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The Disappearance of
Allen Creek
The same changes that led to the
creation of the sewage treatment plant changed the face of another Ann
Arbor waterway. Allen's Creek, on the banks of which John Allen had
founded the town, was banished from ground level in 1926. It had
essentially become a large open sewer with household waste from the
growing population and industrial waste from the tanneries and factories crowded
along its banks. The creek flooded frequently due to the changes in land use which replaced absorbant vegetation with streets and buildings, leaving those of lower economic status, who tended to live along its banks, with flooded and unhealthy basements and yards. Click here to read
the claim and petition for damage submitted by Otto Erdman, a resident
of Depot Street, to the City Council after one such flood in April, 1918.
Do you think the city should have been held responsible for
the flood damage to Otto Erdman's property?
Why do you think poorer people tend often to live in the lowlands of river valleys while richer people often live on higher ground?
Allen's creek was piped and submerged under the ground in 1926 to help
improve health conditions and stop flooding in its immediate area.
Unfortunately, pollution in the waterways of Ann Arbor is not simply a
historical problem. The Huron River Watershed Council studies
pollution in the Huron River watershed.
Look at this diagram, which shows how modern storm sewers still lead
directly from street drains into the river. Pollution from fertilizers,
lawn chemicals, and car oil can enter these street drains if water washes
them into the storm sewers. Can you think of some ways in which citizens
of Ann Arbor can help fight pollution coming from storm sewers?
More about the Huron River Topics
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