Kinnickinnic River

The sediment cleanup on the Kinnickinnic River is complete!

The sediment cleanup on the Kinnickinnic River between Becher St. and Kinnickinnic Ave. is complete! The cleanup of 167,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment took place under the Great Lakes Legacy Act in 2009. A sand cover was placed on the sediment surface to provide habitat and help contain any remaining, residual contamination. The shoreline was also stabilized with funding assistance from the local Business Improvement District.

Before the cleanup began, sediment had accumulated in this stretch of river, making navigation difficult. Investigations revealed that the sediment was contaminated with PAHs and PCBs as a result of former industrial activity and urban development.

Location

The project took place in Milwaukee on 2,000 feet of the Kinnickinnic River bound by W. Becher St. upstream and S. Kinnickinnic Ave. downstream.

Kinnickinnic River is one of three rivers located in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. The river is in the southern part of Milwaukee.

Long-term Benefits

Cleanup Process

Sediment remediated: 167,000 cubic yards
Contaminants: PCBs and PAHs
Method: Mechanical dredging and sand cover
When: 2009
Partners: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Cost: $22.9 Million

The cleanup removed contaminated sediment from the river. Levels of contamination in fish populations will decrease over time, but it may take years before fish advisories in the Kinnickinnic River are less restrictive.

Landscape views of the river have greatly improved with the removal of large debris, weedy plants, and contaminated sediment that had mounded above the water’s surface.