Geology topics

Research about Detroit, Michigan

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Detroit, Michigan.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2024

Hydrologic study of green infrastructure in poorly drained urbanized soils at RecoveryPark, Detroit, Michigan, 2014–21

Uncontrolled stormwater runoff volume is a legacy stressor on sewer-system capacity that is further compromised by the effects of aging infrastructure. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has been used in a variety of designs and configurations (for example, bioretention) with the goal of increasing evapotranspiration and infiltration in the local water cycle. In practice, GSIs have variable effectiveness in reducing runoff volume. An urban residential site near Detroit, Michigan, called RecoveryPark was monitored for 8 years before and after GSI construction to evaluate how effectively the GSI reduced volumes of stormwater flowing to Detroit’s Water Resource Recovery Facility through combined sewer systems. In addition to the GSI, the study site included an urban farm where salad crops were grown in hoop houses. The monitoring approach was to characterize the urban water cycle through high-frequency measurements of inflows and outflows. Datasets included meteorological data, soils and sediment characteristics, groundwater levels, flows within the combined sewer system, and soils and water chemistry with specific focus on the disposition of road salt. Although land cover within the RecoveryPark sewershed was high-density residential in the 1950s, the sewershed included only one residence within the 8.74-acre sewershed during this study. Measurements of annual precipitation at the site exceeded long-term annual averages by more than 10 inches during 3 of the 8 years of study. Potential evapotranspiration was often greater than the measured precipitation that averaged 28–34 inches per year. As compared to underlying clay-rich sediments, soils data indicated relatively permeable sediments near land surface with estimated hydraulic conductivity of 0.75 inches per hour; however, these values decreased with increasing depth. Groundwater-level data revealed increases in groundwater storage as indicated by increases in seasonal groundwater levels and development of a groundwater mound adjacent to the GSI. These increases in groundwater levels were directly adjacent to swales designed to infiltrate stormwater and only became evident after installing the GSI. Flows within the combined sewer system included rainwater, septic effluent, groundwater infiltration, leakage from water-supply lines, and release of water stored in abandoned foundations. Dry-weather flows (no rain fell within the prior 3 days) averaged 7–10 gallons per minute, which were much greater than flows estimated by septic outflow alone. A set of estimated water budgets were compiled, and results showed large discrepancies in unaccounted flows. To further examine these discrepancies, dye-tracing within the combined sewer system helped examine the sources of water by relating flow volumes to drainage area. For one of the monitoring sites within the combined sewer system along the southeast side of the study area, flows estimated by dye concentrations were more than 10 percent greater than those measured by standard methods. Through peak-flow-regression analysis, a minimum of 2.4 million gallons of water per year were infiltrated or lost to evapotranspiration because of GSI construction. After site modifications were made by excavating gravel drains to improve drainage characteristics, estimated stormwater volumes within the combined sewer system returned to near preconstruction levels. The GSI was effectively bypassed to address slow infiltration rates and standing water; the bypass all but eliminated the potential benefits of volume reduction. Late in the project, a water-quality study was added to examine the transport of road salt and associated chloride within the GSI and the combined sewer system. Continuous specific conductance was used as a surrogate for chloride concentrations to estimate that 2,790 pounds of dissolved chloride passed through the sewershed during the winter months of late 2020 through early 2021. These data were collected after GSI modification, therefore most, if not all, of the chloride was transported directly to Detroit’s Water Resource Recovery Facility via the combined sewer system. Mixing diagrams using chloride and bromide concentrations of road salt, potable water, rainwater, groundwater, and water from the combined sewer system confirmed that water within the combined sewer system is a mix of these sources. The poor condition of the combined sewer system pipes and resulting unaccounted inflows added to the challenge of accurately monitoring and identifying sources and sinks of water within the RecoveryPark sewershed. Our research results suggest that—along with clear and quantifiable objectives—the catchment and site conditions should be well-characterized before determining the GSI design. In addition, the work presented in this report provides implications and lessons learned for effectiveness and future studies of GSI in urban settings. These efforts can be improved through increased communication between stakeholders, use of high-quality soils in GSI that have suitable hydraulic characteristics, redundant data-collection networks for critical data streams, and focusing meteorological-data collection within the GSI to obtain relevant evapotranspiration data.

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USGS2021

Limited co-existence of native unionids and invasive dreissenid mussels more than 30 Y post dreissenid invasion in a large river system

There are serious concerns for native freshwater mussel survival (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Laurentian Great Lakes region after populations were seemingly pushed to the brink of extirpation following the introduction of dreissenid mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis ) in the mid-1980s. The Detroit River was the first major river system in North America to be invaded by dreissenids, and unionids were considered extirpated from the river by 1998. Since then several unionid refuges (areas with relatively low dreissenid impact and surviving unionids) have been found in coastal areas of lakes St. Clair and Erie, but no documentation exists in the Detroit River. To assess dreissenid presence and potential unionid persistence, a mixture of stratified random, historical, and potential refuge sites were surveyed during summer 2019 in the Detroit River. Unionid and dreissenid habitat use was further investigated with analysis of variance and classification tree analyses. Of the 56 sites surveyed, only five sites had live unionids totaling 220 animals of 11 species. More than 2000 unionid shells of 31 species were collected from 39 sites, confirming the large and diverse unionid populations that existed prior to the dreissenid invasion. Ninety-eight percent of live unionids found showed evidence of past or present dreissenid attachment. Estimated dreissenid densities were highly variable with river location and ranged from 0 to 5673 live individuals per m 2 , with the largest densities concentrated in the upstream half of the Detroit River. Despite their previously assumed extirpation from the Detroit River, live unionids were found during this comprehensive survey. Although only 40% of the historical species within the unionid assemblage remains, our results suggest, in the right conditions, some coexistence is possible among some species of unionids and dreissenids in this large river system.

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USGS2007

The effect of residential development on ground-water quality near Detroit, Michigan

Two water-quality studies were done on the outskirts of the Detroit metropolitan area to determine how recent residential development has affected ground-water quality. Pairs of monitor and domestic wells were sampled in areas where residential land use overlies glacial outwash deposits. Young, shallow waters had significantly higher median concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and dissolved solids than older, deeper waters. Analysis of chloride/bromide ratios indicates that elevated salinities are due to human activities rather than natural factors, such as upward migration of brine. Trace concentrations of volatile organic compounds were detected in samples from 97 percent of the monitor wells. Pesticides were detected infrequently even though they are routinely applied to lawns and roadways in the study area. The greatest influence on ground-water quality appears to be from septic-system effluent (domestic sewage, household solvents, water-softener backwash) and infiltration of stormwater runoff from paved surfaces (road salt, fuel residue). No health-related drinking-water standards were exceeded in samples from domestic wells. However, the effects of human activities are apparent in 76 percent of young waters, and at depths far below 25 feet, which is the current minimum well-depth requirement.Two water-quality studies were done on the outskirts of the Detroit metropolitan area to determine how recent residential development has affected ground-water quality. Pairs of monitor and domestic wells were sampled in areas where residential land use overlies glacial outwash deposits. Young, shallow waters had significantly higher median concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and dissolved solids than older, deeper waters. Analysis of chloride/bromide ratios indicates that elevated salinities are due to human activities rather than natural factors, such as upward migration of brine. Trace concentrations of volatile organic compounds were detected in samples from 97 percent of the monitor wells. Pesticides were detected infrequently even though they are routinely applied to lawns and roadways in the study area. The greatest influence on ground-water quality appears to be from septic-system effluent (domestic sewage, household solvents, water-softener backwash) and infiltration of stormwater runoff from paved surfaces (road salt, fuel residue). No health-related drinking-water standards were exceeded in samples from domestic wells. However, the effects of human activities are apparent in 76 percent of young waters, and at depths far below 25 feet, which is the current minimum well-depth requirement.

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USGS1997

Combined-sewer overflow data and methods of sample collection for selected sites, Detroit, Michigan

The discharge of untreated sewage is illegal in Michigan unless permitted under Act 245 due to public health concerns. In October, 1992, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR, now the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) issued a discharge permit to Detroit authorizing discharge from the City's 78 combined-sewer overflows (CSOs), and requiring that a long-term control plan be developed to achieve mandated waterquality standards in receiving waters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a national CSO policy in April, 1994, which requires (1) operational improvements of existing systems to minimize discharges and prevent their occurrence in dry weather; (2) publicly operated treatment works (POTW) to characterize the frequency and volume of discharges; and (3) construction of CSO discharge control projects where necessary. In 1993, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) requested assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) and MDNR, Surface Water Quality Division, to address part of the technical data requirements for requirement 2. The USGS scope of services for this interdisciplinary, multiagency investigation consisted of collection, compilation, and interpretation of the necessary hydrologic data, and documentation of results. In addition to USGS personnel, personnel from DWSD assisted with the field collection of samples and in alerting USGS personnel to CSO effluent discharges. From October 1, 1994 through December 31, 1995, four CSOs discharging to the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan (figure 1) were monitored to characterize storm-related water quantity and quality. Water velocity, stage, and precipitation were measured continuously and recorded at 5-minute intervals. Water-quality samples were collected at discrete times during storms and analyzed for inorganic and organic pollutants. Discharges were sampled between 30 and 78 times for inorganic pollutants, and between 14 and 22 times for organic pollutants, depending on the site. These samples represented between 8 and 17 storms during which one or more of the four selected CSOs discharged. The monitored pollutants included fecal coliform, fecal streptococci, and Escherichia coli; antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, total chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, silver, thallium and zinc; and polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, volatile organic compounds, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Metal and non-metal inorganic pollutants were detected at all sites. Many organic pollutants were not detected at all.

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USGS1952

Water resources of the Detroit area, Michigan

The water used for all purposes in the Detroit area is obtained from three sources: Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, their tributary streams and inland lakes, and ground water. During 1950 Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River provided 2,896 million gallons per day (mgd), or 98.3 percent of the total usage of 2,949 mgd. Tributary streams and inland lakes supplied about 10 mgd, or 0.3 percent, and ground water contributed43 mgd, or 1.4 percent of the total. These rates of use represent the following percentages of the total supply available from each source: From Lake St. Clair and Detroit River, 2.5 percent; from tributary streams, 1.2 percent; from ground water, probably about 15 percent. Of the above total usage, about 2,500 mgd was raw water that was drawn directly from the Detroit River by adjacent industrial plants, used for cooling, processing, and other similar purposes, and immediately returned to the river. Of the remaining 449 mgd, 383 mgd was drawn from Lake St. Clair by the Detroit Department of Water Supply and, after purification, was distributed for domestic and commercial use throughout Detroit and its environs; 23 mgd was obtained from additional surface stream supplies; and 43 mgd was derived from wells. An abundant supply of raw water may be obtained from the Detroit River. The practicability of its utilization at any particular site is beyond the scope of this report. The Detroit Department of Water Supply can supply potable water of good quality and in any reasonable quantity anywhere in the area which it serves. Throughout the remainder of the Detroit area the Detroit Department of Water Supply can supply any normal demand, if distribution and storage facilities are provided. In outlying areas where the main source of supply is ground water and tributary streams, the water is hard and contains greater amounts of dissolved solids. There will be no serious shortage of water supplies at their source in the foreseeable future although local shortages owing to lack of adequate distribution systems will occur.

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