes to a number of the other chapters. After the introduction, several brief chapters provide background and history. One introduces the reader to the physical setting of the river. Subsequent chapters examine the Indigenous history, the fur trade era, agriculture, urban developments, and industrial history. Henry Ford was involved in damming and manipulating the river both for his vehicle company and his personal estate, though there is potentially some greenwashing of his and his company's legacy as far as the Rouge is concerned. This collection then turns to chapters on green infrastructure, citizen scientists, environmental education, and recreational opportunities (paddling, fishing, hiking). These chapters are primarily penned by those who have been directly involved in the Rouge's recovery. Complex scientific and policy processes are clearly explained and best practices identified. The penultimate chapter focuses on Jim Murray who, through his various roles, earns the title of Rouge River champion. The concluding chapter summarizes the book's findings and contributions, attributing the current health of this waterway to factors such as the ecosystem approach, community engagement, and strong leadership from individuals and institutions. This book dabbles in environmental history, though it is probably best classified as environmental studies, plus it is aimed at a popular audience more than an academic one. And that is one of the main attributes of this book: that it provides an accessible account of the remarkable recovery of the Rouge River. The contributors are an interdisciplinary mix, more practitioners than academics. Rouge River Revived should be read by anyone living within its watershed, and can be profitably engaged by those elsewhere looking to restore their local waterways. [End Page 95]