What's a Watershed?
An area of land where all the water from rain or snow collects (into streams and rivers) and flows to a lake, ocean, or reservoir.
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In the River Raisin Watershed, water collects in the River Raisin and flows into Lake Erie.
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Graphic credit: Michigan Sea Grant
Facts about the Watershed
The entire watershed is about 1,072 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island.
The River Raisin is approximately 150 miles long.
As of 2010, the watershed was home to 178,577 people.
The watershed contains parts of five Michigan Counties: Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw, Jackson, Hillsdale, and a portion of Fulton County Ohio.
The watershed contains around 429 lakes and ponds.
The watershed contains 3,000 miles of man-made drainage systems.
It contains 22 mainstream dams and 38 tributary dams.
It is said to be the world's "crookedest river."
Wetland Coastal Marsh education fact sheet. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant
Agriculture - 65%
Urbanized Areas - 11%
Wetlands - 8%
Forested - 7%
Grassland - 7%
River Raisin Watershed land uses in 2010:
