List of islands in the Detroit River
The following is a description of islands in the Detroit River. The Detroit River is a river in the Great Lakes system, about 32 miles (51 km) long and 0.5–2.5 miles (0.8–4.0 km) wide. The river serves as a major shipping channel, jointly controlled by the United States and Canada, and is a major component of the Canada–United States border. Ownership and control of the islands varies by their geographic location along the river. The majority of islands are on the American side of the river, which are all under the jurisdiction of Wayne County in Michigan. The Canadian islands are part of Essex County in Ontario. There are no islands in the Detroit River that are divided by the international border.
Most of the islands are very small and uninhabited, and many of these islands around the southern portion of the river serve as wildlife refuges as part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The largest and most populous island is Grosse Ile at 9.0 sq mi (23.3 km²) and a population of around 10,000. Most of the islands in the Detroit River are around and closely connected to Grosse Ile. The Michigan city of Gibraltar is also located on several islands in the southern portion of the river. Some of the islands have also been geologically modified throughout the industrialization of the area. For example, Michigan's Stony Island and Canada's Crystal Island have been largely formed from dredged sediments for a deep shipping lane, and Zug Island and Elizabeth Park are artificial islands, as they were once part of the mainland.
Belle Isle (42°20′35″N 82°58′28″W / 42.34306°N 82.97444°W) is a 1.53 sq mi (3.97 km²) island in the northern portion of the Detroit River about one mile (1.6 km) east of Downtown Detroit and one mile (1.6 km) west of Lake St. Clair. It is the northernmost island in the river — just barely extending further north than the easternmost island, Peche Island. The whole island is part of Belle Isle Park, except for two small secondary islands leased in 100-year increments in agreement respectively with the privately owned Detroit Yacht Club and to the Detroit Boat Club, the oldest rowing club in North America.. It is the largest urban island park in the United States and the third largest island in the river after Grosse Ile and Fighting Island. It is managed by the state of Michigan and is connected to the mainland by the MacArthur Bridge. The entire island itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.
...
Wikipedia