Friends-Since-2007-LogoFriends of the St. Clair River LogoFriends-Since-2007-LogoFriends-Since-2007-Logo
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Watershed
    • Strategic Plan
    • Blog
    • Our History
    • Staff & Board
    • Jobs & Internships
  • Our Programs
    • Area of Concern
      • Drinking Water
      • Habitat Projects
    • Bridge to Bay Trail
    • Schools
    • Stream Team
    • Stewardship
    • Storm Drain Project
    • Monitoring
      • Butterfly Monitoring
      • Invasive Species
      • MI Paddle Stewards
      • Chronolog
    • Watershed Pen Pals
  • Get Involved
    • Protect Our Watershed
    • Recreation
    • Adopt A Local Legend
    • Volunteer
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Plant & Rain Barrel Sale
    • River Bash
    • Sturgeon Festival
    • Symposium: Bridging Gaps
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
    • News & Links
    • Water Quality Hotline
✕
            No results See all results
            Show all

            The Belle River: A Long Journey Through Our County

            By Friends of the St. Clair River on September 1, 2021

            Friends of the St. Clair River periodically highlights guest opinion-editorial pieces.
            The content contained in guest articles does not reflect the opinions of Friends of the St. Clair River.

            By: Lily Smalstig, Recreation Intern, Friends of the St. Clair River

            The Belle River, located at the LaBuhn Bridge in Marine City

            Living in St. Clair County we are so lucky to have the natural features that we do. Our main feature is the St. Clair River, but that’s not all we have to offer. Additionally, we have three other rivers that flow into this big river and they are the Belle, Pine, and Black Rivers. All four of these rivers in St. Clair County have thriving ecosystems and contributes to the massive Great Lakes freshwater system.  The river that is my personal favorite is the Belle River.

            The Belle River has many things to offer that make it so great. The river is an astounding 73.5 miles long! That is almost double the length of the St. Clair River! The headwaters are in southeastern Lapeer County and the river flows east into the St. Clair River at the mouth in Marine City. Depending on the time of year and the amount of rainfall we get, the depth of the river varies widely. At some points, near the headwaters, the river can be a few inches deep while in Marine City the depth reaches about 12-13 feet deep.

            Wide varieties of species call this river home, like mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and fish. Over 50 different fish species are found in the Belle River including the eastern sand darter, which is a state-threatened species. The Belle River is a healthy ecosystem and we know this because of the native freshwater mussels found here. Mussels are easily harmed by pollution and toxins and are becoming harder and harder to find. They can only survive in high-quality waters. In the Belle River there are over 25 different species of mussels that have been found. This is a great sign of healthy water!

            Mouth of the Belle River where the water flows into the St. Clair River

            The reason I love the Belle River so much is because I live on the river in Marine City and every day I get to take in the beautiful view. On a nice, sunny warm day, I can walk out to the river and see fish jumping out of the water, turtles basking in the sun, ducks searching for their next meal, people kayaking up the river, boaters loading up their vessels for a day of swimming, and people of all ages fishing off the seawall. Every day I see kids riding their bikes and scooters with their tackle box in their backpack and pole ready to fish. Not all the fun happens in the summer though. When the ice freezes in the winter, people are out ice fishing, snowmobiling, and having a great time.

            The middle stretch of the Belle River runs through East China Township Park, Columbus County Park, and Memphis Park. Located in Columbus County Park is one of our photo monitoring stations where anyone with a camera phone can snap a photo of the Belle River and upload it to our video timelapse website. This citizen science monitoring is done to gauge the health of the riverbank, erosion, and flooding. I encourage you to check out this photo station and all the great views of the meandering Belle River in the park at https://www.chronolog.io/project/SCR.

            The Belle River at Columbus County Park

            The Belle River is home to a diverse and thriving ecosystem. With that being said, we all have a responsibility to help preserve the quality of our natural waterways. We do not want to cause more damage to our natural ecosystems than what’s already been done. Our watersheds must be protected. Check out our tips to protect the watershed at https://scriver.org/get-involved/protect-our-watershed/.

            “Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss”. — (David Bolling, How to Save a River: Handbook for Citizen Action)

            Lily is the recreation intern for Friends of the St. Clair River. She is finishing up her Freshwater Science bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. She grew up enjoying all the wonders the Belle River has to offer and loves the integrate freshwater system located in St. Clair County.

            Share

            3 Comments

            1. Hope says:
              September 14, 2021 at 5:21 pm

              I love the belle river too, Lily! Best of luck on finishing up your freshwater science degree at WMU, you will do great things!

            2. Mark Miano says:
              September 8, 2021 at 7:08 am

              I get to see it every day,too and truly appreciate it! Thanks, Lily

            3. Kirsten Lyons says:
              September 2, 2021 at 9:01 am

              Wonderful article, Lily! Thank you for sharing.

            Vision

            Blue water, Green spaces, Clean air, For all, Forever

            Mission

            Our mission is to protect and restore the St. Clair River Watershed through community education, environmental monitoring, hands-on stewardship, and advocacy.

            Donate

            Your support makes a difference.

            Give a Gift

            Volunteer

            Volunteer to make a difference.

            Sign Up

            Contact

            (810) 730-5998

            Media Requests

            Join

            Subscribe to our Thumb Coast Watershed Guide.

            Subscribe Now
            Board Login | Volunteer Login
            © 2025 Friends of the St. Clair River Watershed – a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.
            Website powered by Eighth Day Media, LLC