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July, 196B
Par? 2
OHIO, INDIANA,
AND MICHIGAN
SOURCES
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
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I - INTRODUCTION
This is Part 2 of the report prepared for the conferences to be
held at Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, on pollution of Lake
Erie and tributaries. Part 1 of the report concerns the main body of
Lake Erie, its problems, their causes, and general remedial measures.
This part deals with problems in local areas tributary to Lake
Erie within Michigan and Ohio, encompassing also headwater areas in
Indiana. The area is divided into 6 subareas, each of which is
discussed in one of the succeeding chapters.
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II - MAUMEE RIVER BASIN
Description of the Area
The Maumee River system drains portions of Indiana, Michigan, and
Ohio. The major portion of the basin is quite flat, particularly the
central part.
The soils in the major portion of the basin are predominantly
fine textured, poorly drained, and relatively impermeable. The low
dry-weather stream flow reflects the highly impermeable characteristics
of the soils in the basin. Approximately 92 percent of the total acreage
is devoted to agriculture.
The average discharge for the Maumee River at Waterville, Ohio,
which records runoff from 96 percent of the basin, was ^636 cfs for
a thirty-nine year period prior to 1965. Lowest average flow for a
seven-day period having a recurrence interval of once in five years
(80$) is 113 cfs.
At the i960 census, the overall population of the Maumee River
Basin was approximately 1,13^,000 people. Principal centers of popul-
ation and industry are Toledo and Lima, Ohio and Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Breakdown by states in the Basin is shown below.
Maumee River Basin Portion by State Population
Michigan 24,000
Ohio 830,000
Indiana 280,000
Total Maumee Basin 1,134,000
Water Uses
Municipal Use
The total municipal water use by 171 communities in the watershed
amounts to 128 mgd, of which 113 mgd are obtained from surface supplies
and 15 mgd from underground supplies.
Five municipalities obtain their water supply directly from the
Maumee River. These Ohio communities are Waterville, Bowling Green,
Grand Rapids, Napoleon, and Defiance. The City of Ft. Wayne, Indiana
uses the St. Joseph River as a source of water supply. The communities
of Archbold, Wauseon, Findlay, Van Wert, Lima, Delta, Weston, and Swanton,
Ohio have impounding reservoirs.
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The City of Toledo and its satellites draw an estimated "]0 mgd
from Lake ulrie.
Industrial Water Use
The Campbell Soup Company, Napoleon, Ohio uses the Mamnee River for
water supply- The company pumps approximately ten million gallons of
water per day for use in its soup processing. According to the census
of all users, estimated by the Ohio Division of Water in 1955} manufactur-
ing plants used a total of 190 mgd and power plants (municipally-owned,
public utilities, and industrial) used a total of 6b2 mgd in the Ohio
portion of the watershed, exclusive of Lake Erie.
Heavy industrial use in the Toledo area amounts to a very high
percentage of the total water used in the Maumee River Basin. Ohio
Division of Water, 1955, reported that of an estimated 756 mgd of water
withdrawn in the area, manufacturing plants used 7.2 mgd, and one power
company used 192 rngd directly from Lake Erie. The balance of the with-
drawals was by the City of Toledo, other factories, and power plants.
Waterborne Commerce
Port facilities in Toledo provide the area with excellent service
for water shipment of products on the Great Lakes and, through the St.
Lawrence Seaway, to and from ports throughout the world.
The average annual tonnage for the years 1952 - 1959 at Toledo
was 2k.6 million short tons. Cargo consisted of petroleum, coal,
iron ore, iron and steel, and grain.
Recreation
The recreational resources of this region are meager compared to
those found immediately to the south and north. Lake Erie, polluted
along much of its shoreline between Detroit and Toledo, offers little
inducement for swimming. Inland areas of the region offer virtually
no natural recreational facilities. The Grand Lake at St. Iferys is
classified as a state lake, but this one recreational unit is not in
a suitable location for use by many within this region.
Facilities for recreational activities are also provided at
Independence Dam State Park, Thurston State Reserve, and Cascade
State Reserve.
Fish and Aquatic Life
Most streams of the basin do not provide good sport fishing due
to their limited size, fluctuation of flow, pollution from municipal
and industrial wastes, and soil erosion. The Maumee River in the
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shallows downstream from the old canal feeder dams near Defiance and
Grand Rapid was once an outstanding fishing spot for smallmouth bass,
rock bass, and channel catfish. According to the Division of Wildlife,
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, smallmouth and rock bass, once
prevalent, are now totally absent from these waters because of pollution.
Irrigation
According to the 1955 report of the Ohio Division of Water, 1,550
acres are irrigated in the Ohio portion of the Maumee Basin. The total
water withdrawal in this area for farm field irrigation in 1955 was
2.1 mgd, distributed equally between surface and ground water supplies.
Irrigation has shown a steady rise since 1950 and the trend
toward irrigation is increasing.
Principal Sources of Wastes
The principal sources of pollution in the Maumee River Basin are
municipal sewage, combined sewer overflows, and industrial wastes. Other
pollution problems have resulted from accidental spills from storage
tanks, lagoon breaks, and wastes from ships. Sediment losses from the
basin, carried by the stream system into Lake Erie, are heavy. These
losses result from a combination of soil characteristics and land use
practices.
St. Joseph River
One primary treatment plant, in the Ohio part of this subbasin,
treats wastes having an average population equivalent (PE) of 8500 (one
PE assumed to equal 1/6 pound per day of BOD). There are six secondary
treatment plants, located in Indiana, which treat wastes having a com-
bined total PE of 15,000, before treatment. Twenty-three communities
with a total population of 11,000 are not served by community sewerage
facilities.
Six major industries operate in the St. Joseph subbasin, of which
, four are in Indiana and two in Ohio. The Indiana industries are Warner
Automotive in Auburn; and Kitchen Quip, Crane-Edmund and Universal Tool
in Butler. The two industries in Ohio are Edgerton Metals Products and
Bundy Foods in Blakeslee.
St. Marys River
One primary treatment plant located in Ohio treats a total of
440 PE. Five secondary treatment plants have before-treatment PE of
26,410. Three of these are in Indiana and treat 6,890 PE. The remaining
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two treat 19,520 PE in Ohio. A total of 12,650 people in eleven
communities are unsewered. Five of these communities with 10,050 people
are in Indiana, with the remaining 2,600 people in Ohio.
Six major industries discharge to the St. Marys River. Dana Corp-
oration Salisbury Axle Works, Essex Wire, and Central Soya Company
are in the Indiana part. St. Marys, Ohio has Weston Paper Company,
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, ana Beatrice Foods Company discharging
to the river in that city.
Tiffin River
Five secondary treatment plants have a before-treatment PE of ^3,025-
One plant is in Michigan having a PE of 2,55°; while the remaining U
are in Ohio. A total of 8,535 people in eighteen communities are un-
sewered in the Tiffin subbasin. Michigan has ^,095 people in 7 communities
with Ohio having the remaining in 11 communities.
One principal industry, "Defiance Fertilizer Company, is on the
Tiffin immediately above Defiance, Ohio.
Auglaize River
The Auglaize River subbasin which includes the Ottawa and Blanch-
ard Rivers has seventeen secondary sewage treatment plants receiving a
P£ of l67,155* In fifteen communities 23, people are unsewered in
this subbasin.
Thirteen major industries discharge to the waters of the Auglaize,
Blanchard and Ottawa Rivers. Namco, an aluminum anodizing plant and
Ohio Decorative Products, a plating operating, discharge directly to the
Auglaize River. Five major industries use the Blanchard River for waste
disposal. Three are in Findlay and include Contris Packing Plant, Davison
Chemical Company and National Oil Refinery. The remaining two are Rusco,
Inc., an aluminum plating company in Pandora, and Buckeye Sugar Inc., in
Ottawa. The sugar mill discharges an average of 2,160 pounds BOD per
day during seasonal operation, September-December. The remaining six
industries in the Auglaize subbasin discharge into the Ottawa River and
are located in'Lima.
Heavy chemical pollution is present in the Ottawa from Ford Motor
Company, Standard Oil Refinery, Republic Creosote, Sohio Petrochemical
Company's acrylonitrile and acetonitrile plant, Sohio Chemical Company's
petrochemical plant, and Excello Company, a ferrous fabricated metal
products plant. Phenolic and nitrogen compounds are discharged, causing
problems in the Ottawa.
Upper Maumee River, Ft. Wayne, Indiana to Napoleon, Ohio
One primary treatment plant treats 9,650 PE in the Ohio portion.
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Five secondary treatment plants receive a total PE of 213,5^0* four
of thern being in Indiana and totalling 21.L,91+0 PK. The largest is Fort
Wayne, Indiana with a 207,000 population equivalent. A total of3>^70
people in six communities are unsewered. Ohio has 2,U85 in four com-
munities, and Indiana has the remaining 985.
Industries number twelve in the Upper Maumee. Central Foundry
and Lectrolite Company are located in Defiance and discharge directly
to the Ifeumee. Discharging through the Defiance Sewage Treatment Plant
is Johns Manville Company having large quantities of phenolic materials
as wastes. The fourth industry, Woatherhead Corporation, is at Antwerp,
Ohio. Cyanide and oil discharges create a local problem. The remaining
eight industries are in Indiana. B. F. Goodrich Rubber Plant is located
near the Maumee at about mile point 119.0. This plant has sewage treat-
ment facilities and discharges a small amount of BOD. Harvester Ditch
below Ft. Wayne carries the wastes of four industries. These are Gladieux
Oil Company, Phelps Dodge, Magnavox, and International Harvester. The
BOD loading from this stream averages about 60 pounds per day. The re-
maining industries are Parrot Packing Company and two plating companies,
General Plating and Franke Plating. The packing plant increases the
BOD loading in the river below Ft. Wayne by 890 pounds per day. Oils
are also contributed in the amount of 136 pounds per day. Two plating
companies in Ft. Wayne contribute large amounts of cyanides and heavy
metals. One company discharges on the average 38 pounds of cyanide
per day.
