The Clinton River watershed covers approximately 760 square miles in 4 Southeast Michigan counties - about 40% of eastern Oakland County, about 75% of Macomb County, and small portions of southern Lapeer and St. Clair counties. The river and its tributaries flow through 60 rural, suburban, and urban communities with a total population of more than 1.4 million. The river's headwaters are located in Springfield and Independence townships, and it flows into Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township. The watershed harbors several high-quality trout streams, including Paint Creek and East Pond Creek. The Main Branch of the river also supports a thriving rainbow trout fishery. Beautiful inland lakes can be found in the western portion of the watershed, and the river basin is home to a variety of wetland and other ecosystem types, from open marshes rich with waterfowl to hardwood forests sheltering rare wildflowers.