Great Lakes Restoration Projects Producing Results for People, Communities MARCH 2014

Great Lakes Restoration Projects Producing Results for People, Communities MARCH 2014

Great Lakes Restoration Projects Producing Results for People, Communities Prepared for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition by Jeff Alexander, Anna Brunner, and Dave Gershman This report was made possible through the generous support of the Erb Foundation, Great Lakes Fisheries Trust, Joyce Foundation, and Peter Wege Foundation. The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition is solely responsible for the content of this report. The views expressed in this report are those of the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition and do not necessarily represent the views of financial supporters. Cover photo credits (clockwise from top left): Flickr/stevendepolo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Conservation Fund, Tom Mellon, Jim Wasley, and Montclair State University 2014 Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition. All Rights Reserved. Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition National Wildlife Federation 213 W. Liberty Street, Suite 200 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 http://www.healthylakes.org/ More than 120 organizations representing millions of people are uniting to restore one of America s greatest natural wonders the Great Lakes. The coalition seeks to stop sewage contamination, shut the door on invasive species, and restore wetlands and other damaged habitat, each of which is an essential component of restoring the health of the Great Lakes. For more information, contact: TODD L. AMBS Campaign Director 608-692-9974 ambst@nwf.org CHAD LORD Policy Director 202-454-3385 clord@npca.org JENNIFER HILL Field Director 734-887-7104 hillj@nwf.org JORDAN LUBETKIN Communications Director 734-887-7109 lubetkin@nwf.org CELIA HAVEN Program Coordinator 734-887-7123 havenc@nwf.org

Table of Contents REGION-WIDE Making Great Lakes Wind Power Bird and Bat Friendly Region-wide Project aims to make wind power bird friendly... 4 Ultrasound Technology for Great Lakes Ballast Water Treatment Region-wide Invention could help solve Great Lakes ballast water crisis... 5 ILLINOIS 63rd Street Dune and Beach Restoration Chicago, Illinois Chicago beach becomes more natural, attracts wildlife... 6 INDIANA Dunes Creek Daylighting Indiana Dunes State Park, Chesterton, Indiana Liberated creek improves park, reduces water pollution... 7 Roxana Marsh Restoration East Chicago, Indiana Important marsh restored in Grand Calumet River.... 8 MICHIGAN Dusseau Tract Restoration at the Erie State Game Area Erie State Game Area, Monroe, Michigan Restored wetland helps wildlife, curbs water pollution... 9 Wayne Road Dam Removal and Rouge River Restoration Wayne, Michigan Removing small dam near Detroit yields big results... 10 Black River and Sucker Creek Road Stream Crossing Black River, near Harrisville, Michigan New bridge unleashes a northern Michigan trout stream... 11 Chesaning Dam Removal Chesaning, Michigan Dam removal improves river, saves community festival... 12 Boardman River Dam Removal Traverse City, Michigan One down, two to go in historic dam removal project.... 13 mybeachcast Smartphone Application Ann Arbor, Michigan App provides real-time information on beach conditions... 14 Crisp Point Project Near Newberry, Michigan Grants preserve scenic parcel along Lake Superior... 15 White Lake Area of Concern Cleanup and Delisting Whitehall, Michigan Decades of cleanup work paying off for White Lake... 16 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES 1

OHIO Blausey Tract Wetland Restoration in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Oak Harbor, Ohio Coastal wetlands restored along Lake Erie... 17 Sulphur Springs Assessment and Restoration Suburban Cleveland, Ohio, in the cities of Solon and Bentleyville Restored stream could play role in reintroducing trout.. 18 Lacustrine Refuge Restoration Cleveland, Ohio Project restores natural refuge in midst of urban area... 19 Black River Restoration Lorain, Ohio Cleanup removes mountains of steel slag along river... 20 Cuyahoga River Fish Restoration Project Cleveland, Ohio Cuyahoga River fish habitat restored... 21 Parma Neighborhood Stormwater Initiative Parma, Ohio Neighbors work to reduce runoff... 22 Urban Debris Removal in Cleveland Harbor Cleveland, Ohio Unique boats patrol for trash in Cleveland... 23 West Creek Confluence Project Independence, Ohio Wetland restoration creating urban oasis for people, wildlife...24 Protecting Critical Habitat on Kelleys Island Kelleys Island, Ohio, in western Lake Erie Land buys protect rare ecosystems on Lake Erie island...25 PENNSYLVANIA Roderick Wildlife Reserve Expansion Lake City, Pennsylvania GLRI funds expand wildlife reserve along Lake Erie... 26 Cascade Creek Restoration Erie, Pennsylvania Restored creek carries less sediment into Lake Erie... 27 Presque Isle Bay Cleanup Erie, Pennsylvania Lake Erie site taken off list of pollution hotspots... 28 Increased Surveillance of Lake Trout Health and Emerging Fish Diseases Lamar, Pennsylvania Expanded research detects two new fish diseases... 29 WISCONSIN Floating Island Habitat Milwaukee, Wisconsin Floating islands provide habitat in the Milwaukee River... 30 A Migratory Flyway on Lake Michigan Belgium, Wisconsin Forest beach migratory preserve replaces fairway... 31 Lake Sturgeon Imprinting Project Newburg, Wisconsin Streamside rearing facility helps restore lake sturgeon.... 32 University Decreases Runoff Milwaukee, Wisconsin Campus stormwater discharge reduced due to green landscaping... 33 Kinnickinnic River Naturalization Milwaukee, Wisconsin A community effort cleans up the Kinnickinnic River... 34 2 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Whittlesey Creek Debris Project Ashland, Wisconsin Large woody debris restores Whittlesey Creek... 35 Menomonee River Restoration Milwaukee, Wisconsin Hank Aaron Trail in the Menomonee River Valley hits a home run... 36 High School Wastewater Wetland Jackson, Wisconsin Wetland wastewater treatment facility helps protect the Great Lakes... 37 Shoreline Protected by Barrier Island Green Bay, Wisconsin Cat Island restoration project restores native fish populations... 38 Ozaukee County Fish Passage Program Ozaukee County, Wisconsin Removing culverts, dams, and obstacles restores passage to river... 39 Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area Near Franklin, Wisconsin Farmers fields transformed to help wildlife and water retention...40 Fox River Phosphorous Pilot Project Near Green Bay, Wisconsin Project helps reduce runoff on a dairy farm... 41 Restoring the Urban Root River Racine, Wisconsin A city reconnects to its river...42 Sustainable Brewery Redevelopment Milwaukee, Wisconsin A brewery complex renewed with blue ribbon practices... 43 Great Lakes Ecosystems Protected from Overabundant Wildlife Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Bayfield, Wisconsin National park culls excess deer to save rare vegetation... 44 Mashek Creek Property Acquisition Pierce, Wisconsin Project protects valuable bird habitat.................................................. 45 NEW YORK Buffalo River Sediment Cleanup and Habitat Restoration Buffalo, New York Massive Buffalo River cleanup reaches halfway point.... 46 Orwell Brook Sea Lamprey Barrier Near Altmar, New York New sea lamprey barrier protects Lake Ontario fishery.... 47 Buffalo River Bend Restoration Project Buffalo, New York Buffalo River undergoing transformation... 48 Lake Trout and Lake Sturgeon Research and Restoration in the Niagara River Lewiston, New York Lake trout making a comeback in Niagara River... 49 MINNESOTA Restoration of Radio Tower Bay in the St. Louis River Area of Concern Duluth, Minnesota Restoring fish habitat by getting the wood out... 50 Grassy Point Restoration Duluth, Minnesota Project turns industrial wasteland into natural wonder... 51 Stryker Bay Cleanup Duluth Harbor in Duluth, Minnesota Cleanup gives new life to Minnesota waterway... 52 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES 3

