Humbug Marsh, a

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

in southeastern Wayne County, Michigan, is a constituent element of the

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. Established in 2001 and managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, it is located in ...

. It is listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Although Humbug Marsh is located within heavily populated

Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the a ...

, it is acclaimed as a high-quality remnant of the wetlands that once lined both sides of the international

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detro ...

. This slow-flowing river was a hotspot of

biological diversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity'') ...

, particularly as a location for fish spawning. The remnant marsh is classified as a place of "importance to threatened, endangered, and vulnerable

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

and ecological communities." Humbug Marsh is located on the

Downriver Downriver is the unofficial name for a collection of 18 cities and townships in Wayne County, Michigan, south of Detroit, along the western shore of the Detroit River. The place is sometimes referred to as South Detroit. Etymology The name ...

shoreline of the Detroit River, straddling the boundary line between

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

and Trenton in southeastern Wayne County, Michigan. A small offshore island (

Humbug Island The following is a description of islands in the Detroit River. The Detroit River is a major waterway in the Great Lakes system, and it flows for from Lake St. Clair south to Lake Erie. The river serves as a major shipping channel, jointly c ...

) is included within the official boundaries of the marsh. The Humbug Marsh parking lot is located at 5437 West Jefferson Avenue, Trenton, Michigan.

References

{{Ramsar sites in the United States Detroit River Protected areas of Wayne County, Michigan Wetlands of Michigan Ramsar sites in the United States Landforms of Wayne County, Michigan