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.  

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