Project aims to make wind power bird friendly REGION-WIDE A project that tracked bird movements in the Great Lakes could reduce the number of birds and bats killed by new wind turbines planned for the basin. PROJECT NAME: Making Great Lakes Wind Power Bird and Bat Friendly DESCRIPTION: Wind turbines are becoming more common in the Great Lakes basin as the demand for clean energy increases. Studies have shown that much of the Great Lakes basin has tremendous potential for generating wind power, but the massive turbines that turn wind into electricity can also threaten bird and bat populations. Birds crashing into wind turbines is a serious concern in some areas of the Great Lakes, particularly along the Lake Erie coast in Ohio, which is located in one of the nation s busiest corridors for migratory birds. Wind turbines have killed numerous birds in other parts of the United States, a problem that has resulted in lawsuits, fines and, in some cases, costly changes for wind turbine operators. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to minimize the conflict between wind turbines and birds in the Great Lakes basin by making wind power wildlife friendly. The agency received $2 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to purchase two avian radar units, which track flying birds and bats. The devices help researchers map the busiest bird migration corridors, the timing of migration, and areas with the largest populations of non-migratory birds and bats. In addition to the radar units, biologists also placed more than 30 acoustic monitors along the shores of lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario to obtain more data on the movement of birds and bats. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said data from the project could guide where new wind turbines are located, thereby protecting migratory birds and bats. That will become increasingly important as demand increases for clean energy sources, such as wind power. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $2 million RESOURCE CHALLENGE ADDRESSED: Migratory birds and bats that can be killed by wind turbines that are erected in flyways Restoration Intiative and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, meteorologists, engineers, technicians and general laborers WEB SITE: www.fws.gov/radar One of the avian radar units that was used to track bird and bat movements in the Great Lakes basin. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These radar images show the dramatic increase in bird migration at night. The radar image on the left was captured during the day, while the image on the right was captured at 10 p.m. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Researchers have mapped the busiest bird migration corridors and areas with high concentrations of bats. The data will guide where wind power facilities and communication towers should be located in order to minimize the impact on birds and bats. 4 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Invention could help solve Great Lakes ballast water crisis REGION-WIDE A New Jersey scientist has invented a system that uses ultrasound and filters to kill invasive species in ballast water. PROJECT NAME: Ultrasound Technology for Great Lakes Ballast Water Treatment with a $673,500 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant. Tests have shown BallastSolution kills 99 percent of organisms in ballast water. Wu said it could be used to sterilize ballast water tanks in millions of ships worldwide. With new federal rules requiring ocean freighters in U.S. waters to treat ballast water starting in 2017, BallastSolution could help stem the tide of invasive species entering the Great Lakes. DESCRIPTION: The Great Lakes are plagued by 185 invasive species, most which entered the lakes via manmade canals and the ballast water tanks of oceangoing freighters. Invasive species are one of the most serious problems in the Great Lakes, causing more than $100 million in economic and environmental damage annually. Zebra and quagga mussels, sea lamprey, and other invaders have disrupted fisheries, clogged water intakes, and fueled nuisance algal blooms that have killed more than 100,000 birds and threatened human health. Many of the worst invaders snuck into the lakes after 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway allowed ocean freighters into the freshwater lakes for the first time. The U.S. and Canadian governments have enacted ballast water exchange rules, but regulators have yet to close the door on foreign organisms entering the lakes in ocean freighters. Meiyin Wu, an ecologist and an associate professor of biology at Montclair State University in New Jersey, may have invented the proverbial magic bullet. She developed BallastSolution, which uses filtration and ultrasound to kill microscopic organisms, along with egg and larval stages of macroorganisms, in ballast water. Wu developed the system APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $673,500, which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Invasive species Restoration Initiative, Montclair State University, University of Vermont, U.S. Department of Interior, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Engineers, ecologists, biologists, and pipefitters WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/15hwz9b Meiyin Wu with her BallastSolution device. Photo courtesy of Montclair State University. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Tests have shown that the BallastSolution system kills 99 percent of all organisms in ballast water. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 5

Chicago beach becomes more natural, attracts wildlife CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Restoring 21 acres of sand dunes and aquatic habitat lured native plants and birds back to a Chicago beach. PROJECT NAME: 63rd Street Dune and Beach Restoration now attracts several species of birds. Waterfowl use the beach as a stopover during migration, and several species of shorebirds have been observed at the restored beach, including the tricolored heron and the federally endangered piping plover. The Chicago Park District also modified storm water drains at the park to reduce polluted runoff and improve water quality at the beach. More than 100 volunteers helped replace invasive plants with native vegetation. DESCRIPTION: The 63rd Street Beach on Chicago s waterfront was for years a barren landscape where litter was more common than plants or animals. As part of a project to restore Chicago s Lake Michigan waterfront, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago Park District transformed 21 acres of the 63rd Street Beach into a more natural landscape, with sweeping sand dunes. The project restored 14 acres of sand dunes and 7 acres of aquatic habitat. Government workers and volunteers removed invasive trees and planted native marram grasses to hold the sand that would re-establish dunes on the beach. Crews replaced non-native trees with black oaks, which have attracted more wildlife to the beach, and restored fish habitat along a jetty at the beach. Native prickly pear cactus can now be found in the dunes. The state endangered sea rocket has established colonies in a stretch of beach between the sand dune and Lake Michigan, and the site APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $969,000, a portion of which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Invasive species, fish and wildlife habitat, polluted runoff and water quality Restoration Initiative, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago Park District, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and numerous volunteers who planted native vegetation at the beach TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Landscape architects, biologists, ecologists, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/15asval RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The restored beach is now a popular stopover for migratory birds. Rare plants and animals also can be found at the beach, included the state endangered sea rocket and the federally endangered piping plover. An aerial view of the 63rd Street Beach in Chicago, Illinois. 6 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Liberated creek improves park, reduces water pollution INDIANA DUNES STATE PARK, CHESTERTON, INDIANA Beach-goers at the Indiana Dunes State Park enjoy playing in Dunes Creek. Photo from Flickr/Lotzman Katzman. Uncovering a creek at Indiana Dunes State Park and restoring the stream s natural flow created new fish habitat and reduced the volume of polluted runoff entering Lake Michigan. PROJECT NAME: Dunes Creek Daylighting DESCRIPTION: Dunes Creek is a small stream that flows through Indiana Dunes State Park and discharges into nearby Lake Michigan. The creek was forced into a large pipe in the 1930s so a new parking lot could be built where the stream once flowed. The creek remained harnessed for 80 years. In 2005, officials at the state park decided to daylight an 825-foot-section the creek. Three years later, after heavy rains and flooding collapsed part of the parking lot above the creek, officials decided to daylight another 700-foot section of Dunes Creek. The project restored the creek s natural flow, improved flood protection, created fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality and reduced the volume of polluted runoff flowing into Lake Michigan. The project, which included construction of a boardwalk, improved the overall aesthetics of the park and increased pedestrian access to the creek. Daylighting the creek meant fewer parking spaces, but that reduced overcrowding at the park, which has actually increased revenue. In 2005, the park brought in 68 cents for every dollar invested. By 2009, that had soared to $1.20. The project, which was dedicated in 2012, has won numerous state and national awards. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $2 million RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish and wildlife habitat, polluted runoff, bacterial pollution at nearby beach KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Indiana Department of Natural Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Indiana Department of Transportation TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, hydrologists, landscape architects, civil engineers, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/16s3uym RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Restored the natural channel in a portion of Dunes Creek, which created new fish habitat, reduced polluted runoff and bacterial pollution on a nearby Lake Michigan beach. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 7

Important marsh restored in Grand Calumet River EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA A $52 million project cleaned up part of the Grand Calumet River and restored the 25-acre Roxana Marsh. ROJECT NAME: Roxana Marsh Restoration DESCRIPTION: The Roxana Marsh is an integral part of the West Branch of the Grand Calumet River. Prior to the 1960s, the 25-acre marsh attracted numerous species of fish and birds, provided flood control, and filtered some pollutants out of the river. That changed as decades of pollution from nearby industries and cities poisoned the marsh with heavy metals and toxic chemicals and choked it with excessive sediment, which was then colonized by the invasive reed Phragmites. Those changes left the marsh and the adjoining stretch of river devoid of all aquatic life. In the early 1990s, government agencies began laying the groundwork for the Grand Calumet River cleanup and restoration of Roxana Marsh. The project is part of a larger effort to remove the most contaminated sediment from Great Lakes harbors and tributaries and restore marshes and coastal wetlands that provide important habitat for fish and wildlife. In 2011, crews dredged the top two feet of river bottom and removed 252,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in and around Roxana Marsh. Workers capped another 345,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment that remained on the river bottom. Related cleanups have resulted in the removal and capping of nearly 730,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the Grand Calumet River. The entire Grand Calumet River cleanup will cost about $100 million. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $52,000,000 RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Water quality, contaminated sediments, loss of fish and wildlife habitat Restoration Initiative, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Chemists, toxicologists, biologists, ecologists, landscape architects, botanists, heavy equipment operators, and general laborers WEB SITE: www.fws.gov/midwest/roxannamarsh.htm RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Crews removed nearly 252,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in a stretch of the Grand Calumet River and restored 25 acres of wetlands in the Roxana Marsh. Fish and birds have already returned to the restored marsh, which is a critical part of the river s ecosystem. Roxana Marsh after it was dredged. Photo courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 8 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Restored wetland helps wildlife, curbs water pollution ERIE STATE GAME AREA, MONROE, MICHIGAN The restored Dusseau Tract wetland. Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimited. A wetland that was drained for agricultural purposes was restored into habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Phragmites. The restored wetland also filters nutrients out of agricultural runoff, which reduces the volume of polluted runoff entering Lake Erie and provides habitat for ducks and other wildlife. PROJECT NAME: Dusseau Tract Restoration at the Erie State Game Area DESCRIPTION: The Dusseau Tract project involved the restoration of 38 acres of coastal wetlands and 28 acres of lake plain prairie at the Erie State Game Area. In 2006, Ducks Unlimited and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources applied for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant to incorporate the Dusseau Tract into the Erie State Game Area. They then received a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 to restore the coastal wetland. Through these partnerships, critical wetland habitat was restored on land that was previously drained for agricultural purposes. The project involved the reshaping of a degraded berm, excavating shallow wetland areas to enhance diversity within the newly created wetland, and adding control structures and a portable pump to facilitate water-level management. These improvements will allow the Michigan DNR to manage the wetland and control the growth of invasive plant species such as APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $284,477 to restore 66 acres of coastal wetlands and lake plain prairie. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided most of the money. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of coastal wetlands and wildlife habitat, invasive species and water quality. The restored wetland filters agricultural drainage before it reaches Lake Erie, thereby improving water quality. Restoration Initiative, Ducks Unlimited, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: For this project, jobs were created through the project planning, design and delivery aspects. Some examples of jobs include: excavator operator, excavator spotter, gate and frame manufacturer, gate and frame deliverer, engineers, biologists and many others. WEB SITE: www.ducks.org/michigan/michigan-projects RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Partnerships between groups like the Michigan DNR and Ducks Unlimited, in conjunction with funding opportunities such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, are critical for the continued success in protecting, enhancing and restoring vital lake plain prairie and coastal wetland habitats. Through these efforts, a wetland area previously drained for agricultural purposes was restored and now enhances water quality flowing to Lake Erie, provides habitat for ducks and other wildlife and allows for public recreation activities including bird watching, hunting and hiking. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 9

Removing small dam near Detroit yields big results WAYNE, MICHIGAN (NEAR DETROIT) Removing a small dam in the Rouge River, near Detroit, has restored fish passage and reconnected the lower river to the larger Great Lakes ecosystem. PROJECT NAME: Wayne Road Dam Removal and Rouge River Restoration Friends of the Rouge, City of Wayne, Wayne County and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Civil and environmental engineers, biologists, ecologists, landscape engineers, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1ej1bjv DESCRIPTION: The Rouge River, which flows through a heavily industrialized area of metropolitan Detroit, is one of the largest and most damaged rivers in Michigan. Decades of toxic discharges and sewer overflows hurt water quality and fish populations in the river, and dams fractured the sprawling Rouge River ecosystem into a series of smaller, ecologically dysfunctional river segments. One of those dams was located in the city of Wayne, near Detroit. Built in the early 1900s to provide water for firefighting, the 3-foot-high dam blocked fish passage, damaged fish and wildife habitat and isolated parts of the river and its tributaries from the lower Rouge River, the Detroit River and the rest of the Great Lakes. The dam and subsequent land use activities altered the river s flow, harmed water quality and aquatic life in that stretch of the Rouge. Removing the dam connected 11 miles of the river and 110 miles of tributaries to the lower Rouge and the rest of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Workers also restored the river s natural channel, planted vegetation along the restored river banks and created new fish and wildlife habitat. The Rouge River when the dam was in place. Photo courtesy of Alliance of Rouge Communities. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1,033,536, most of which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Fish passage, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, ecosystem fragmentation and water quality Restoration Initiative, Alliance of Rouge Communities, Wayne Road after the dam was removed. Photo courtesy of Alliance of Rouge Communities. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Removing the dam reconnected 11 miles of the main stem of Rouge River and 110 miles of the river s tributaries to the Great Lakes. Fish in the lower Rouge are now migrating further upstream and a greater diversity of fish has been noted in the river. 10 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

New bridge unleashes a northern Michigan trout stream BLACK RIVER, NEAR HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN Replacing two dysfunctional culverts with a bridge over the Black River reconnected 18 miles of free-flowing trout stream to Lake Huron in northern Michigan and created miles of prime spawning habitat for lake-run coaster brook trout, steelhead and salmon. PROJECT NAME: Black River and Sucker Creek Road Stream Crossing DESCRIPTION: The Black River in northeast Michigan is known for coaster brook trout and steelhead that migrate up the river from Lake Huron. In 2007, a study by the conservation group Huron Pines identified a problem with twin culverts that allows the river to flow beneath Sucker Creek Road. The culverts, each of which was 5-feet in diameter and 50-feet long, created a bottleneck in the river, which increased the river s velocity. The increased velocity created a plunge pool on the downstream side of the culvert, effectively leaving the culverts perched above the river channel. The perched culvert block fish passage and created a biological disconnect between the lower Black River and 18 miles of the river and tributaries upstream of the road crossing. Soil erosion from steep banks near the bridge crossing sent about 80 tons of sediment into the stream each year, covering rocky areas where trout spawn. During highflow events, the river flowed over the road, creating safety hazards for motorists. Working with the Alcona County Road Commission and the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, the conservation group Huron Pines coordinated plans to replace the perched culverts with a 30-foot long timber bridge. The bridge restored the river s natural flow, reconnected 18 miles of free-flowing Black River to Lake Huron and created miles of spawning habitat for lake-run coaster brook trout, steelhead and salmon. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $350,000, which was provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust and the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Fragmentation of a river, disruption of fish passage, and soil erosion that damaged trout habitat in the river KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Huron Pines, Alcona County Road Commission, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Great Lakes Fishery Trust TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Engineers, biologists, stream ecologists, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/zrsioj The perched culverts disrupted the Black River s natural flow, prevented fish passage and created and ecological divide in the river. Photo courtesy of Huron Pines. The new bridge restored the Black River s natural flow and reconnected 18 miles of free-flowing river to Lake Huron. Photo courtesy of Huron PInes. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Reconnected 18 miles of a free-flowing section of the Black River to Lake Huron, which created new habitat for migratory fish species. The project also reduced by about 80 tons annually the amount of sediment washing into the stream near the bridge. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 11

