From Great Lakes Wiki
The St. Marys River was identified as an AoC as a result of problems associated
with phosphorus, bacteria, heavy metals, trace organics, contaminated sediments, fish consumption advisories and impacted biota.
The river is an international waterway forming a portion of the boundary between Canada and the United States.
In December of 1985 an agreement was signed by Governor James Blanchard of Michigan and Premier David Peterson of Ontario, formally establishing a joint RAP process and identifying Ontario as haying the lead role for development of the St. Mary River RAP.
The St. Marys River Area of Concern includes the area of the river which extends from Whitefish Bay at an imaginary line drawn between Point Iroquois, Michigan and Gros Cap, Ontario downstream to Quebec Bay, Ontario - Humbug Point, Ontario in the St. Joseph Channel and Hay Point, Ontario to the DeTour Passage Channel in Detour, MI.
The St. Marys River is the outlet of Lake Superior from Whitefish Bay. It flows southeasterly throughseveral channels to Lake Huron, a distance of 100 to 120 km (63 to 75 miles) depending on which route is taken. The elevation of the river drops a total of 6.7 m (22 feet) over this distance, with 6.1 m (20 feet)
occurring at the St Marys Rapids. The average flow volume of the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, over a period of 124 years, was 2,144 m3/s (75.8 x 103 cf/s).
Extensive alterations to the St. Marys River at the rapids have been undertaken since the mid 1800's in order to facilitate ship navigation between Lakes Huron and Superior, enhance rail and vehicular traffic, and provide hydroelectric power.
The watershed of the St Marys River includes all of the Lake Superior drainage basin as well as a number of small tributaries which drain directly into the river. Michigan tributaries include the Waiska, Charlotte, Little Munuscong, Munuscong and Gogomain Rivers as well as several small streams. In Ontario, the main tributaries are the Big Carp, Little Carp, Root, Garden, Echo and Bar Rivers and Bennett, East Davignon, West Davignon and Fort Creeks.
Several islands have been formed when the river divided into its numerous channels. Sugar Island is the largest upstream island and separates Lake George (east) and Lake Nicolet (west). Both lakes are broad expanses of the river which empty into downstream channels around St Joseph and Neebish Islands. Between Sugar and Neebish Islands is the Middle Neebish Channel; the West Neebish Channel separates Neebish Island from the Michigan mainland. St. Joseph Island is separated from Neebish Island by the Munuscong Channel and from the Ontario mainland by the St. Joseph Channel.
