Welcome
This website was created and is maintained by the City of Monroe Commission on the Environment and Water Quality (COTE) with various grant funding sources. COTE was created by the Monroe City Council and established by City Code. The River Raisin Remedial Action Plan Public Advisory Council has been nested under City Code and is a part of the COTE. COTE members are appointed by Monroe City Council; if interested contact us to become a commissioner or an associate member.
The mouth of the River Raisin hosts the only Michigan port on Lake Erie and was once home to abundant lotus beds and sturgeon . The cost of doing business on the River Raisin in Monroe has included some chronic pollution problems, such as PCBs in river sediments and an ongoing need to dredge the lower channel for ship traffic.
Starting in summer of 2012, an initiative now known as the River Raisin Legacy Project commenced to invest more than $23 million to enhance the environmental and recreational opportunities in the River Raisin and nearby Sterling State Park.
By reclaiming the River Raisin for free passage of fish and small boats, we hope this project will play a role in the extensive effort to restore, preserve and improve the natural environments vital to this community. This project will have a cascading effect on wildlife, bringing fish to spawn, freshwater mussels, aquatic insects, waterfowl and other wetland-dependent fauna back to the area. Fishing, wildlife viewing, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking will all emerge as never before in our lifetime.