Lower Maumee
Two primary treatment plants receive for treatment a PE of 3,660.
Nine secondary treatment plants treat a total of 609,1+00 PE, of which a
PE of 575,000 comes to the Toledo sewage treatment plant. Even though
secondary treatment is employed, this plant discharges on the average
approximately 18,000 pounds of BOD every day into the river and Maumee
Bay at the western tip of Lake Erie - an indicated reduction of 8l per-
cent by treatment. A total of 10,850 people in twenty-three communities
are not served by central collection and treatment systems.
Seven industries discharge to the Maumee in the Toledo area. Three
of these are oil refineries which include Standard, Gulf, and Sun.
The remaining four are Interlake Iron Company, Toledo Edison, Libbey-
Owens-Ford, and Allied Chemical Company. Oil scum, metallic deposits,
and toxic materials are contributed by these industries.
Effects of Wastes on Water Quality and Water Uses
St. Joseph River
The overall water quality of the St. Joseph River above Montpelier,
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Ohio, is good. B low Mcntpelier the concentration of dissolved oxygen
falls to an average of U mg/l during low flow. A minimum concentration
of 2 mg/l was recorded several times during late summer. The treatment
plant effluent has a DO (uissolved oxygen) of U.5 mg/l and a BOD of 79&
pounds per day. The flow of the stream during the sampling period at
this point was 17 cfs or less 18 percent of the year. Biological con-
ditions typical of gross pollution existed during these low flows. The
stream bottom is silt, mud, and detritus. An oily sludge was observed
during low flow conditions. Bottom dwelling animals were limited to
the pollution-tolerant sludgeworms and midge larvae.
A dissolved oxygen sag occurs on the St. Marys River below the
City of St. Marys. The combination of industrial wastes and the St.
Marys sewage treatment plant effluent lowered the DO to below 4 mg/l
about 85 percent of the sampling period June 196^-March 1965. The DO
at this point was below 1 rng/l 50$ of the time. Four and one-half
miles above this sampling point three major industries and a secondary
sewage treatment plant, as tabulated below, discharge their wastes
directly to the River:
During the period October-December, 196k, the median coliform
densities in this area were 5^0,000 per 100 ml with a range of 10,000-
2,900,000. The maximum fecal streptococci densities recorded were
155,000 per 100 ml.
At certain times of the year, in addition tokiown waste inputs,
large quantities of deoxygenating wastes are discharged to the river in
the St. Marys area. The most recent occurrence was about May 15, 1965.
The waters below St. Marys were black and septic. The dissolved oxygen
was zero for 20 miles downstream.
Biological sampling in the early spring of 196^ disclosed a sparse
population of pollution-tolerant midge larvae and sludgeworms. The
stream bottom was sand, rubble, and rock, and no sludge deposits were
found. By July, a black septic sludge had accumulated over the stream
bottom and emitted a strong septic odor. Because of severe environmental
conditions, no bottom dwelling organisms were found during the summer or
fall surveys.
St. Marys River
Waste Source
5 day BOD Discharged
Weston Paper Manufacturing Company
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Beatrice Foods Company
St. Marys Sewage Treatment Plant
Total industrial and municipal wasteload
320 lbs./day
3^ lbs./day
11 lbs./day
290 lbs./day
965 lbs./day
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Another dissolved oxygen sag occurs downstream from Decatur, Indiana.
Four miles below Decatur, the DO was below 4.0 mg/1 for 20 percent of the
time during the period June 1964-March 1965. The DO range was 1.4-11.8
mg/1. The maximum 5-day BOD concentration was 17.6 mg/l. The secondary
waste disposal plant at Decatur discharges an estimated 240 pounds of
BOD daily. The principal industry, Central Soya, releases only 4.3
lbs/day BOD from its oxidation ponds. Stream flows in this area during
August-September, 1964 had monthly averages of less than 16 cfs. Although
the BOD loading from the Decatur Sewage treatment Plant is relatively
low, the stream cannot accommodate these loads because of low flow
during the sunmer and fall.
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Auglaize River Basin
Since the majority of wastes discharged to the Auglaize River
are received from its tributaries, sampling stations were positioned
to determine the effect of streams discharging to the main stem.
The major source of municipal and industrial pollution discharges
directly to the headwaters of the Auglaize at Wapakoneta, Ohio. During
the period July-November 1964, the sewage disposal plant at Wapakoneta
discharged a variable BOD loading to the Auglaize ranging from 178 lbs./day
to 1700 lbs./day. Flow in the stream below this discharge was below
6.4 cfs during 90 per cent of the sampling period. The River receives
industrial waste discharges at Wapakoneta from two packing companies,
a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant, and the Monarch Battery Company. No records
on the effluents from these industries have been made available. The
dissolved oxygen below Wapakoneta falls to zero during low flow periods.
Dissolved oxygen was below 4 mg/l downstream approximately 31 per cent
of the time. During the period October - December, 1964, the median
coliform density was 140,000 organisms per 100 ml, with a range of 1,200
to 11,000,000.
The Auglaize River above Wapakoneta supports a well-balanced
biological population at all seasons of the year. Pollution-sensitive
species of mayflies, caddis flies, and scuds were common. Below the
town, the water quality is severely degraded. Although bottom fauna of
pollution-sensitive mayflies, caddis flies, and dragon flies were found
to be fairly numerous in the spring of 1964, by July all pollution-
sensitive organisms had been eliminated and only sludgeworms and midge
larvae remained. The stream bottom which had been scoured clean of silt
and organic deposits during the spring was covered with black, septic,
malodorous sludge by July. Below this point, the Auglaize River quickly
recovers and for over 50 miles, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen
demand, microbiological and biological data gave little evidence of
organic pollution.
The Ottawa River is grossly polluted—the worst in the entire
Maumee River Basin. The stream degenerates rapidly at Lima, Ohio, and
never recovers. Thirty-three miles below Lima, the water was still
highly colored, ranging at times from red-orange to black. Oil was
also much in evidence along banks throughout the reach.
Above Lima, the median dissolved oxygen was approximately 5 mg/l.
At station 31.8 below Lima, the dissolved oxygen was consistently below
1 mg/l. Thirty miles below Lima, at the stream's junction with the
Auglaize, the median dissolved oxygen was still below 2 mg/l with many
values near zero.
Biochemical oxygen demand values immediately below Lima ranged
from a low of about 20 mg/l to approximately 215 mg/l. Near the mouth
of the river, these BOD varied from 10 to 85 mg/l. Median coliform
concentration in the Ottawa River ranged from 6,200 to 2,300,000 organisms
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per 100 ml for the entire sampling period. The median value for fecal
coliform was 42,000 organisms per 100 ml, and for fecal streptococci
10,000 organisms per 100 ml. A severe bacterial pollution exists at
all points sampled.
The high coliform densities, accompanied by high fecal coliform
and fecal streptococci densities, confirm the presence of gross polution
from human wastes.
This heavy chemical pollution adversely affects water supplies on
the Maumee. Phenolic concentrations directly below Lima ranged from
40 ug/1 to 19,000 ug/1 and at the mouth from 13 ug/1 to 1,400 ug/1.
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) values ranged from 30 mg/1 to 540 mg/1 below
Lima and from 35 mg/1 to 515 mg/1 at the mouth. Concentrations of ammo-
nia ranged from 22 mg/1 to 127 mg/1 below Lima with a median value of
63 mg/1. One mile above the mouth of the Ottawa River, ammonia concen-
trations ranging from 12 mg/1 to 136 mg/1 were detected. The median
value for the period July 1964 - February 1965 was 60 mg/1.
Below Lima, rooted aquatic plants, attached algae, and bottom
dwelling animals were completely absent in all seasons. The stream
bottom is rock and shale which in the spring was scoured clean of any
silt or sludge. During low flow in the summer, a black, oily sludge
with a strong petrochemical odor accumulated over the stream's bottom.
Between Lima and the confluence with the Auglaize River, the Ottawa
showed no signs of biological recovery. The only aquatic life observed
in this reach was a very sparse population of sludgeworms and midge
larvae near the mouth. The rocks and shale were completely devoid of
attached algae and aquatic weeds. The complete absence of attached
algae and bottom dwelling animals indicates not only severe oxygen defi-
cits but the presence of highly toxic chemicals.
Wastes discharged to the Ottawa River from the Sohio industrial
complex at Lima include oil, phenolic compounds, ammonium nitrate,
anhydrous ammonia, urea, aceto - and acrylo-nitriles and cyanides. It
has not been possible to obtain details of industrial waste effluents
from this complex. Other significant wastes are 24 lbs./day of oil from
Excello Corporation, 19 lbs./day oil and 7,7 lbs./day of phenol from
Republic Creosote. Ford Motor Company discharges its wastes to Sugar
Creek, consisting of 67 lbs./day of oil and 51«3 lbs./day of BOD.
Samples collected from the Blanchard River reveal two critical
areas. The first dissolved oxygen sag occurs in the Blanchard River
immediately below the City of Findlay, about mile point 52.5. Dissolved
oxygen values below 4 mg/1 occurred about 38 percent of the time.
Immediately below the Findlay sewage treatment plant, the water
quality was severely degraded as indicated by the presence of only the
pollution-tolerant sludgeworms, midge larvae, and air breathing snails.
The stream bottom was silt and gravel with sludge banks along the edge.
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Sewage solids were observed floating in the water. The major oxygen
consuming loads to the Blanchard originated from the following sources:
Waste Source 3 day BOD Discharged
Pindlay Sewage treatment plant (Average 953 lbs./day
value for October and November lcj6h)
Contris Packing 7 lbs./day
National Refineiy 35 lbs./day
Total 5-day BOD 995 lbs./day
The wastes associated with these loads had a flow of 5 mgd and a dis-
solved oxygen concentration of 1.7 mg/l. The river flow below the
Findlay Sewage treatment plant was almost entirely the effluent from the
sewage treatment plant for three months, August, September, and October,
1964. The River recovers rapidly, and two miles below the sewage treatment
plant the biota are typical of those found in a recovery zone.
Another oxygen sag occurs below Ottawa, Ohio. In addition to the
municipal effluent from the city, the Buckeye Sugar Inc., which begins
normal seasonal operation in October, discharged 2.59 mgd of waste with a
BOD of 2,l6o pounds per day. The high oxygen demand of these wastes caused
the dissolved oxygen in the Blanchard River to fall to zero for a stretch
of some 20 miles downstream to the point of confluence with the Auglaize
Elver.
On the Blanchard River below Ottawa the median dissolved oxygen was
4.8 mg/l during June-September, zero in October and November. These
conditions were the same at every sailing station to the confluence
with the Auglaize River.
Below Ottawa, the median coliform densities increased from 290,000
organisms per 100 ml during the June-September period to 3>^00,000 during
the October-December period. The highest value recorded during this period
was 11^,000,000 coliform organisms per 100 ml.
Biological surveys confirmed these findings of gross pollution. In
October, conditions typical of a grossly polluted stream were observed.
A strong odor of hydrogen sulfide permeated the area. The water was
black, and the rocks in the stream were covered with black scum. Only
the most tolerant forms of "biological life were found throughout the
length of the river to its mouth.
Below the confluences with the Ottawa and Blanchard Rivers, another
dissolved oxygen sag occurred. This is the most critical area of poor
water quality on the river. During the summer, dissolved oxygen con-
centrations averaged 2 to 3 nig/l; during low flow in the fall season,
it frequently dropped to below 1 mg/l. At mile point 25.6, which is
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directly below the confluence of the Blanchard River, the biochemical
oxygen demand ranged from 4 to 40 rag/1 while phenol concentrations
averaged about 28 ug/l (micrograms per liter). The maximum value of
phenol was about 140 ug/1.
During the sunmer, extensive algal growths were observed on the
Auglaize River. Stream sampling indicated that, during the warm months,
such compounds as phenols and organics were rapidly assimilated. During
the winter months, the colder stream temperatures allow greater con-
centrations of these organic compounds to reach the Maumee River.
Ammonia concentrations which averaged less than 2 mg/1 during July and
August 1964 in this area rose to a median concentration of 42 mg/1,
and as high as 84 mg/1 during October to December. These results
reveal that the Auglaize is severely affected by the Ottawa and
Blanchard Rivers during periods ot low flow and low stream temperatures.
Five miles downstream the Auglaize deepens and the velocity de-
creases due to the pool formed by an old power dam at nile point 5.4.
At mile point 14,8 bottom animals were limited to sludgeworms and midge
larvae. Only the most tolerant bottom dwellers survive. In the lake
behind the dam, phytoplankton productivity is high and oxygen super-
saturation often occurs at the surface.
Immediately below the power dam, widely diversified fauna with
many pollution-sensitive species were found, Indicating that the water
below the dam was well oxygenated. The abundance of Cladophora
and the high plankton counts observed in the summer and fall are
manifestations of the high nutrient content of the Auglaize River.
About two miles below the old power dam, the backwaters of the
Maumee River above Independence Dam begin to exert an effect on the
Auglaize. Between mile point 3.5 and the confluence with the Maumee
River the bottom animals are limited to sludgeworms and midge larvae.
Photosynthetic oxygen production by the large algal population occasionally
gave surface DO values of 20 mg/l«
Substantial winter fish mortalities of shad and other rough fish
have been observed in the lower reaches of the Auglaize during the past
four years. Since low dissolved oxygen was not a problem at that
time of year the kills most likely resulted from the large ammonia
concentrations mentioned previously.
The Little Auglaize River, Flatrock Creek, and Sugar Creek exert
little, if any, effect on the main stem of the Auglaize.
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Town Creek is a tributary to the Little Auglaize River and
drains an area of 51 square miles. Samples from this stream, collected
at a point below Van Wert, Ohio, revealed gross pollution during low
flow. The dissolved oxygen dropped to zero in the summer. Samples col-
lected were septic and foul smelling. Coliform densities exceeding
50,000*000 organisras per 100 ml were found.
Tiffin River
The overall water quality is good throughout the entire length
of the Tiffin River. The dissolved oxygen exceeded mg/l. The highest
coliform densities were recorded near Stryker and Defiance, Ohio. These
counts, however, rarely exceeded 5>000/l00 ml. The highest fecal strep-
tococcus values were obtained above Defiance and averaged 2,000/100ml,
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Upper Maumee River - Ft. Wayne, Indiana to Napoleon, Ohio
Directly below Ft. Wayne, Indiana, an oxygen sag occurs with
values below 4 mg/1 about 64 percent of the time, BOD values were in
the range of 4-15 mg/1. For the period October - December, 1964,
phenol concentrations at this point had a median value of 5.2 ug/1.
During the winter period January to March, 1965, these concentrations
ranged from 3 ug/1 to 137 ug/1 with a median value of 35 ug/1. The
median total coliform count was 910,000 per 100 ml with a maximum of
24,000,000 per 100 ml during June to September, 1964. The median
fecal streptococcus value was 1,300 per 100 ml during the same season.
In the Fort Wayne area, biological conditions are seriously
degraded. The stream bottom has heavy deposits of oily organic sludge
and supports only a sparse population of pollution tolerant sludgeworms
and midge larvae.
The significant waste loads in the area originate from the
following sources:
Ft* Wayne Sewage Treatment
Plant 2200 lbs./day 5-day BOD
Parrot Packing House 890
Harvester Ditch 60
3150 lbs./day 5-day BOD
Other significant wastes from these industries include:
Parrot Packing 136 lbs./day oil
Franke Plating 38 lbs./day cyanide
Between Fort Wayne and Antwerp, Ohio, the nutrient-rich waters
develop tremendous phytoplankton population with counts in excess of
30,000 per ml. In this area algal photosynthesis is the most impor-
tant factor affecting DO between April and December, Diurnal DO
studies at Antwerp showed ranges of 3.8 to 8.2 mg/1 and 10.3 to 20.0 mg/1
on two 2lt-hour studies in July. The presence of relatively intolerant
bottom dwelling animals in the Antwerp area indicates that prolonged
periods of low DO do not occur here.
Thirty-six miles downstream near Antwerp, Ohio, Weatherhead Cor-
poration discharges 33 lbs,/day BOD and 240 lbs,/day of oil.
At Defiance, Ohio, another oxygen sag occurs. This point is
above the sewage treatment plant and is attributed to a large number
of the unsewered and/or faulty sewered residences in Defiance discharging
raw sewage into the Maumee River, The sewage collection system is
faulty in that the sewage treatment plant is closed 30 to 60 days each
year. As the River stage rises 5 feet above normal, water is backed up
in the main lift station closing the main interceptor and sewage is
bypassed directly to the River 2 miles above the Plant. This is the
area in which the oxygen sag occurs.
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The DO was below 5 mg/1 20 per cent of the time during the
period June to September, 1964, with a range of zero to 10 mg/1.
During October to November, dissolved oxygen concentrations fell
below 5 mg/l 11 per cent of the time with a range of 4.9 to 13 mg/1.
Median coliform counts in this area were 54,000 per 100 ml with a
maximum value of 830,000 per 100 ml. The highest fecal strep values
in the upper Maumee River were obtained in this area during the summer
of 1964. A median value of 10,000 per 100 ml and a maximum value of
530,000 per 100 ml were found.
Phytoplankton counts were in excess of 100,000 per ml during
the summer of 1964. During the same period, diurnal DO studies
showed considerable vertical and diurnal variations. Values as
high as 10 mg/1 were often found at the surface while the bottom
waters contained only 0.5 mg/1. Diurnal variations gave early
morning concentrations of 8.0 mg/1 at the surface and 25 mg/1 in the
afternoon. These low DO values at the bottom confirmed the absences
of any intolerant animals on the stream bottom.
The sewage treatment plant at Defiance provides only primary
treatment facilities. An industrial and municipal waste survey by the
State of Ohio indicated 1770 lbs./day BOD and 6750 lbs./day total
solids in the final effluent. Phenol concentrations in the range of
14,000 - 22,000 ug/1 were recorded, which averaged slightly less than
100 lbs. of phenol discharged per day. Most of the industry in Defiance
is sewered. However, primary treatment cannot assimilate the heavy
loading of phenolic compounds from the Johns-Manvilie Fiberglass Company.
A few hundred yards below the Defiance sewage treatment plant, wastes
from the Central Foundry Division of General Motors Corporation are
discharged. Visual inspection revealed large deposits of cinder and
ash material in the River.
Below Independence Dam, the wide variety of intolerant bottom
dwelling animals indicated that prolonged low DO conditions do not
exist. The waters are rich in phytoplankton, and DO values well in
excess of saturation occur during the day.
At Napoleon, Ohio, wastes discharged to the Maumee River originate
from two major sources. The sewage treatment plant discharges an
estimated 184 lbs* of BOD, and The Campbell Soup Company 4,620 pounds of
BOD, and 268 pounds of oil daily.
The river at Napoleon is 6 to 10 feet deep because of backwater
of Providence Dam about 9 miles downstream. During summer months,
dissolved oxygen drops to zero at times.
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Cities situated on or near the Maumee River draw their raw
water supply from the highly polluted waters of this stream. Taste
and odor control is among the immediate and major problems in this
area.
Taste and odor problems are prevalent throughout most of the
year in the water supplies at Defiance and Napoleon. At Defiance,
during periods of low temperatures and ice cover, problems are
encountered with phenolic compounds. The finished water imparts a
medicinal taste and odor enhanced by chlorination. During the period
of Spring runoff, the water has an intense earthy or musty taste.
During late Spring in 19&3, and '65, there were periods of
exceptionally severe taste and odor problems. The water during these
periods was described variously as musty, moldy, earthy, fishy, and
"rotten".
