About Us

The only international wildlife refuge in North America, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is located along the lower Detroit River and western shoreline of Lake Erie - just 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan and 50 miles north of Toledo, Ohio. Situated in a major metropolitan area, the refuge’s location is unique, as is the history of how the refuge was created.

In 2001, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established by Congress as a result of efforts by U.S. and Canadian politicians, conservation leaders and local communities to build a sustainable future for the Detroit River and western Lake Erie ecosystems. In recognition of this collaboration and with the understanding that wildlife don’t understand political boundaries, the refuge was given international status, making it the first and only of its kind in North America.

While the refuge consists of more than 6,200 acres of habitat, it is not one contiguous plot of land. Made up of more than 30 separate parcels, known as refuge units, each were acquired either through purchase, donation or cooperative agreement. While some refuge units have specific covenants or stipulations about how they are to be managed, all are governed by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.

Wetland of International Importance

In 2010, the international Ramsar Convention designated Humbug Marsh as its 28th Wetland of International Importance. The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Sites are designated based on their international significance in terms of ecology, hydrology and biological communities. The Ramsar list includes more than 2,400 wetland sites worldwide, and Humbug Marsh became the first Ramsar designation in Michigan.

Humbug Marsh meets five of the nine Ramsar criteria that make it a Wetland of International Importance, including:

• Criterion 2: Importance to threatened, endangered and vulnerable species and ecological communities
• Criterion 3: Importance for maintaining biological diversity
• Criterion 4: Importance as habitat for plants or animals in critical stages of their lifecycles
• Criterion 7: Importance to indigenous fish biodiversity
• Criterion 8: Importance as a food source, spawning, nursery or migration area on which fish depend

 

Humbug Marsh provides habitat for a number of species and is considered essential for the preservation of migrating raptor species, as well as other migrating waterfowl and passerines. It also serves as a spawning and nursery for many native fish species.

Our Mission

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Every national wildlife refuge was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. All activities allowed on refuges must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.

The purposes for which Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge was established and shall be managed are:

1. To protect the remaining high-quality fish and wildlife habitats of the Detroit River before they are lost to further development and to restore and enhance degraded wildlife habitats associated with the Detroit River
2. To assist in international efforts to conserve, enhance and restore the native aquatic and terrestrial community characteristics of the Detroit River, including associated fish, wildlife, and plant species, both in the United States and Canada
3. To facilitate partnerships among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian national and provincial authorities, state and local governments, local communities in the United States and in Canada, conservation organizations, and other non-federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources of the Detroit River.

Our History

2002:

• Calf Island Unit added to the refuge (September 26)

2003:

• Brancheau Unit added to the refuge (August 18)
• Agreement finalized adding Lagoona Beach Unit, as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge

2004:

• Humbug Marsh Unit added to the refuge (September 15)
• Strong Unit added to refuge (September 20)

2005:

• Refuge 15 year master planning document, a Comprehensive Conservation Plan, completed and identifies Wayne County’s Refuge Gateway as the proposed site of a future refuge headquarters and visitor center (June 30)
• International Wildlife Refuge Alliance established (December 26)
• Agreement finalized adding Guard Island Unit as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge (December 27)

2006:

• Agreement finalized adding Erie Marsh Unit as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge (August 1)
• Agreement finalized adding Lake Erie MetroPark Unit as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge (December 27)

 2007:

• Fix Unit added to the refuge (August 24)
• Lady of the Lake Unit added as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge (December 20). In 2017, it was officially donated to the refuge by Consumers Energy.

2008:

• Plum Creek Bay Unit added to refuge (July 24)
• Gibraltar Wetlands Unit added to refuge (December 19)

2009:

• Ford Marsh Unit added to refuge (September 23)
• Refuge Gateway wetland and habitat restoration completed

2010:

• Gibraltar Bay Unit added to refuge (October)
• Brancheau Unit wetland restoration completed (September)
• Humbug Marsh Unit designated as Ramsar site
• Downriver Linked Greenway trail completed, linking Lake Erie Metropark with the Refuge Gateway

2011:

• Holloway Unit added to refuge (June 9)
• Sugar Island Unit added to refuge (August 1)

2013:

• Refuge Gateway Unit added to refuge (April 18)

2015:

• Port of Monroe Unit added to refuge (August 25)
• Construction begins on fishing pier at Refuge Gateway

2016:

• Taylor Unit added to refuge (June 2)
• Gibraltar Bay Unit open to public visitation

2017:

• North Maumee Bay Unit added to the refuge (March 16)
• Agreement finalized adding U.S. Silica as a cooperatively managed unit to the refuge (June)

2020:

• Refuge Gateway and Humbug Marsh open to public visitation