Dam removal improves river, saves community festival CHESANING, MICHIGAN The Chesaning Dam was replaced with a series of rock weirs that allowed fish passage and maintained sufficient water levels upstream. Photo from Flickr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Act Team. The failure of a dam in northern Michigan led to a solution that restored fish passage in an important Lake Huron tributary and saved a popular community festival in the process. PROJECT NAME: Chesaning Dam Removal DESCRIPTION: The Chesaning Dam was built in 1863 to power a grist millage in the village of Chesaning, located about 40 miles northwest of Detroit. The dam on the Shiawassee River was a community fixture and the pond it created was the site of the popular Chesaning Showboat Festival, an annual event that began in 1837. The partial collapse of the dam in 2005 created a safety hazard, lowered water levels in the impoundment and jeopardized the Showboat Festival. Faced with the prospect of losing the dam and the festival, community leaders and state officials worked with engineers to develop a unique solution that restored natural conditions in the river while maintaining water levels that were sufficient to support the Showboat Festival. The dam was removed and replaced with manmade rapids that were comprised of a series of rock ramps and boulder arch weirs in the river. The step-down structure restored fish passage, giving walleye and sturgeon in the Saginaw River and Lake Huron access to 37 miles of the Shiawassee River above the former dam, and preserved water levels upstream that were sufficient to support the Showboat Festival. The manmade weirs also created whitewater rapids that attracted kayakers and became a new point of pride for the community. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1,410,400, which was provided by the state of Michigan s Clean Michigan Initiative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several local organizations RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Degraded fish habit and the loss of ecological connectivity between 37 miles of the Shiawassee River and Lake Huron KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Village of Chesaning and Chesaning Township, Saginaw County, Wade Trim, Ellen River Partners, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Friends of the Shiawassee River, the Saginaw Community Foundation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Civil engineers, biologists, ecologists, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/10b59mv RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project gave walleye and lake sturgeon in the Saginaw River and Lake Huron access to 37 miles of spawning habitat in the Shiawassee River and saved the popular Chesaning Showboat Festival. 12 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

One down, two to go in historic dam removal project TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN The first of three dams has been removed as part of the largest dam removal in Michigan history. PROJECT NAME: Boardman River Dam Removal DESCRIPTION: The Boardman River is one of Michigan s ten best trout streams and one of the most ecologically significant and popular rivers in northern Michigan. The river s watershed encompasses 291 square miles and produces one-third of the water volume of Lake Michigan s Grand Traverse Bay, in Traverse City. Four dams were built in the river in the late 1800s and early 1900s to power a flourmill and, later, generate electricity. The dams created obstructions in the river, which created artificial ponds, blocked fish passage, altered natural stream flows and increased water temperatures in parts of the blue-ribbon trout stream. In 2005, Traverse City Light and Power determined it was no longer cost effective to generate electricity at the dams. That decision prompted a coalition of community groups to develop a plan to remove three of the dams and modify the Union Street Dam in downtown Traverse City. The project is the largest dam removal project in Michigan s history. Removal of the first dam, Brown Bridge Dam, was marred by the failure of a temporary dam in October 2012 that caused flooding downstream. The project was completed in early 2013 and that stretch of river was re-opened to anglers and paddlers in April 2013. The project also gave fish access to 145 miles of stream above the dam for the first time in nearly 100 years. Removal of the Boardman and Sabin dams is expected to begin in 2014. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $4.2 million; the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided $1.9 million for the project Brown Bridge Dam. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Obstructions to fish passage, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, loss of wetlands and upstream habitat and unnatural warming of water temperatures in the cold-water trout stream Restoration Initiative, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, city of Traverse City, Grand Traverse County and several other organizations TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Civil engineers, biologists, ecologists, heavy equipment operators, general laborers The Boardman River has returned to its natural channel after 90 years, following removal of the Brown Bridge Dam. WEB SITE: www.theboardman.org RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Re-established 2.5 miles of river channel, 12.2 acres of floodplain, moved 260,000 cubic yards of sediment and restored more than one mile of in-stream habitat. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 13

App provides real-time information on beach conditions ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN A smartphone app called mybeachcast allows beachgoers to check real-time conditions at 1,800 beaches in the Great Lakes region. PROJECT NAME: mybeachcast Smartphone Application DESCRIPTION: A smartphone app and Web site developed by the Great Lakes Commission, LimnoTech and the eight Great Lakes states allows anyone with a smart phone to access real-time conditions at 1,800 Great Lakes beaches. The app, called mybeachcast, provides information on swim advisories and other environmental conditions including dangerous currents for Great Lakes and inland beaches. The app tells beachgoers whether bacterial pollution from sewer overflows have caused any swim advisories, wave heights and whether the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued any advisories about potentially dangerous currents. The app is especially important in light of a number of recent Great Lakes drownings, most of which are caused by people getting caught in dangerous rip currents. All of the data on the mybeachcast app is provided by government agencies. The app also allows users to discover local beaches based on the user s location, view beaches and their status on a map, save favorite beaches, and get driving directions. Android phone users can download the app at: http://beachcast.glin.net. iphone users can access the same information on a mobile Web site, at: http://glin.net/beachcast/conditions.html. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $99,937, which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Water quality, public health, human exposure to potentially dangerous bacterial pollution, rip currents and beach safety Restoration Initiative, Great Lakes Commission, LimnoTech, the eight Great Lakes states, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Computer programmers, marketing and public relations specialists WEB SITE: http://beachcast.glin.net A girl enjoys a sunny day on Riley Street Beach in Holland, Michigan. Photo from Flickr/ stevendepolo. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The mybeachcast app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times. 14 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Grants preserve scenic parcel along Lake Superior NEAR NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN A federally funded land acquisition will preserve 3,810 acres of forest and more than two miles of Lake Superior shoreline in Michigan. PROJECT NAME: Crisp Point Project DESCRIPTION: Crisp Point is located on a scenic stretch of Lake Superior shoreline in the eastern portion of Michigan s Upper Peninsula. A 3,180 acre parcel of privately-owned land adjacent to the Crisp Point Lighthouse includes a vast forest, more than two miles of pristine Lake Superior coast, sand dunes, an inland lake and a river that flows into Lake Superior. The landowner agreed to sell the property, provided it would be managed to protect wildlife habitat, sustainable forestry practices and ensure public access to a popular snowmobile trail that crosses the site. The state of Michigan acquired the property with a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service s Forest Legacy Program and a $1.5 million contribution from a private donor. The acquisition ensures that Michigan residents and visitors will forever be able to enjoy the scenic, remote site. The parcel contains approximately 2.5 miles of snowmobile Trail No. 8, a major trail connector across the northern Upper Peninsula, and offers numerous outdoor recreational opportunities, including hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, wildlife viewing and kayaking. State officials said the neighboring Crisp Point Lighthouse would benefit from additional public land, and an endowment for payments in lieu of taxes will benefit local government. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $6 million. The U.S. Forest Service s Forest Legacy Program provided a $4.5 million grant and a private donor contributed $1.5 million. Crisp Point Lighthouse and Lake Superior coastline at Crisp Point. Photo from Flickr/ Citizen 4474. KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Little Traverse Conservancy and a private donor who contributed $1.5 million to the project TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Land surveyors, ecologists, appraisers and mortgage processors WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/14z1dda RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Preservation of fish and wildlife habitat, coastal sand dunes and forestland RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project preserved more than two miles of Lake Superior shoreline and 3,810 acres of adjacent forestland, which will ensure the protection of wildlife habitat, sustainable forestry practices and enhance the overall health of the Lake Superior ecosystem. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 15