The taste and odor problems at Napoleon are similar to those
in Defiance with the exception of additional interference from ammonia
compounds from the Auglaize River. Campbell Soup Company has reported
taste and odor problems of such severity that the plant had to shut
down at times because of its inability to produce a taste and odor
free water. Large concentrations of ammonia at the plant have created
peak chlorine demands as high as 150 mg/l. The company reports that
that quality of its raw water supply has steadily deteriorated since 1957.
Eower Maumee and Bay Area - Napoleon, Ohio - Toledo, Ohio
The waters in the lower Maumee River are severely polluted.
Very high coliform densities were recorded in the lower River reaches,
with median densities in excess of 150,000 organisms per 100 ml at
mile point 0.3, and the highest values were greater than
1,500,000 organisms per 100 ml. The ratio of fecal coliform to
fecal streptococcus was consistently above two, and as high as 150,
indicating that the fecal bacteria are from human sources. The
existence of human enteric pathogenic microorganisms was also revealed.
Salmonella was detected ^0 per cent of the times sampled, confirming
the health hazard to persons exposed to these waters.
The dissolved oxygen was observed to be below h mg/l at several
locations in this portion of the stream.
Phenols are discharged into the Maumee River by Interlace Iron
and Johns Manville Companies located near Watervllle. Phenols from
Interlake Iron reach concentrations of 1,000 ug/l.
Municipal wastes are discharged to the Maumee by the communities
of Perrysburg and Waterville. The sewage treatment plant at Perrysburg
has primary treatment and discharges on the average 320 pounds of BOD
per day. Waterville has a secondary plant that didchal-ges about 32
pounds of BOD per day.
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Effluent from the Toledo Sewage Treatment Plant is discharged
to the river at mile point 0.6. This plant has secondary treatment
and removes 85-90 percent of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Even
so, the plant discharges on the average approximately 18,000 pounds
of BOD every day into the river and Maumee Bay.
In addition to the effluent from the Toledo treatment plant,
industrial wastes are being discharged throughout this lower reach.
They include oil, scum, metallic deposits, and toxic materials. Oils
are being discharged to the Maumee by refineries. Standard, Gulf,
and Sun Oil Companies are responsible. Interlake Iron and Libbey-
Owens-Ford also contribute large amounts of oil each day.
With all these wastes being contributed to the Maumee River and
Maumee Bay recreational use of these waters is severely damaged in the
Toledo area, and swimming, water skiing, boating, and other water
contact sports are hazardous to health. Grand Rapid, Waterville, and
Bowling Green obtain raw water from the Maumee River near Waterville,
Ohio. The odors in the raw water at the Bowling Green Water Treatment
Plant range through aromatic, earthy, septic, flowery, vegetative,
grassy, fishy, and phenolic. Summer problems are with algae growth
and decay, and resulting taste and odor. In recent winter periods,
the ammonia content of the river water has reached 20 mg/1. Nitrates
have reached values of 68 mg/1, and phosphates 2 mg/1. Synthetic
detergents have also been a problem, causing foam four feet high on
the recarbonation basin. Odors during the winter have been described
as stale, rancid, and ammoniacal.
During low flow periods in the summer and early fall, problems
originate from the great abundance of algal growths. These growths
thrive on abnormally high concentrations of phosphate and nitrogen
nutrients available in the water. During the late fall and winter
seasons, phenolic and ammonia compounds from Ft. Wayne, Defiance,
and Lima are able to survive oxidation for longer periods of time.
Subsequently, these compounds reach raw water supplies all along the
Maumee River.
Sediment is a problem in the navigation channel, which extends
approximately seven miles upstream from the mouth of the river and must
be continuously dredged. The suspended sediment is of the clayey type
and stays in suspension for long periods of time.
The U. S. Geological Survey data for the water year of 1963
indicated that over 285,000 tons of sediment were carried by the
Maumee River at Waterville.
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Effects on Lake Erie
Maumee River water severely affects Maumee Bay, which is the
western tip of Lake Erie, in that it limits or affects the water uses
of recreation, water supply, and esthetics.
Swimming, water skiing, "boating and other water contact sports
are affected by the health hazards due to the presence of human enteric
pathogens such as Salmonella in the Maumee River.
Only one major Lake Erie swimming "beach, Reno Beach, exists in
the Toledo area. Reno Beach is officially closed because of bacterial
contamination from the Maumee River.
The City of Toledo obtains its water supply from an intake
located in Lake Erie approximately 9 miles east of the Maumee River.
Toledo water is occasionally affected by Maumee River water. Its
problems are not on the same scale as those cities whose source is
exclusively the Maumee River. It is estimated by the City of Toledo
that during some Spring runoffs, the Toledo intake will receive
TO to 90 per cent water from the Maumee. When this happens, hardness
and alkalinity levels increase and occasional blooms of algae increase
the taste and odor in its water. These blooms axe fed by the large
amount of nutrients being contributed to the Bay by the Maumee and also
from the Toledo Sewage Treatment Plant.
Because Lake level fluctuations have been found to affect the
Maumee River as far as 15 miles upstream, any form of pollution which enters
the Maumee at its lcwer points also affects upstream portions of that
section of river.
The City of Oregon obtains its water supply through an intake
located east of Toledo's in Lake Erie.
Recowmanded Actions
The recommendations for pollution abatement set forth in
Chapter I, Part 1 are t© be adopted where applicable in the Maumee
River Basin. In addition, it is recommended that the following
specific actions be taken:
1. The City of Defiance improve its collection system and
treatment facilities, and resolve with Johns Manville
Company the problem of excessive phenol discharges.
2. The following Industrial plants take the necessary action
to provide waste treatment facilities to reduce their
waste loadings to the receiving stream:
Interlake Iron Company Solids reduction
J ohns -Manv ille Company
Waterville Solids and BOD reduction
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Defiance
Phenol reduction
Buckeye Sugars, Inc.
Evaluate completed
improvements
National Refinery
Oil removal
Standard Oil Company
Refinery
Petrochemical
Phenol reduction
Evaluate completed
improvements
Nitrogen removal
Chemical Company
3.
h.
5.
Intensified effort in control of soil erosion and land
use practices, to reduce the inputs to receiving waters
of silt and nutrients.
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in cooperation
with other Federal agencies and the States involved, investigate
means of providing streamflow regulation to maintain desirable
water quality after all practicable measures have been taken to
eliminate or control vaste discharges at their sources.
The unknown source of waste on the St. Marys River be located
and brought under control.
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Ill - WESTERN OHIO
Description of Area
The Ohio tributaries to Western Lake Erie are the Portage,
Sandusky, Huron, Vermilion, and Black Rivers. They drain an
area of 4,109 square miles, with a population of 600,000. The
principal cities are Lorain, Elyria, and Sandusky.
Hydrology
The rivers within this area are not hydraulically control-
led to any great extent other than an occasional run-of-the-river
dam. Low flows as measured at the U.S. Geological Survey gage
nearest to the Lake are as follows: Portage 2.5 mgd; Sandusky,
21.5 mgd; Huron, 10.4 mgd; Vermilion, 7.2 mgd; Black, 1.6 mgd.
Economic Aspects
The economy of the area is diversified. Agriculture is
predominant, with farm lands occupying 91 per cent of the basin.
Industry is widespread throughout; heavy industry is concentrated
in the Elyria-Lorain area on the Black River. Clay, glass, and
stone products predominate in the western portion of the basin,
while steel and transportation are important farther east.
Water
Inland surface waters supply 13 mgd to municipalities; wells
supply another 5 mgd; and Lake Erie supplies 35 mgd.
Industrial
Industrial water use in the Western Ohio Basin is 227 mgd, and
water used in power generation (exclusive of hydroelectric power) is
521 mgd. Of the total industrial water used in the basin, 7 mgd is
used in each of the Portage and Sandusky River Basins and 220 mgd
is used in the Huron to Black River Basin. With the exception of power
generation, inland surface water and backwaters of Lake Erie supply 99
per cent of the demand.
Waterborne Commerce
Waterbofhe commerce in the Western Ohio area is served by the
port facilities of Lorain at the mouth of the Black River, Huron at
the mouth of the Huron River, and Sandusky at Sandusky Bay. These
three ports account for 9 per cent of the tonnage moved through Lake
Erie ports. No commercial navigation exists above the mouths of these
rivers.
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'iecreation
The Sandusky Hay-:7o:stem Islands ar^a is otio of Ohio's
principal recreational Rites• Three state parks, a state beach,
and a state reserve are located there.
Other bathing beaches and numerous boat marinas are
located there and along the abutting shoreline of Lake J?rie.
There are no extensively developed recreational areas inland
from the Lake.
VJhere the streams flow through communities, some municipal
park facilities have been developed. Many historic sites are
also found along the banks of these rivers.
Esthetics
The upstream reaches of these rivers flow through pre-
dominantly farm lands. As the streams flow toward the Lake
through urban areas, the rivers become increasingly degraded so
that their color has changed from blue to brown by the time they
reach the Lake. Some of the color results from land erosion and
industrial pollution.
In the navigation channel of the Black River, oil slicks
on the water surface detract from the value of the adjacent
properties•
Sources of Wastes
There are 170,000 people served by 22 secondary treatment
plants and 1L1,000 people served by 11 primary plants. Forty-
four thousand people are not served by any central treatment
planto Of the 27 industries located within the basin, two have
inadequate treatment facilities according to the Ohio Department
of Health.
DO - BOD Relationships
During periods of low flow the dissolved oxygen of the
Sandusky River drops to less than LwQ mg/l below Upper Sandusky,
Tiffin, and Fremont. Forty per cent of the samples collected
at the critical point below Upper Sandusky showed oxygen concen-
trations of less than h«0 mg/l. On three occasions there was no
measurable oxygen, and the DOD reached 39.0 mg/l. Intensive
sampling programs below Tiffin and Fremont revealed that, during
the low flow period and under normal loadings from the treatment
plants, the DO concentrations approached 1.0 mg/l.
