GREAT LAKES MUD
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West Branch

Grand Calumet River ​Area of Concern
A lot of folks' backyards back right up to the Grand Calumet River. And we noticed as we were dredging and capping the river
​they took a lot more interest in their own backyard... gardening and taking care of their own piece of land.


-Carl Wodrich, Indiana Department of Natural Resources,
2012 press event

The sediment cleanup on the West Branch is complete!

The sediment cleanup on the West Branch of the Grand Calumet River is complete! Almost 150,000 cubic yards of sediment were dredged and capped in the river. This project included the restoration of seven acres of habitat.

The project was administered by a large team. The funding came from a
Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) partnership between EPA and the State of Indiana's natural resource agencies, which used funding from a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement with eight local industries to match federal funding. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided oversight as a NRDA trustee, and The Nature Conservancy, Save the Dunes, and Shirley Heinze Land Trust provided habitat restoration support.

Location

This project cleaned up sediment and restored habitat on the West Branch of the Grand Calumet River between Hohman Ave. and Columbia Ave, labeled #2 on the map.  
Picture
The West Branch of the Grand Calumet River is located in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern in Hammond, Indiana.

Cleanup Process

Many sections of the river have been or are getting cleaned up through the GLLA. In addition, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is dredging 1.4 million cubic yards from the canal, and a U. S. Steel enforcement dredging project removed 788,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment in 2007.
Sediment remediated: 148,000 cubic yards
Contaminants: Heavy metals, PAHs, and
PCBs
Method: Mechanical dredging and carbon-activated capping
When: 2009 - 2011
Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Cost: $34 million

Long-term Benefits

  • The cleanup is removing contamination from the food chain, lowering exposure for those who eat fish from the Great Lakes and helping to bring back fish populations in the Grand Calumet River.
  • Improvements to the shoreline like the removal of weedy invasive plants help landscape views and fish and wildlife habitat, providing better food and shelter for native species.
  • Trips and tours to the newly remediated sections are increasing the community's sense of place toward the river.
  • Recreation on the Grand Calumet may become a reality. Local partners are investigating what is needed to make activities like kayaking, biking, and picnicking safe and feasible.

More Information

Documents
Grand Calumet River Area of Concern habitat report (PDF, 21p, 649KB) March 2014
Grand Calumet River FAQs (PDF, 12p, 5 MB) June 2013
Stakeholders
The Nature Conservancy
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Save the Dunes
City of Hammond
IN Department of Natural Resources
IN Department of Environmental Management
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
IISG and GLR logos
Picture
Picture
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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