Decades of cleanup work paying off for White Lake WHITEHALL, MICHIGAN Intensive cleanup activities have improved water quality, fish health and reduced phosphorus concentrations in White Lake, which is one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. White Lake could be removed from the AOC list by the summer of 2014. PROJECT NAME: White Lake Area of Concern Cleanup and Delisting DESCRIPTION: White Lake was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern in 1987 after contaminated groundwater beneath the former Hooker Chemical manufacturing facility seeped into the lake, polluting the water, contaminating the mud and sand at the bottom of the lake, and tainting fish and wildlife. A tannery on the other side of White Lake caused a variety of problems in the lake, including: polluted drinking water; contaminated fish; explosive algal growth; degraded fish an wildlife populations; loss of fish and wildlife habitat; and damaged bottom-dwelling organisms at the base of the lake s food chain. This pollution crisis harmed the lake and gave the otherwise scenic waterway a bad reputation. Cleanup efforts over the past decade have removed tons of contaminated sediments from the lake bottom, halted the flow of polluted groundwater into the lake and reduced the amount of phosphorus entering the lakes. In May 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that White Lake no longer suffered from excessive algal growth. By February 2013, restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption had been lifted. The remaining impairments to the waterway are on schedule to be addressed by the summer of 2014, at which point the AOC A great blue heron, perched on a log in the distance, enjoys the improved habitat in White Lakes. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Great Lakes. designation would finally be removed. The toxic sediment in the White Lake AOC is mixed with corn cob dust to make it solid enough to transport safely. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Great Lakes. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: More than $20 million in public and private funds has been spent on removing contaminated sediments at two sites in the lake. The EPA s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided another $2.1 million in 2011 to create fish and wildlife habitat by restoring natural features along a portion of the lake s shoreline. The total cost of the project is hard to estimate because numerous projects have made indirect but critical contributions to the health of White Lake. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Contaminated sediments that harmed water quality, restrictions on fish consumption, excessive phosphorus loadings that caused nuisance algal growth, aesthetic degradation due to debris and trash along the shore KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, City of Whitehall, City of Montague, White Lake Public Advisory Council, Grand Valley State University, Muskegon Conservation District, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, chemists, toxicologists, ecologists, excavators, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1hvjuk6 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Two cleanup projects removed a total of 97,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments, which improved water quality, improved fish and wildlife populations and bolstered a resurgent tourism industry centered largely on the lake. Large stones known as riprap were removed from the banks of the lake and were replaced with native plants. Great blue herons and other wildlife have been seen returning to White Lake and the planned removal from the Area of Concern list will be a victory for wildlife and local residents alike. 16 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Coastal wetlands restored along Lake Erie OAK HARBOR, OHIO A heron enjoys the habitat in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo from Flickr/Benimoto. Nearly 200 acres of farmland along Lake Erie were transformed into wetland habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. PROJECT NAME: Blausey Tract Wetland Restoration in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge DESCRIPTION: The 171-acre Blausey Tract is one of four different areas at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge where farmland is being transformed into wetland habitat. The project is restoring the natural flow of water through the wetlands and into Lake Erie tributaries. The restored wetland filters nutrients out of runoff from adjacent farm fields, resulting in cleaner water and fewer algal blooms in Lake Erie. Every acre of land at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge that is returned to natural habitat means that more birds and fish can thrive. The project also helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service meet its mission of completing large, landscape-level conservation at the refuge and across the Great Lakes basin. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1.3 million to restore nearly 600 acres of coastal wetland; the Blausey Tract was one of four wetland restoration projects at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of coastal wetlands, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, polluted runoff, and water quality in Lake Erie Restoration Initiative, the Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Engineers, construction workers, heavy equipment operators, and general laborers WEB SITE: www.ducks.org/ohio/ohio-projects RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project restored 171 acres of coastal wetland and marsh habitat, providing more habitat for fish and wildlife and improving water quality in nearby Lake Erie tributaries. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 17

Restored stream could play role in reintroducing trout SUBURBAN CLEVELAND, OHIO, IN THE CITIES OF SOLON AND BENTLEYVILLE Restoring the channel of an Ohio stream that was dammed for decades has cleared the way for the possible reintroduction of native Ohio brook trout. PROJECT NAME: Sulphur Springs Assessment and Restoration DESCRIPTION: Sulphur Springs is a small, coldwater stream in suburban Cleveland that flows into Chagrin Creek, a tributary of Lake Erie. The stream was severely altered by a dam that was built in the stream in the 1930s for recreational purposes. The dam was recently removed, but remnants of the structure remained in the stream and the altered channel was vulnerable to erosion that buried prime fish habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the Chagrin River Watershed Partners a $46,000 grant to restore a portion of Sulphur Springs and assess the possibility of using the stream as a site for the reintroduction of native Ohio brook trout. The segment of Sulphur Springs that was restored is in the South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. The Chagrin River watershed is home to some of the last relict populations of native Ohio brook trout, which date back some 10,000 years to the last Ice Age that created the Great Lakes. Through restoration and monitoring, this project will determine whether the stream is suitable for reintroduction of the state-threatened native Ohio brook trout or minnow species that are indicators of healthy headwater streams. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar designated the Sulphur Springs restoration as Ohio s featured project for America s Great Outdoors Initiative, a federal program that supports community-based efforts to restore key rivers, increase recreational opportunities and create local jobs. The Chagrin River Watershed Partners worked with Cleveland Metroparks and the Emerald Necklace Chapter of Trout Unlimited to restore 400 linear feet of the stream and five acres of riparian corridor that was affected by the historic dam and impoundment. Cleveland Metroparks is monitoring the effects of urbanization on the stream and the Chagrin River The restored channel of Sulphur Springs is more hospitable to fish. Photo courtesy of Chagrin River Watershed Partners. Watershed Partners produced materials that show local residents and government officials how to protect the stream by better managing land use, reducing stormwater runoff and planting shade trees and other native vegetation. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $46,000, which was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service s Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish and wildlife habitat, altered stream flows, erosion and excessive sedimentation KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Cleveland Metroparks, the Emerald Necklace Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, ecologists, environmental engineers, civil engineers, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1j4jock RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project restored 400 linear feet of stream and five acres of high quality riparian habitat in the Chagrin River watershed. Sulphur Springs is being evaluated as a possible site for the reintroduction of native Ohio brook trout. 18 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Project restores natural refuge in midst of urban area CLEVELAND, OHIO Restoring the Lacustrine Refuge, a four-acre wetland adjacent to a Lake Erie tributary in Cleveland, created wildlife habitat, reduced polluted runoff and is expected to generate recreational opportunities valued at $2.4 million nearly twice the project cost. PROJECT NAME: Lacustrine Refuge Restoration DESCRIPTION: The Lacustrine Refuge is a four-acre wetland adjacent to Euclid Creek, in Cleveland s Wildwood Lakefront State Park. Euclid Creek is a heavily urbanized stream that drains 24 square miles of land in Cleveland before flowing into Lake Erie. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers straightened a portion of the creek and altered its flow as part of an urban flood control project in the 1980s. Dredge spoils from a nearby marina were reportedly dumped in low-lying areas at the refuge nearly a century ago, damaging valuable coastal wetlands. The Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District managed the effort to restore the refuge and Euclid Creek. A coalition of local agencies worked together to return Euclid Creek to its natural channel, remove about 20,000 cubic yards of dredge spoils from wetlands in the refuge and remove acres of invasive Japanese knotweed and other non-native plants. The project restored an important coastal wetland that offers new habitat for wildlife, filters pollutants out of water headed to Lake Erie and helps control flooding and stream bank erosion. The refuge also gives urban residents a chance to experience a vibrant natural area teeming with birds and amphibians that have long been absent from the area. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1.4 million, which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of wetlands and wildlife habitat, polluted runoff and invasive plant species Restoration Initiative, Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District, City of Cleveland, Friends of Euclid Creek, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, RiverWorks and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, ecologists, landscape architects, surveyors, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/reftd9 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project restored 1,100 linear feet of Euclid Creek, returned the creek to its natural channel and restored four acres of coastal wetlands near Lake Erie. The project also created new recreational opportunities and advanced efforts to the get the Cuyahoga River removed from a list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. This aerial photo shows the proximity of the Lacustrine Refuge to Lake Erie. Photo courtesy of Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District. A restored stream bank along Euclid Creek, now in its natural channel. Photo courtesy of Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 19

