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Kinnickinnic River

Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern

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.
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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.

  • Shoreline businesses attribute their growth and expansion to the river cleanup.

More Information

Documents
Final remedial action report (PDF, 3,282p, 110MB) March 2011
Cleanup benefits to local economy fact sheet (PDF, 4p, 583KB) February 2011
Great Lakes Legacy Act fact sheet (PDF, 2p, 235KB) November 2009
Final design report (PDF, 134p, 11MB) March 2008
Feasibility study report (PDF, 255p, 49MB) April 2004
Final sediment assessment report (PDF, 78p, 6MB) March 2003
Stakeholders
Kinnickinnic River Business Improvement District
​
Port of Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Extension

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Eating Safe Fish
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
IISG and GLR logos
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Contact Us

Great Lakes Mud c/o Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Purdue University
195 Marsteller Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2033

​Email: abelle@illinois.edu
© 2019 Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, All Rights Reserved.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant strives to ensure equal access and an
​inclusive environment.
Website last updated December 14, 2022
  • Home
  • Pollution
    • Dioxins
    • Heavy Metals
    • NAPL
    • Oil and Grease
    • PAHs
    • PCBs
    • TBT
    • TPH
  • Partnership
    • Great Lakes Legacy Act
    • Cost-Sharing
  • Cleanup Process
    • Project Stages
    • Dredging
    • Dry Excavation
    • Caps and Covers
    • Habitat Restoration
  • Waterbody
    • Indiana >
      • East Branch - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • East Branch Phase II - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • East Chicago Waterways - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • Indiana Harbor Canal TSCA - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • Lake George Canal Middle & East - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • Roxana Marsh - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • Stateline - Grand Calumet River AOC
      • West Branch - Grand Calumet River AOC
    • Michigan >
      • Black Lagoon - Detroit River AOC
      • Centennial Park - Detroit River AOC
      • Division Street Outfall - Muskegon Lake AOC
      • Former MGP Site - St. Marys River AOC
      • Lower Rouge River Old Channel - Rouge River AOC
      • River Raisin - River Raisin AOC
      • Riverwalk - Detroit River AOC
      • Ruddiman Creek - Muskegon Lake AOC
      • Ryerson Creek Outfall - Muskegon Lake AOC
      • Tannery Bay - St. Marys River AOC
      • Torch Lake - Torch Lake AOC
      • Upper Trenton Channel - Detroit River AOC
      • Zephyr Site - Muskegon Lake AOC
    • Minnesota >
      • Azcon/DSPA Slip - St. Louis River AOC
      • Minnesota Slip - St. Louis River AOC
      • Munger Landing - St. Louis River AOC
      • Scanlon Reservoir - St. Louis River AOC
      • Slip 3 and Slip C - St. Louis River AOC
      • SLR Interlake/Duluth Tar - St. Louis River AOC
      • Spirit Lake Site - St. Louis River AOC
    • New York >
      • Buffalo River - Buffalo River AOC
    • Ohio >
      • Ashtabula River - Ashtabula River AOC
      • Cuyahoga River Old Channel - Cuyahoga River AOC
      • Gorge Dam - Cuyahoga River AOC
      • Jack's Marine North Slip - Ashtabula River AOC
      • Ottawa River - Maumee AOC
      • Otter Creek - Maumee AOC
    • Wisconsin >
      • Greater Milwaukee Estuary - Milwaukee Estuary AOC
      • Hog Island Inlet - St. Louis River AOC
      • Howards Bay - St. Louis River AOC
      • Kinnickinnic River - Milwaukee Estuary AOC
      • Lincoln Park - Milwaukee Estuary AOC
      • Sheboygan River - Sheboygan River AOC
      • Tyco - Menominee River AOC
    • More coming soon...
  • Education
    • Grade School Curriculum
    • High School Curriculum
    • More Resources >
      • Indiana
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Ohio
      • Wisconsin
  • Contact