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There are similar problems on the Black River from Oberlin
to the lake-affected area in Lorain. The 196[| sumner average of
dissolved oxygen for this reach was 2 mg/l. Below "lyria, the
average 5-day BOD was 20 ng/l.
Phenols
Along the heavy manufacturing area of the Block River the
phenols averaged 9.8 jjg/l during 196k and ranged from 0.^ jig/l
to 65 • 9 )ig/l*
Land Runoff
Drainage and soil conditions in the flat areas are such
that the fields are underlaid with drainage tile. Rural runoff
to the Sandusky River carries with it sediment which amounts to
over 100,000 tons per month during the spring. Nutrients present
in the soil and from the application of approximately 180,000
tons of fertilizer annually to the basin provide the algae and
other aquatic growths with ample supplies of nitrogen and phos-
phorus and the resulting growths completely blanket the Black
River.
Microbiological
Sewage pollution, as indicated bv total coliform densities,
Is prevalent throughout.most of the basin. On the Portage River,
median coliform density during the summer and fall of 1961j was
130,000 organisms per 100 ml. The fecal coliform density was
21,000 organisms per 100 ml.
The Sandusky River had a median coliform density of
190,000 organisms per 100 ml below Fremont for the months of
October and November, 196U« In Sandusky Bay at the mouth of
the river, the median coliform density was less than 1,000
organisms per 100 ml but had a high of 1,300 organisms per
100 ml.
Median coliform density in the Black River below the
Elyria treatment plant was 300,000 organisms per 100 ml during
the first three months of the year. During April and Hay, the
median density was 11*0,000 organisms per 100 ml and the median
fecal coliform density was £7,000 organisms per 100 ml.
Biology
Biological conditions in the Portage, Huron, and Vermilion
Rivers are generally good except for the areas near the Lake
which are degraded by siltation and local waste sources.
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The Sandusky River below Upper Sandusky, Tiffin, and Fremont shows
evidences of biological degradation. All pollution sensitive bottom-
dwelling animals are absent below each area. Between Tiffin and Fremont,
the nutrient-rich waters support dense growths of attached algae. Between
Oberlin and the mouth of the Black River, biological conditions typical
of a polluted stream are found.
Effects on the Lake
All the wastes emanating from the rivers in the western basin are
diluted to the background concentrations of the Lake within a mile of
the shoreline. However, the microbiological studies have shown that the
bacterial pollution moves along the shore causing coliform densities to
average U,000 organisms per 100 ml east of Lorain. Average densities
near Vermilion were 1,000 organisms per 100 ml.
Recommended Actions
The recommendations for pollution abatement set forth in Chapter I,
Part I, are to be adopted where applicable in the Western Ohio Basin.
In addition, it is recommended that the following industrial plants
take the necessary actions listed:
Industry Necessary Action
General Motors Corporation Cyanide and metal
Ternstedt Division reduction
Swift and Company Oil removal
General Electric Company Treatment of sewage
Bechtel-McLauglin Chromium reduction
The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company Oil removal
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IV - ROCKY RIVER BASIN
Description of Area
The Rocky River is located in northeastern Ohio and flows
into the central basin of Lake Erie. It carries the drainage from
farm lands, small cities, and the western part of metropolitan
Cleveland.
The upper 35 miles of the river system is composed of two
separate streams, the East Branch with its headwaters near Hinckley
and the West Branch with its headwaters near Medina. The two
streams meet at Berea and flow 12 miles to the Lake. Approximately
30 miles of this river system flow through the Cleveland Metropolitan
Park.
The land area of the Rocky River basin is i*i+ percent urban.
Lands used directly for farming activities occupy 33 percent of
the area, while other rural lands such as woodland occupies the
remaining 23 percent of the area.
Although reservoirs located on both branches of the river
regulate flow, the discharge of wastes from 15 sources supply the
greatest part of the dry weather flow. The low flow at the United
States Geological Survey gage at Berea is 3.9 mgd.
Water Uses
Municipal and Industrial
Medina and Berea are the only municipalities using the Rocky
River for water supplies. They draw an average of 1,7 mgd. No
industries are known to withdraw water from the riveri
Recreation
The Rocky River flows through Cleveland Metropolitan Park
from near the Cuyahoga County line (on the East Branch) to Lake Erie
where extensive recreational use is made of the River. Two marinas
are located near its mouth, Hinckley and Lester Lakes afford good
recreational sites which are regularly used.
Esthetics
Since much of the lower Rocky River flows through a much-used
Metropolitan Park, the poor esthetic character of the stream reduces
the park's value as a recreational area.
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Debris and floating fecal solids have "been observed at
numerous locations. During the summer, the water is a deep green
color due to algal "blooms. The lower 15 miles of the stream often
reek with a characteristic septic sewage odor, during periods of
low flow.
Sources of Wastes
There are 129,000 people served "by 20 secondary treatment
plants and ^5,000 people served by two primary plants. Fourteen
thousand people are not served by central treatment plants. Three
industries located within the basin have adequate treatment
facilities, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
The average daily loads to the stream are as follows:
7,300 lbs./day BOD;:3,#00 lbs./day phosphate; 2,000 lbs./day
nitrate-nitrogen; 110,000 lbs;/day chlorides; 5 Ibs./dav phenols.
Effects of Wastes on Water Quality and Water Uses
Microbiological
Discharges from sewage treatment plants, storm water over-
flows, and ditches carrying septic tank drainage are causing high
coliform densities in the river.
The studies on the main stem of the Rocky River above the
lake-affected area showed sewage pollution which impairs the river
use as a recreation area. Coliform densities range from 55f000 to
1,000,000 per 100 ml.
Biology
The nutrients from the upstream sewage treatment plants
fertilize the impounded areas of the stream so that large algal
blooms develop during the summer months. The rooted aquatic weeds
also increase. This plant life causes nuisance problems in the
Metropolitan Park, as well as taste and odor problems in the Berea
water supply. Slow-flowing and stagnant pools in the river provide
ideal breeding areas for mosquitoes which create a serious nuisance
condition in the park and surrounding areas.
Sewage Outfalls
The pollutional loads imposed on the river are manifested
at its mouth by odors, floating sewage solids, and scum which are
objectionable in a recreation area.
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The organic load to the river has depleted the oxygen concen-
tration below 4 nvj/l as much as 50 percent of the time during
the summer. Only local areas of pollution existed below waste
inputs in the upper reaches of the river, the average BOD was
greater than ^ mg/l throughout.
Recommended Actions
The recommendations for pollution abatement set forth in
Chapter I, Part I are to "be adopted where applicable in the Rocky
River Basin. In addition, it is recommended that the following
specific actions be taken:
1. A master sewerage plan be prepared for the
Cleveland metropolitan area, including Cleveland,
its suburbs, and rapidly developing urban lands-
and an appropriate regional organization be given
authority and responsibility for its implementation.
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V - CUYAHOGA RIVER BASIN AND CLEVELAND LAKEFRONT
Area Description
The Cuyahoga River is located in northeastern Ohio where it
drains the rural districts of Geauga and Portage Counties and the
urban areas of Akron and Cleveland. Although the Cuyahoga basin
represents only 3 per cent of the land area in the Lake Erie basin,
19 per cent of the entire basin's population live there.
Rising in the farm lands of Geauga County, the Cuyahoga River
meanders for 103 miles through gorges and flat lands into the
central basin of Lake Erie. Its network of tributaries drains an
area of 813 square miles. Because of the many impoundments of its
upstream waters, the river moves sluggishly until it reaches the Akron
metropolitan area. Here, it becomes a rapidly flowing stream and
continues this way to the navigation channel in Cleveland. In the
navigation channel, the river again moves slowly toward Lake Erie.
The fall of the upper Cuyahoga River is 9 feet per mile in a shallow
channel cut through glacial drift. At Cuyahoga Falls, the river
falls 220 feet in 1.5 miles through a sandstone gorge. The lower
Cuyahoga River flows through a wide preglacial valley with a fall
of 6 feet per mile.
Except for its upper reaches, much of the Cuyahoga Basin is
highly urbanized. Cleveland and Akron with their expanding suburban
communities occupy large sections of the basin. An estimated thirty-
five per cent is forest land that lies in the upper Cuyahoga watershed
and in the metropolitan parks of Cleveland and Akron. Idle lands
occupy about fifteen per cent.
The lakefront in both the western and eastern portions is
characterized by bluffs 50-70 feet in height and a narrow beach
area. Within the Cleveland city limits, however, the bluffs decrease
and become virtually nonexistent. Along this stretch there are wide
beaches and many artificial works, the most prominent of which is
the five-mile Federal Breakwater.
There are several small streams which drain the eastern section
of Cleveland directly to Lake Erie. The largest of these are Euclid
Creek, Doan Brook, and Dugway Brook.
Of the almost 31 miles of lake frontage in Cuyahoga County,
hQf, is occupied by housing, 1^ by private (restricted) recreation,
15$ by public recreation, 6$ each by utilities and institutions, and
316 each by commerce and port facilities.
Flows in the Cuyahoga River are fairly high, due in a large measure
to reservoirs in the upper watershed. Low flow at United States
Geological Survey gage just upstream of Cleveland is 15^ cfs.
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Economic Aspects
Although the Cuyahoga Basin contains only three per cent of
the land in the Lake Erie Basin, its 1.9 million people represent
nineteen per cent of the total population. Forty-nine municipalities
wholly or partly within the basin contribute heavily to this total.
A steady growth pattern since 1900 indicates that by the year 2000
the population will have climbed over three million. Cleveland and
Akron are the principal cities with populations of 876,000 and 290,000,
respectively.
The economic growth exacted within the basin should follow
the increasing population.
The Cleveland area is one of the greatest steel producing
and fabricating areas in the world, and Akron supplies 75 per cent
of the world's rubber tire needs. In addition to these two industries,
automotive manufacturing and chemical industries play a large role
in the economy of the basin. These industries account for over
225,000 jobs. There are more than 65 industries operating within
the Cuyahoga Basin and along the adjacent lakefront.