Cleanup removes mountains of steel slag along river LORAIN, OHIO The removal of more than 1 million cubic yards of steel waste along the Lower Black River is improving water quality and habitat for fish and other wildlife. PROJECT NAME: Black River Restoration DESCRIPTION: For decades, the Black River powered the city of Lorain s industrial economy. But the pollutants dumped into the Lake Erie tributary degraded its ecological functioning so severely it became known as the River of Fish Tumors. After many of the factories closed, however, Lorain viewed a healthy river as a key to its economic rebirth. In 2007, Lorain obtained 300 acres along a 1.5-mile stretch of the river from a defunct steel-making operation. The city set about restoring the area, turning to photographs from the turn of the 20th Century as a guide to its natural topography. In addition to removing steel-making waste called slag that towered 80 feet above a portion of the river, the restoration improved fish habitat and restored native plants to the area. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $12 million RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Toxic sediments, impaired water quality, contaminated fish, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Funding for most restoration activities came from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio EPA provided $6.3 million in funding to tackle the site of the slag piles. Local partners included the city of Lorain, Lorain Port Authority, Lorain County, Lorain Metro Parks and the Lorain County General Health District. TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Heavy equipment operators, general laborers, biologists, toxicologists, chemists, landscape architects WEB SITE: www.lorainblackriver.com Slag piles once dominated the Black River shoreline. The piles were removed and replaced with trees and other vegetation. Photo courtesy of the Lorain Morning Journal. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project has removed more than 1 million cubic yards of steel waste. Where the slag once stood, about 5,000 native shrubs and trees were planted and are taking root in a variety of habitats in the floodplain. Anecdotal evidence shows newly created pools and nearly 6,000 feet of fish shelves areas of stone and rubble in the river where fish can find refuge and forage have improved fish populations. Over 20 acres of floodplain wetland habitat have been restored, while 52 acres of the river have been persevered. In September of 2013, the third annual Black River Kayak-A-Thon was held to promote recreational boating on the river and to highlight the restoration project successes. 20 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Cuyahoga River fish habitat restored CLEVELAND, OHIO Steel bulkheads that lined the Cuyahoga River and prevented fish from finding food or shelter have now been replaced with natural shore habitat and a park for the community. The project is anticipated to lead to a healthier and more diverse population of fish in the river and Lake Erie. PROJECT NAME: Cuyahoga River Fish Restoration Project DESCRIPTION: To aid navigation in the shipping channel, steel bulkheads were driven into the sediment of the Cuyahoga River years ago. However, these bulkheads provided little in the way of natural features, such as rocks and crevices, which fish and their food require to survive. All that has changed for an 11-acre site located on the Scranton Peninsula on the Cuyahoga River shipping channel, which is the final six miles of the river before it empties into Lake Erie. About 3,000 feet of fish habitat has been created by removing the steel bulkheads and replacing them with sloping river banks dotted with native plants. The nearby land that was formerly a railroad yard and coal storage site has been cleaned up and turned into a park. The contaminated sediment has been replaced, and the park has benches for people to sit and enjoy the view, as well as interpretative stations, allowing the community to learn about the restored waterway. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $8,000,000, including site acquisition RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Lack of habitat for aquatic life, low oxygen levels, polluted sediment A formerly abandoned pier near the Carnegie Bridge, above, is being transformed to support fish habitat. Photo from Flickr/Erik Daniel Drost. Canal Corridor, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga River RAP and Cuyahoga County Public Works. The Trust for Public Lands and Ohio Canal Corridor acquired the Scranton Peninsula site in 2010 thanks to $3.1 million from the Clean Ohio Fund and $1.7 million from Cuyahoga County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contributed $250,000. TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Primarily construction-related jobs like truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, and general laborers, but also ongoing jobs to monitor and maintain the aquatic and wetland habitats WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1jr0n1u KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): The restoration project received $3 million in funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The City of Cleveland, Ohio RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: About 3,000 feet of fish habitat has been created by replacing the steel bulkheads with native plants. These plants will help put more oxygen in the water allowing fish and other aquatic organisms to thrive, slow water flow and catch sediment, and improve water quality. The park also connects to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which retraces some of the original route taken by the Ohio and Erie Canal and now stretches about 80 miles. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 21

Neighbors work to reduce runoff PARMA, OHIO Residents of two streets in a Cleveland suburb have installed rain barrels and rain gardens to reduce storm water impacts and to inspire other neighbors to take simple steps to eliminate flooding in the area and pollution into Lake Erie. TITLE: Parma Neighborhood Stormwater Initiative which hurts water quality in the creek. And the intense volume of the storm water that follows heavy rains scours the banks of the creek, harming habitat and exacerbating erosion downstream. Solving the problem requires the participation of individual residents who live in the city. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $400,000 ($290,000 of which came from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative) RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Impervious surfaces, excess runoff, high nutrient runoff, polluted runoff DESCRIPTION: Development in the City of Parma has taken a toll on the nearby West Creek, a tributary to Lake Erie. About 35 percent of the area in the watershed is surface that does not absorb water. Rainwater runs off roofs, down driveways and into the drainage pipes. There s little organic material in lawns to soak it up. Like many cities, the City of Parma has storm drains that empty into the nearby creek. The storm water carries excess nutrients and chemicals from lawn fertilizer, and oils and grease from pavement, all of Restoration Initiative, Cleveland Metroparks, West Creek Conservancy, the City of Parma and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction, design and landscaping, and a part-time steward at the West Creek Conservancy WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1jqyyj5 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: In total, 28 homes are participating in the project, having installed either rain barrels, rain gardens, or both. Rain barrels reduce the intensity of storm water that enters the creek. The rain gardens also soak up storm water and help filter pollutants. As of 2013, 64 rain barrels have been installed along with 11 rain gardens on individual properties and 25 rain gardens have been planted adjacent to city streets. The program is expected to reduce runoff along these streets by 49 percent. People admire the rain gardens that have been installed along a street in Parma, Ohio. These rain gardens catch and slow water when it rains to decrease flooding in the area. Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Metroparks. Rain barrels store water that would otherwise run off rooftops and flow into city drains. The stored water can then be used to water lawns or gardens throughout the season. Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Metroparks. 22 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Unique boats patrol for trash in Cleveland CLEVELAND, OHIO Two specially designed boats remove tons of debris from Cleveland s waterfront each year. PROJECT NAME: Urban Debris Removal in Cleveland Harbor DESCRIPTION: Even as water quality improves and wildlife shows signs of returning to the Cleveland harbor, floating debris and trash had remained a problem with no quick fixes. When it rains, plastics, bottles, needles, condoms, and anything else tossed on the streets gets flushed into the storm drains. Some storm drains spill their contents directly into the city s waterways. Once in the waterways, the material gets bound up in wooden debris such as tree limbs and bark that float downstream from the upper Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. Then, in the Cuyahoga River Ship Canal and the North Coast Harbor, currents and wind push the debris into large piles or mats that float against the bulkheads. Along with being unsightly, the debris entangles birds. At times, non-swimming birds will misjudge the stability of the debris piles, riding them until they slip into the waters and drown. In the fall of 2012, the Port of Cleveland launched two boats tasked with keeping the waterways free of debris. The boats, Flotsam and Jetsam, remove trash or large tree trunks and limbs from the water, making it safer for recreational and commercial boaters, while improving the aesthetics of the waterfront at the same time. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $425,000, which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Plastics waste and other garbage that threatened wildlife in Cleveland s waterfront KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization, and Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: About 20 jobs were associated with the design and construction of the vessels. The project also created five to six permanent jobs for boat chiefs, equipment operators and deck hands. WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/10qklmh The boats Flotsam and Jetsam patrol for debris in Cleveland Harbor. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Plain Dealer. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The two vessels remove 400 to 800 cubic yards of debris from Cleveland s waterfront each year that s the equivalent of between 20 and 40 dump trucks worth of debris. It the first year of the program, over 240 tons of floating debris was removed. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 23

