Oakland County - Surface Water

Six major rivers have their headwaters in Oakland County. The Flint and Shiawassee Rivers flow north into Saginaw Bay. The Clinton River, which drains most of central and eastern Oakland County, drains east into Lake St. Clair. The River Rouge and the Huron River drain the southern part of Oakland County and flow southeast into the Detroit River and Lake Erie, respectively. The Belle River drains a very small area in the northern part of Addison Township.

The USGS maintains ten streamflow gaging stations in Oakland County.

• Sashabaw Creek near Drayton Plains
• Clinton River near Drayton Plains
• Paint Creek at Rochester
• Stony Creek near Romeo
• Clinton River at Auburn Hills
• River Rouge at Birmingham
• River Rouge at Southfield
• Huron River at Milford
• Huron River near New Hudson

In addition, these gaging stations slightly outside the county are also important sources of information on the hydrology of Oakland County

• Shiawassee River near Linden
• Clinton River near Fraser
• Clinton River near Mount Clemens
• Huron River near Hamburg