Cleveland is a major Great Lakes shipping port with well
developed dock and storage facilities. The "principal commodities
handled are iron ore, coal, sand, gravel, and limestone.
Water Uses
Municipal
From its headwaters downstream to Lake Rockwell, the Cuyahoga
River supplies 50 mgd to the city of Akron's filtration plant. At
Cuyahoga Falls, the only other municipal user, the river recharges
a well water supply system during periods of high flow.
Industrial
In the upstream portion of the basin, industrial well fields
tap underground supplies for 18 mgd at Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Kent.
Surface water meets another 200 mgd industrial demand in this area.
Between Akron and the navigation channel in Cleveland, 120 mgd are
withdrawn for varied manufacturing purposes.
Water supplied from the navigation channel is 300 mgd, but this
cannot be directly attributed to river yield since the water levels
in this section are determined by lake elevations.
Waterborne Commerce
The Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, reported that In 1962 over
16 million tons of cargo moved through the port of Cleveland. Iron ore
and related materials for the steel industry, petroleum products, and
materials for the chemical industry were the major types of cargo
shipped through Cleveland.
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Recreation
The upstream sections of the river are used for fishing and
boating. This area supports many species of fish. Below Lake Rockwell,
the species of fish become less desirable and the quantities decrease.
Reaches of the river below Akron are unsuitable for all types of
water recreation.
Along the Cleveland metropolitan lakefront there are 10 public
beaches and several boat marinas. The city has adopted a "swim if you
must" bathing beach policy, because of the high coliform densities in
the nearshore zone.
Rural
In rural areas, the primary water supplies are drilled wells.
Most of the farms support dairy herds. Water used for irrigation is
negligible.
Esthetics
Debris-filled, oil-slicked, dirty-looking waterways defines the
Cuyahoga River at any place along its course. Some reaches are blocked
completely by dead trees and stumps, while the banks are dotted with
many small dumps. Trash ranging from tin cans to refrigerators is a
common sight in the river. In the navigation channel where the Cuyahoga
flows through Cleveland even more debris exists and the water surface
often becomes black with oil from the industrial outfalls. As long as
these situations remain, the Cuyahoga will be a liability to the cities
it serves and adjacent property owners, Instead of an asset.
The lakefront is littered with debris. The discolored water and
floating debris, particularly behind the federal breakwater, have
reduced the esthetic value usually associated with the free, limitless
beauty of a natural body of water. The debris consists of discarded
lumber, tree limbs, metal cans, paper products, dead fish, oil slicks,
grease, and scum.
Sources of Wastes
Thirty-five sewage treatment plants discharge to the Cuyahoga River.
There are 886,000 people served by 29 secondary treatment plants and
37,000 people served by 6 primary plants. Thirty-three thousand
people are not served by any central treatment plant at all.
Cleveland's Southerly Sewage Treatment Plant and Akron's Wat«r
Pollution Control Station which together treat the wastes from 824,000
people have been classified inadequate by the Ohio Department of Health.
Of the 41 industries located within the basin, 19 have inadequate
treatment facilities, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
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The average daily loads to the navigation channel at Cleveland
are as follows: 80,000 lbs/day BOD ->3,500 lbs/day phosphate; 42,500 lbs/day
ammonia nitrogen; 9,100 lbs/day nitrate-nitrogen; and
10^ lbs/day phenols.
There are three large sewage treatment plants that discharge
directly to the Lake along the Cleveland waterfront.
There are 604.000 people served by the Cleveland Easterly Plant
(secondary treatment) and 327,000 people served by the primary sewage
treatment facilities of Cleveland Westerly and Euclid.
Most industries in the lakefront area discharge to sanitary
sewers. There are two industries under permit to the State of Ohio
to discharge directly to the Lake or to the small streams which drain
eastern Cleveland. However, there are 20 known industries that
discharge to the Greater Cleveland Lakefront. The pollutional significance
of these discharges have not been determined.
A substantial portion of the City of Cleveland is served by a
combined sewer system. With the construction of sewage treatment
plants, combined sewers were connected to new interceptor sewers to
collect the dry weather flow with some allowance for storm waters.
Overflow structures were provided at most Junctures between the combined
sewers and the interceptor so that heavy storm water flows would discharge
directly to the nearest water course.
The City of Cleveland has approximately 383 combined sewer
overflow structures which discharge sewage and industrial wastes mixed
with storm water during periods of storm runoff. There are more than
one hundred and thirty storm water overflow devices that discharge
to the Lake or small streams in eastern Cleveland. Over two hundred and
fifty additional overflow devices discharge to the Cuyahoga River or
small tributaries. A number of these overflow structures axe continually
malfunctioning and contribute a significant amount of sewage to the
lakefront area.
Effects of Wastes on Water Quality and Water Uses - Cuyahoga River
DO-BOD Relationships
The dissolved oxygen concentration was critically low below
Kent, Akron, and in the navigation channel in Cleveland. During 1964,
oxygen concentrations downstream from Kent's sewage treatment plant
ranged from a high of 9.25 mg/l in the winter to a low of O.Off mg/l
in the summer. The DO below Akron's water pollution control station
varied from 0.45 to 5.85 tng/l. In the navigation channel which is
below Cleveland's Southerly Treatment Plant and amid the industrial
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complex, value8 ranged "between 0.0 mg/l and 1.20 mg/l. The five-
day "biochemical oxygen demands (BOD) average 10.2 mg/l, 11,'3 mg/l
and 8.9 mg/l, respectively, for these areas. Bottom dwelling animals
vere limited to midge larvae and sludgeworms in this section of the
river.
Dugway Brook and Nine-mile Creek were sampled several times
in 1963 and 1964 and showed indications of pollution. The dissolved
oxygen was generally zero and the BOD varied from 9 to 30 mg/l.
Phenols
In I96I+ phenol concentration increased from Lake Rockwell to
Lake Erie. The concentration averaged 1.8 jng/l at Lake Rockwell,
7.2 jig/l at Akron, and 20.8 ^ig/l at Cleveland during the summer of
1964. In the navigation channel, phenol averaged 58.0 pg/l and
the maximum was 175 Hg/l.
Algae and Aquatic Plants
In the Impounded waters above Kent, and "between Kent and Akron,
there are prolific growths of algae and aquatic weeds which create a
nuisance condition and degrade the esthetic value of the river.
Decomposition of these growths which are nourished "by the effluents
from the sewage treatment plants of Ravenna, Kent, and Stow exert
an oxygen demand on the river.
The waters flowing from Lake Rockwell support a clean water
community of bottom dwelling animals. Below Kent the population shifts
to the pollution tolerant forms. Only pollution tolerant forms were
found between Kent and the river mouth. In the lower Cuyahoga conditions
were so severe that even the most tolerant forms were totally absent.
Microbiological
Excessive bacterial pollution of the Cuyahoga exists from its
headwaters to its mouth. Median total collfoim values per 100 ml
ranged from a low of 9,200 organisms at Lake Rockwell to a high of
1<70,000 organisms at the head of the navigation channel. The fecal
coliform to fecal streptococcus ratio varied from 1:1 to 10:1, indicating
pollution from human origin. The human enteric pathogen study conducted
in the Cleveland area showed lU different species of Salmonella organisms.
Salmonella was detected in 64.7 per cent sampled. These observations
confirm the health hazard to humans contacting these highly polluted waters.
Debris and Oil
The fallen trees, trash, and debris make the waterway unsightly
and unusable at many locations. Removal of this forelgh material would
permit more extensive boating in the upper reaches. The debris along
the lakefront detracts from the natural beauty of Lake Erie and is
hazardous to the many boaters on the Lake.
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The oil on the surface of the river throughout the navigation
channel has fueled some large fires in the lover river. The problem
has reached such proportion that fire breaks have been built to
separate the surface waters into sections so that oil fires can be
held within a certain area.
Effects of Wastes on Lakefront Water Quality and Water Uses
The breakwater acts as a holding basin for Cviyahoga River water.
Depending on wind direction, water flows out of the breakwater through
either the north or east outlets. Water within this basin tends to be
of uniformly poor quality with relatively higher concentrations of
chemical and microbiological pollutants nearer the river mouth.
At the river-Lake junction, dispersion or dilution of river
water takes place. The dissolved oxygen values approach saturation,
and other substances approach background concentrations of the Lake.
Conductivity values show no appreciable concentration gradients one-
half mile beyond the breakwall.
The coliform concentrations decreased from a median of
i+70,000 organisms per 100 ml at the head of the navigation channel to
about 5,000 per 100 ml at the mouth of the breakwall. All stations
inside the breakwater exhibited a very limited variety of tolerant
bottom animals. Only eludgeworms, fingernail clams, nematodes, and
bloodworms were found in this area. Sludgeworms, which thrive on
organic matter, averaged U00,000 per square meter in the harbor.
Outside the breakwater a slightly more diverse fauna was found which
included less tolerant leeches, pulmonate and gill-breathing snails,
and aquatic sowbugs in addition to the forms found inside the
breakwater. No sensitive mayfly nymphs, caddis fly larvae, scuds
and unionid clams were found at any of the stations sampled. The
bottom type, depth, and temperature here are suitable for all of
these intolerant groups, and they occur under similar conditions
in other parts of Lake Erie.
The U.S. Corps of Engineers routinely dredge the shipping
channels in Cleveland Harbor and the Cuyahoga River. The material
dredged from these areas until recently was deposited about eight
miles out in the Lake but is now deposited on an experimental basis
near the north side of the east breakwall. A narrow band of
microbiologically polluted water exists along the shore and behind
the breakwater. There is a sharp break between this band and the
offshore waters, rather than a gradual dispersion. Thus a condition
exists where the beach areas are highly polluted, while the water
a distance of one-half mile from shore is suitable for recreation
and other purposes.
The results of a microbiological study of bathing beach
areas this past summer fcy the Cities of Cleveland and
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Euclid and the Public Health Service are summarized belcw. Median
values are recorded in this table. These data show the high counts
observed on beaches and these beaches all remained open during
the study period.