Wetland restoration creating urban oasis for people, wildlife INDEPENDENCE, OHIO What was once a heavily commercialized site has now been restored to a natural state, with the entrenched creek liberated, native trees and shrubs planted, and a six-acre wetland created. PROJECT NAME: West Creek Confluence Project DESCRIPTION: In the 1950s and 1960s, when Granger Road in the city of Independence was developed, little attention was paid to West Creek. Its floodplains and wetlands were filled. What had been a meandering creek was shunted into a straight channel. On a 10-acre site bisected by the creek, developers built a large parking lot and a store, which later became a warehouse. When the development was finished, impervious surfaces covered 85 percent of the site. As a result, the property became a major conduit of non-point source pollution into West Creek, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. During heavy rains, water ran so quickly through the creek that it scoured away aquatic species and habitat. With the site susceptible to heavy flooding and in need of restoration, the West Creek Preservation Committee and its partners purchased the site after the last tenant moved out. After buying the property, the coalition demolished the building and removed the blacktop. The group has worked to restore West Creek s floodplain, wetlands, and stream bank. Program, the Federal Scenic Byway Program, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency s Water Resource Restoration Sponsorship Program, the George Gund Foundation and the Trust for Public Land TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Demolition, engineering and design, and construction WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/oabcub The removal of 80,000 yards of dirt to deepen the West Creek channel is well underway by October, 2013. Photo courtesy of the West Creek Conservancy. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $2.2 million for the site acquisition and $2.3 million for the restoration work RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excessive runoff and flooding, disruption of the natural flow of a creek, natural wildlife habitat impaired KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): The West Creek Preservation Committee is working with partners that include the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, the City of Independence, the Clean Ohio Greenspace A conceptual plan shows the new wetlands and riparian buffer that have been created by the restoration project. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks. The West Creek confluence project also includes an oxbow wetland, pictured here, that provides a variety of habitats along the waterway and also slows water during floods. Photo courtesy of the West Creek Conservancy. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: In May of 2013 about 80,000 yards of dirt was removed to give the entrenched creek room to meander. 1,000 linear feet of the riverbank that was formerly covered in large stones, concrete, and rebar was restored. A six-acre wetland complex with an oxbow was added to provide habitat for animals and to absorb flood waters as necessary. Northern pike, walleye, steelhead, and smallmouth bass have all returned. Over 6,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted with 4,000 more planned for the spring of 2014. The vegetation will filter pollutants and the project will reduce the amount of storm water leaving the site. What s more, the site will be publicly accessible, and provide a point of access to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad once it is running and will eventually connect to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. 24 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Land buys protect rare ecosystems on Lake Erie island KELLEYS ISLAND, OHIO, IN WESTERN LAKE ERIE The preservation of two parcels of land on Ohio s Kelleys Island protected an imperiled Great Lakes alvar ecosystem and a rare red cedar forest. PROJECT NAME: Protecting Critical Habitat on Kelleys Island DESCRIPTION: Kelleys Island is the largest American island in Lake Erie and home to a rare Great Lakes alvar ecosystem. Alvars are globally imperiled ecosystems comprised of grasslands and sparsely vegetated rock barrens that develop on flat limestone of dolostone bedrock. Almost all of North America s alvars are found in the Great Lakes. A $1 million grant from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative enabled the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to acquire 58 acres of land adjacent to Kelleys Island State Park. That acquisition, coupled with conservation easements on adjoining lands, provided permanent protection for 112 acres of land and contributed to an 825-acre interconnected system of protected lands. A second grant, for $332,500, was used to acquire 18 acres of rare, mature red cedar forest. The preservation of those area was significant because migratory birds use Kelleys Island as a rest area during spring and fall migrations. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: The total cost of the two projects was $1.3 million $1 million to protect critical habitat and $332,500 to acquire the Monagan Road Preserve. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided funding for the projects. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish and wildlife habitat, an imperiled Great Lakes alvar ecosystem, and a rare, mature red cedar forest The rare alvar ecosystem on Kelleys Island, Ohio. Photo from Flickr/brittreints. Restoration Initiative, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Chagrin River Land Conservancy, Kelleys Island Village Park District, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Erie MetroParks, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Trumbull County MetroParks TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Ecologists, botanists, geologists and mortgage processors (to handle the land conservation easements) WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/11lpczz RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The two grants preserved 59 acres of an imperiled Great Lakes alvar ecosystem and 18 acres of mature red cedar forest. The parcels were added to a larger assemblage of protected lands that provide important habitat for migratory birds. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 25

GLRI funds expand wildlife reserve along Lake Erie LAKE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA Nearly 300 acres of public land were added to the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve on the shores of Lake Erie in northern Pennsylvania. PROJECT NAME: Roderick Wildlife Reserve Expansion DESCRIPTION: The David M. Roderick Reserve is a 3,600-acre natural area on the Lake Erie shoreline, adjacent to Erie Bluffs State Park. Prior to becoming a nature reserve, the property was owned by Andrew Carnegie and, later, U.S. Steel Corp. At one time, Carnegie planned to build a steel mill at the site, but those plans changed in the 1960s. After U.S. Steel acquired the property, former company CEO David M. Roderick an avid outdoorsman and conservation advocate sold the property to the Mellon Foundation. The foundation turned the property over to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which established the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve in 1991 and sold it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Located near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, the reserve was established to provide recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, birding, cross-country skiing, hiking, and other activities. The property is home to numerous species of birds, game species and plants found only along the Lake Erie shoreline. The state-endangered variegated scouring rush and the state-threatened small-headed rush grow in The Lake Erie shoreline at the Roderick Wildlife Reserve. Photo courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. the steep bluffs above the Lake Erie beach. Wooded areas at the reserve feature lakeplain swamp forests, which are flat woodlands with interconnected vernal pools. The dominant tree species in the area is state-endangered pumpkin ash. Since 2010, two parcels of land totaling 297 acres were added to the reserve. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Erie Community Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission funded the land acquisitions, which cost a total of $1,250,000. The multiyear project protected about 136 acres of wetlands, 780 feet of Lake Erie shoreline, and 1,525 feet along Elk Creek, a high-quality stream that supports a thriving steelhead fishery. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1,250,000 for two land acquisitions. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided $787,095. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Protection of coastal wetlands and wooded uplands that provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife Restoration Initiative, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Erie Community Foundation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation, and the Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Program TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, ecologists, surveyors, lawyers, and mortgage processors WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1dtdop6 A view overlooking Lake Erie from the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve. Photo from Flickr/Nicholas_T. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The two land acquisitions added 297 acres to the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve, which increased public access to the Lake Erie shoreline and ensured the protection of valuable fish and wildlife habitat. 26 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Restored creek carries less sediment into Lake Erie ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA Reducing storm water runoff into an urban stream restored the waterway and kept tons of sediment from reaching Lake Erie. PROJECT NAME: Cascade Creek Restoration DESCRIPTION: Cascade Creek is a tributary of Lake Erie that drains a nine-square mile watershed on the west side of Erie, Pa. The watershed is heavily urbanized, and much of its landscape has been paved. As a result, rain showers and periods of snowmelt often send torrents of water down the creek, which forces it to rise out of its channel and cause extreme erosion along its banks. The floods deposit excessive sediment, downed trees and other debris in a wetland near the mouth of the creek, where it flows into Presque Isle Bay. The flooding also stripped the creek banks of native vegetation that provided habitat for wildlife. Most of the industries that once lined the creek have closed, but the waterway continues to be impaired by polluted storm water runoff. Over the years, several piecemeal attempts to reduce flooding and erosion in the creek met with limited success. That prompted the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority to secure funds for a comprehensive study of the creek and its floodplain. The study was the first step toward a holistic attempt to restore the creek and reduce the flow of excess sediment and debris into Presque Isle Bay a recreational haven for boaters, anglers and beachgoers. Armed with studies and computer models of how best to manage storm water runoff in the area, the Eric County Conservation District and Pennsylvania Sea Grant spearheaded a three-phase project to reduce flooding and erosion in the creek, as well as restore vegetation and create new wildlife habitat along the creek. The entire project restored 1,900 linear feet of the creek, which reduced the amount of sediment washing into Lake Erie s Presque Isle Bay by 222 tons annually. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $947,000, most of which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excessive storm water runoff, urban flooding and severe erosion that flushed hundreds of tons of sediment into Presque Isle Bay each year. The project also restored wildlife habitat and replaced invasive plants with native species. Restoration Initiative, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania-Lake Erie Watershed Association, the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, Erie County Conservation District, Environment Erie and Gannon University TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Environmental and civil engineers, hydrologists, landscape architects, ecologists, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/j84xmh RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The projects restored 1,900 linear feet of the creek, reduced the amount of sediment flowing into Presque Isle Bay by 222 tons annually, and created new wildlife habitat. Before the restoration project, Cascade Creek often flooded out of its channel and suffered from extreme bank erosion. Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Sea Grant. The restored Cascade Creek is more natural and carries less sediment into Lake Erie s Presque Isle Bay. Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Sea Grant. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 27