BATHING BEACH STUDY
CLEVELAND LAKEFRONT
Total Coliform Count
City Beach Median * greater than 1,000/100 ml
Cleveland, Ohio
Perkins
3,^00
65*
Cleveland, Ohio
Edgewater
5,000
76*
Cleveland, Ohio
White City
6,100
91*
Cleveland, Ohio
Wildvood
TOO
kCPjo
Euclid, Ohio
E. 199 Street
7,*»00
92*
Euclid, Ohio
E. 215 Street
9,200
90*
Euclid, Ohio
E. 222 Street
12,000
86*
Euclid, Ohio
E. 225 Street
12,000
86*
Euclid, Ohio
E. 252 Street
6,100
78*
Euclid, Ohio
Lloyd Road
U,000
82*
Recommended Actions
The recommendations for pollution abatement set forth in
Chapter I, Part 1, are to be adopted where applicable in the
Cuyahoga River Basin, m addition, it is recommended that the following
specific actions be taken:
1. The following Industrial plants take the necessary actions
listed:
Industry
Republic Steel
Standard Oil Corp.
U.S. Steel Corp.
E. I. DuPont
Jones and Laughlin
Steel Company
Necessary Action
Removal of spent sulfate pickling
solutions;
Increased oil and solids removal
Oil removal
Removal of spent sulfate pickling
solutions;
Increased solids removal
Metals reduction
Removal of spent sulfate pickling
solutions
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Industry
Necessary Action
Harshaw Chemical Company
Metals reduction
Cuyahoga Meat Company
Reduction of solidB and BOD
Masters Anodizers and Platers, Inc. Metal reduction
Sonoco Products Company
Reduction of solids and BOD
Thompson Rarno Woolridge
Metals reduction
2. A master sewerage plan be prepared for the Cleveland metropolitan
area, including Cleveland, its suburbs, and rapidly developing
urban lands — and an appropriate regional organization be
given authority and responsibility for its implementation.
3. Similar action to 2 be taken in the Akron metropolitan area.
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VI - EASTERN OHIO
Area Description
The principal tributaries to Lake Erie in Northeastern Ohio
are the Grand River, Ashtabula River, and Conneaut Creek. The com-
bined drainage basins cover an area of 1,208 square miles, of
which 86 per cent is rural# The population of 180,000 is con-
centrated along Lake Erie in Lake County. Manufacturers of chemical
and allied products and other diversified industries are found near
the mouth of the three major streams. The ports of Fairport Harbor,
Ashtabula and Conneaut, at the mouth of the three major streams,
handle 11 per cent of Lake Erie commerce. Dairying, greenhouses
and nurseries are prominent agricultural pursuits in the basin.
Water Uses
Municipal Water Supply
Lake Erie provides 83 per cent of the municipal water supply
in the Basin. Only two communities, Geneva and Jefferson, withdraw
municipal water from inland surface streams. These communities located
in the Grand River Basin, withdraw 0.9 mgd from the Grand River and
0.25 mgd from Mill Creek, respectively. Only 1.43 mgd of municipal
water supplies are taken from ground water.
Industrial Water Use
Industrial water use In the Northeastern Ohio Basin totaled
290 mgd in 1955 and water used In power generation (exclusive of
hydroelectric power) totaled 5^ mgd. Primary metal industries
used 180 mgd, 60 per cent, chemical and allied products Industries
used 109 mgd, 37 per cent total. Lake Erie furnished 98 per cent
of the industrial water use. Sixty-six per cent was used by industries
at Fairport Harbor. The major industrial water supply withdrawn from
surface streams was taken from the Grand River at the city of Grand
River. Cooling water accounted for 93 per cent of Industrial water
usage.
Shoreline Recreation
The five main shoreline recreation areas in Lake County are
Mentor Township Park, Headlands State Park, Fairport Beach, Painesville
Township Park, and Madison Township Park* Hhese beach areas are used
for swimming, boating, water skiing, and fishing. These beaches serve
the people of Cleveland and its suburbs as well as local residents.
Ibis area has partially replaced the Cleveland lake front as a recreation
center.
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In the summer of 1964, the Lake County Health Department
conducted a study of these five "beach areas. The median coliform
densities ranged from 130 to 1,000 organisms per 100 ml at Headlands
State Park and Painesville Township Park, respectively. It was found
in many cases that the coliform density increased during periods of
rainfall and high or gusty winds.
Principal Sources of Waste
A total of 60,000 population equivalents (PE) of municipal
waste is treated by sewage treatment plants. Of this total, 20,000 PE
are treated by facilities tributary directly to Lake Erie, Approxi-
mately 20,000 people use septic tank disposal systems.
Principal discharges directly to Lake Erie are from the lake-
front communities of Ashtabula and Conneaut and from two Lake County
sewer districts. All employ primary waste treatment.
All inland and upstream municipal discharges are minor because
of small population centers, secondary treatment, or discharge to the
ground.
Data on the discharges of industrial wastes to the Eastern Ohio
tributaries are not complete. From partial data obtained from the
Ohio State Department of Health, 19 principal industrial discharges
have been tabulated.
Chemical industries of the Basin are engaged in processing
sodium chloride and related products, and primary metals such as
titanium and aluminum. They discharge an undetermined amount of
chloride, metals, and other chemicals to the surface streams.
Except for chemical industries, the only major water user is a
synthetic textile plant, the Industrial Rayon Company, which discharges
its wastes to Lake Erie. The flow reported for this industry is 3.5 mgd
and the discharge contains approximately 20 tons/day of total solids,
800 pounds per day of BOD, alone with metals, oil, and other chemicals.
Waste discharges from metal finishing operations in the Basin
are minor in flow quantities, compared to the chemical and synthetic
textile industries but improperly treated vastes are extremely toxic.
They consist of acid and alkaline cleaning compounds, cyanide, chrome,
and other heavy metals. The industries discharge to minor tributaries
of Lake Erie where little flow is available for dilution.
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Grand River
Three municipal treatment plants provide primary treatment
for 19,^460 EE, and three plants provide secondary treatment for
925 Grand River Basin. A total of 6,8^0 people in 14
communities are not served by collection and treatment systems.
Six major industries also discharge to the Grand River.
These are: Diamond Alkali Company; Calhlo Chemicals; Naugatuck
Chemical; Metal Craft Company; A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company;
and Welded Tubes, Incorporated.
In addition to process chemicals, the major contributions of
these industries are chlorides and solids. The industrial waste
data are inadequate to make an estimate of the loads contributed
by these industries.
It is estimated that 9^- mgd of the industrial water is
returned to the Grand River, approximately 83 per cent is used as
cooling water.
Ashtabula River
There are no sewerage systems in the Ashtabula River Basin.
A total of 1,095 people in three Ohio communities reside in the basin.
Nine major industries discharge to Fields Brook which is
tributary to the Ashtabula River in the City of Ashtabula. These
industries are: Olin Mathieson; Cabot Titania Corporation Titania
Dioxide Plant; Titania Tetrachloride Plant; Detres Chemical Industries,
Chlorinated Solvents Division; Reactive Metals Sodium and Chlorine
Plant; Reactive Metals Metal Reduction Plant; Reactive Metals Extrusion
Plant; Diamond Alkali Company; and General Tire and Rubber Company,
Chemical Division.
Conneaut Creek
Four municipal treatment plants, all in Pennsylvania, provide
secondary treatment for 2,380 EE and discharge to Conneaut Creek.
Five communities (7,190 people) are not served by sewerage systems.
Two communities (5,130 people) are in Ohio and the three communities
(2,060 people) are in Pennsylvania.
One major industry, Albro Packing Company in Springboro,
Pennsylvania, is located in the Conneaut Creek basin.
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Total to Ijake Erie
The lotid contributed by the Grand River, as measured bi-weekly
for one year at 2.3 miles above the mouth is presented below.
Average
Pounds per day
Chlorides 2,200,000
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 7,000
Phenols 75
Nitrogen Compounds 3/970
The actual load to Lake Erie is greater because an undetermined
quantity of industrial vastes is discharged to the river below this
sampling station. The flow could be as great as 100 mgd.
Loads from the Ashtabula River at the sampling station 3*3 miles
from the mouth are as follows:
Pounds per day
Chlorides 17,000
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 13,000
Phenols 1
Phosphate 55
Nitrogen Compounds 310
Effects of Wastes on Water Quality
Grand River
The lower three miles of the river are brightly colored, with hues
ranging from bright green and yellow to black. The green and yellow
colors result from chemical discharges, but the black color is
attributed to fly ash discharges. The banks of the river in this reach
are covered vith a vhite sediment, from chemical discharges.
Chloride concentrations of 3j^20 mg/l and 5>260 rag/l were found
during the summer and fall of 19&+, respectively, at mile point 2.3.
This station is below the discharges of several large chemical industries.
Above these industrial discharges the chloride concentrations were 1»0
mg/l and W mg/l, respectively.
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The degradation of the Grand River is objectionable "because
the polluted vater flows through an expanding urban area at the
river mouth. The same sediments that were found along the river
bank were also found on the sides of pleasure boats.
Coliforin densities, less than 1,000 per 100 ml at the mouth
of the river, do not indicate a health hazard. No dissolved oxygen
problems were found in the chemically polluted Grand River and the
highest seasonal BOD was only 5*0 mg/l. Median total coliform
densities were found to be below 10,000 per 100 ml except immediately
below the Fairport Harbor and Palnesville sewage treatment plants
where the median values were 67,000 and 150,000 per 100 ml during the
summer and fall, respectively.
Between Painesville and the river mouth bottom dwelling
organisms were limited to pollution-tolerant siudgeworms and bloodworms.
Ashtabula R'ver
Above the city, the lowest dissolved oxygen concentration
found was 6.6 mg/l and B0E> averaged less than 2.9 mg/l. Median
coliform densities in summer and fall were under 7,900 per 100 ml and
under 750 per 100 ml in the winter and spring.
Median coliform densities of i*3,000 and 250,000 per 100 ml
were found at mile point 0.7 during the summer and fall.
The chemical and allied products industries at Ashtabula
discharge their wastes into a large marshy area of Fields Brook
creating a severe problem.
The dissolved oxygen concentration at mile point 2.3 was
below ^ mg/l 25 per cent of the time during the summer, the lowest
was 1.2 mg/l. The BOD average was 10 mg/l during October and November.
Both of these conditions were obtained during the extremely low flow,
7 cfs, during the summer and 3 cfs during October and November.
Gonneaut Creek
The only municipal waste discharges to Conneaut Creek are
two secondary treatment plants in Pennsylvania which discharge only
a total of 60 pounds of BOD per day.
A meat packing operation at Springboro, Pennsylvania, discharges
approximately 1^0 pounds of BOD per day from a secondary treatment
plant.
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Effects on Lake
The effect of the Grand River on Lake Erie is noticeable
up to two miles from shore, iaarpling data indicate that there is
density stratification as it enters the lake. Chloride concen-
trations which are high in the river averaged 107 mg/l at the
entrance to the harbor and ko to 50 mg/l outside the breakwall
at the upper layer,
The Ashtabula River exerts an influence on the Lake as
far as 1.5 miles from the river mouth, as evidenced by conform
levels. The median total coliform densities decreased from
111,000 to 150 per 100 ml. Offshore from Ashtabula, total
coliform values in Lake Erie were less than 1 per 100 ml 60
per cent of the time. Within the harbor, median coliform
densities were below 1,500 per 100 ml,
A median coliform value of 2,800 per 100 ml was found at
the station offshore from the Ashtabula Sewage Treatment Plant.
The bottom dwelling animals outside of the harbor were
similar in both number and kinds to adjacent inshore areas and no
evidence of the River's effect could be determined more than
half a mile from the mouth.
Generally, the waters of Lake Erie beaches in eastern Ohio
are of satisfactory bacterial quality.
Recommended Actions
The recommendations for pollution abatement aet forth in
Chapter I, Part I are to be adopted where applicable in the
Eastern Ohio Basin. In addition, it is recommended that the
following specific actions be taken:
1. The following industrial plants take the necessary
actions listed:
Industry
Olin Mathieson
Cabot Titania Corp.
Detrex Chemical
Industry
Reactive Metals
Diamond Alkali Co.
General Tire &
Rubber Co.
Industrial Rayon Oo.
W+MfiTY ACtioq
pH Control and Solids Reduction
Solids Reduction
Reduction of Iron and Chlorinated
Hydrocarbon
Solids Reduction and pH Control
Solids Reduction
Solids Reduction
Metals Reduction
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Industry Necessaw Action
Cleveland Electric Solids Reduction
Illuminating Co,
(Eastlake)
2. Master sewerage plans be prepared to guide develop-
ment in areas where urbanization is taking place.
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VII - DETROIT RIVER AND MICHIGAN TRIBUTARIES
Pollution of the Detroit River and Michigan waters of Lake Erie
has "been the subject of previous enforcement conferences. Specific
recommendations were developed by the Detroit River-Lake Erie Project
for all known sources of municipal and industrial wastes in the confer-
ence area. At the conference session held June 15-18, 1965, the Michigan
Water Resources Commission agreed to implement the recommendations of the
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, as contained in the
"Report on Pollution of the Detroit River, Michigan Waters of Lake Erie,
and their Tributaries/' April 1965.
The material in this chapter is an abstract of the "Summary, Conclusions,
and Recommendations" volume of that report.
Description of the Area
The Detroit River, the Huron River, and the Raisin River are the
principal Michigan tributaries to Lake Erie. The Detroit River is the
connecting waterway between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, and is the
International Boundary between the United States and Canada. The Detroit
River flows in a southwesterly, then a southerly direction for about 31
miles from Windmill Point to its mouth at Lake Erie. The major tributary
to the Detroit River is the Rouge River which discharges at Zug Island.
The Huron River begins west of Detroit and flows in a southwesterly, then
a southeasterly direction to its mouth at Pointe Mouillee near the mouth
of the Detroit River. The Raisin River begins about 50 miles due west of
Monroe and discharges to Lake Erie Just below Monroe.
The Detroit River, outstanding among great waterways of the world,
performs a number of important functions for the area. It provides a
shipping channel for the heavy traffic through the Great Lakes, provides
vast
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Sources of Wastes
Every day more than 1.6 billion gallons of processing and cooling
water flow into the Detroit River — 1.1 billion gallons from industry
and 5^0 million gallons from municipal sewage treatment plants. Huge
quantities of waste constituents contained in this discharge change the
Detroit River from a basically clean body of water at its head to a
polluted one in its lower reaches. These waters are polluted bacteriol-
ogically, chemically, physically, and biologically, and contain excessive
coliform densities as well as excessive quantities of phenols, iron, oil,
ammonia, suspended solids, setteable solids, chlorides, nitrogen com?*
pounds, and phosphates.
The City of Detroit's main sewage treatment plant, serving more
than 90 per cent of the people in the area, contributes 95 per cent of
the municipal waste to the Detroit River and is also the major source
of suspended solids, phenols, oil, inorganic nitrogen, phosphates, and
biochemical oxygen demand in the river. Overflows from combined sewers
in Detroit and its suburbs, carrying both stormwater and raw sewage,
contribute to the degradation of the river.
In the upper Detroit River, the Great Lakes Steel Company and the
Allied Chemical Corporation are the major sources of industrial wastes.
The Ford Motor Company is the principal contributor of inorganic wastes
to the Rouge River, and the Scott Paper Company is the principal contrib-
utors of organic wastes. Downriver industries contributing significant
quantities of wastes are the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, the McLouth
Steel Corporation, Pennsalt Chemical Corporation, and Wyandotte Chemical
Corporation. On the Raisin River the leading polluters are the two
Consolidated Paper Company mills, Monroe Paper Products Company, and the
Union Bag-Camp Paper Company.
Other significant souiees of pollution in the study area are over-
flows from combined sewers, municipal and industrial waste spills, and
wastes from shorefront homes.
Effects of Wastes on Water Quality and Water Uses
Pollution of the Detroit River causes interference with municipal
water supply, recreation, fish and wildlife propagation, and navigation.
Two municipal water intakes are endangered by the high bacterial counts
of the river. The rising chloride levels indicate potential future pro-
blems for industrial water usage. In addition, high concentrations of
phenols and ammonia at the Wyandotte water intake have interfered with
municipal water treatment by causing taste and odor problems and reducing
the effectiveness of chlorination. Excessive quantities of chlorine are
needed to reduce bacteria to a safe level.
,All forms of water contact sports in the lower Detroit River are
hazardous. Declining levels of dissolved oxygen in the lower Detroit
River as it enters Lake Erie represent a threat to future water uses.
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Bottom sludge deposits, oil, and toxic materials threaten fish,
migratory birds, and other wildlife. In order to maintain navigation,
extensive annual dredging is required at the Junction of the Rouge and
Detroit Rivers and at the mouths of the Detroit and Raisin Rivers to
remove deposits of suspended solids in large part originating in
municipal and industrial waste discharges*
The Huron River carries significant quantities of coliform organ-
isms, nitrates, and phosphates. It discharges into a large marsh at
Pointe Mouillee with no clear dispersion into Lake Erie. The marsh
is subject to backwater from the Detroit River. The backwater and the
long retention of pollutants in the marsh tend to mask the effect of
the Huron River on Lake Erie.
The lower Raisin River is frequently devoid of dissolved oxygen,
restating in a continuous state of putrefaction during the summer
months. All uses of the lower Raisin River except waste disposal and
navigation have been eliminated by pollution and deposits of settleable
solids. Navigation is also hampered, and extensive annual dredging is
required to remove deposited wastes to keep the channels open for routine
ship movement* Bacterial counts in the lower River make any recreational
use of the water hazardous. The detrimental effect of the Raisin River
upon Lake Erie contributes to the enrichment of the waters of the western
basin and the high coliform levels at bathing beaches nearby, including
Sterling State Park.
The Michigan waters of Lake Erie have two major zones of pollution-
one in the vicinity of the mouth of the Detroit River, and one near the
mouth of the Raisin River. Bacteriological densities in the Lake from
the mouth of the Detroit River to a point 2 or 3 miles south make the
water unfit for recreational use; following heavy rainfall in the Detroit
area, this zone is extended southward to Stony Point. Concentration of
chlorides, metals toxic to fish life in minute concentrations, and sus-
pended solids in the Lake portend future problems with various water uses.
Pollution stimulated algal growths have forced Monroe to move its
water intake point to avoid unpleasant tastes and odors in the water,
and algal blooms near the new intake again threaten to degrade Monroe's
drinking water. Discharges of nutrients and organic wastes into the
Michigan part of Lake Erie have speeded the enrichment of that portion
of the Lake.
Water at Sterling State Park is erratically polluted, and this
area occasionally has coliform counts exceeding 100,000 organisms per
100 ml» The Raisin River was found to be the chief source of this
pollution; when Lake currents are northerly (1*0 to k5% of the time),
polluted Raisin River water is carried directly to the beaches. When
currents are southerly, drainage from malfunctioning septic tanks and
wastes from Sandy Creek and Stony Creek north of the Park affect the
beach water.
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Adverse effects of stormwater overflow on water quality were
found in the Detroit River and Michigan waters of Lake Erie. During
and after heavy rainfalls, sewage plants bypass untreated wastes
directly to the rivers, and this can be expected to occur 33 to 1*5
days a year. The overflows average 8.2 hours and have lasted as
long as 5 days. Bacteria in storm overflows often approached the
densities found in raw sewage, with counts as high as 100 million
per 100 ml. Storm-caused overflows alone are responsible for the
discharge of 5 billion gallons of raw sewage to the Detroit River
yearly,
S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : tB65 O - 782-554
V.
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