Lake Erie site taken off list of pollution hotspots ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA An aerial view of Lake Erie s Presque Isle Bay. Boaters have returned to Presque Isle Bay. Photo from Flickr/catAsmith. After a decade of cleanup work, Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie became just the second site in the U.S. to be removed from a list of Great Lakes toxic hotspots. PROJECT NAME: Presque Isle Bay Cleanup DESCRIPTION: Presque Isle Bay is a 3,655- acre embayment on Pennsylvania s portion of Lake Erie. The 22.6 square mile watershed of the bay drains an urban area that includes parts of five municipalities and Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pa. Polluted wastewater discharges that occurred prior to 1980 contaminated the bay with excessive nutrients, organic compounds and heavy metals. In the 1980s, anglers discovered tumors on fish caught in the bay, particularly on native brown bullhead catfish. Government officials believed contaminated sediments in the bay caused the tumors. The contaminated sediment and fish tumors prompted government agencies in 1991 to declare Presque Isle Bay one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. That declaration prompted a variety of activities aimed at cleaning up the bay. The Erie Sewer Authority spent $95 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment system and reduced sewer overflows into the bay and industries moved away from the city s waterfront. A decline in the incidence of fish tumors prompted the federal government in February 2013 to remove Presque Isle Bay from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The Oswego River in New York is the only other site on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes to be removed from the government s list of toxic hotspots. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: Government agencies spent $900,000 researching pollution and fish tumors in the bay and another $1.5 million on watershed restoration projects. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative contributed $1.2 million to the restoration of Presque Isle Bay and pollution reduction projects. The Erie Sewer Authority also spent $95 million to upgrade the sewer system and reduce sewer overflows into the bay. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Contaminated sediments, fish tumors, polluted runoff and sewer overflows Restoration Initiative, City of Erie, Erie Sewer Authority, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Sea Grant, Erie County Conservation District, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and numerous other partners WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/12i40zc RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Bottom sediment in the bay is cleaner and fewer fish have tumors. Restoration work in streams that drain into the bay, and the replacement of paved areas with pervious surfaces that trap polluted runoff, improved fish habitat and reduced the amount of sediment washing into the bay by 334 tons annually. 28 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Expanded research detects two new fish diseases LAMAR, PENNSYLVANIA Increased disease surveillance identified two new fish pathogens that could affect the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery. PROJECT NAME: Increased Surveillance of Lake Trout Health and Emerging Fish Diseases DESCRIPTION: Disease can decimate fish populations by causing massive die-offs. The 2003 discovery of a new strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in the Great Lakes caused concern among fisheries biologists. The disease, which has been called Ebola virus for fish, can cause widespread mortality in infected fish populations. With funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service s Fish Health Center in Lamar, Pa., expanded its fish health and disease surveillance program in the lower Great Lakes basin, which includes Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The project determined the geographic range and prevalence of VHS in the lower Great Lakes basin (the virus has been detected throughout the Great Lakes region). The project also expanded monitoring for exotic and emerging fish diseases in Lakes Erie and Ontario. A related project enabled the Fish and Wildlife Service to expand monitoring of lake trout health in the lower Great Lakes basin. Scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service s Lamar Fish Health Center worked with researchers from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the U.S. Geological Survey to collect and test 1,452 fish representing 15 different species. The fish were collected from 27 sites in Lakes Erie and Ontario and examined for the presence of VHS and other diseases. The studies didn t find the new strain of VHS at any new locations or in other host species of fish. But the research did reveal two new diseases that could affect wild fish stocks of salmon and trout in the Great Lakes: Lake trout herpesvirus and Nucleospora salmonis. Nucleospora salmonis was confirmed in two steelhead trout from Lake Erie, one collected at Trout Run Weir and the other from Chautauqua Creek. Testing for pathogens continues on archived samples. Another 500 lake trout that were for use in fisheries restoration programs the Great Lakes were tested at the Lamar Fish Health Center and found not to have these diseases. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $129,000 RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Fish disease, improved disease surveillance and general fisheries management Restoration Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife s Lamar Fish Health Center, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the U.S. Geological Survey TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Fisheries biologists, microbiologists, fish pathologists and fisheries technicians WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1cketol Lake trout, like this one here, will benefit from more effective disease monitoring. Photo from Flickr/bergera30. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The project discovered two new diseases that could affect salmon and trout populations in the Great Lakes basin. The finding will improve fisheries management programs. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 29

Floating islands provide habitat in the Milwaukee River MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Floating islands along the industrialized corridor of the Milwaukee River have provided fish, such as smallmouth bass and green-eared sunfish, habitat and a way to navigate upstream. PROJECT NAME: Floating Island Habitat DESCRIPTION: A project along the Milwaukee River aims to increase success of fish spawning by providing habitat. The sides of wild streams are often gently sloping with plenty of plant cover for small fish to rest and feed in. Steel bulkheads that line rivers in urban areas are void of plant life, and provide little or no shelter for young fish as they travel along the channel. About 80 percent of native Great Lakes fish rely on wetland ecosystems for part of their lifecycle, but especially in urban areas along the Great Lakes, these ecosystems no longer exist. Now, a new technology tries to mimic the conditions in wetlands that benefit small, young fish as they make their way from the stream to the lake. Researchers are installing small containers filled with wetland plants and soil that are attached to steel bulkheads along the river. The containers float up and down with the changing water level. The plant communities also support life on the bottom of the food chain, thereby also providing food for the young fish that shelter in the plant life. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: About $175,000, with $110,000 from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Lack of shallow water habitat, unsafe for small fish to navigate upstream, lack of food for fry fish Restoration Initiative, Fund for Lake Michigan, Groundwork Milwaukee, Marek Landscaping, Milwaukee Community Service Corps, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Ecologists, engineers, general laborers, and fisheries biologists WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1h72g5t RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The floating habitats have allowed fish to return to the Milwaukee River and find food and shelter. Biologists have seen large mouth bass and green-eared sunfish more frequently in the river. In addition, ducks, muskrats, birds, and frogs all take advantage of the small, simulated shoreline habitat. In addition to these small floating containers, larger versions of the idea are being implemented islands. The engineered islands are larger versions of the containers, at about 80 feet long in six segments, and will be easier to remove from the water during the winter when the freeze/thaw cycle of the ice makes it difficult for the floating mechanism in the containers to work. A close-up view of the floating habitat containers. These habitats simulate the nearshore ecosystem, allowing small fish, biofilm, frogs, and other wildlife to thrive. Photo courtesy of Marek Landscaping. Newly installed floating island. Larger than the floating habitat containers, these islands are easier to maintain, all while providing the same services to wildlife. Photo courtesy of Marek Landscaping. 30 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Forest beach migratory preserve replaces fairway BELGIUM, WISCONSIN Turning a 116-acre golf course into a nature preserve has allowed migratory birds a place to shelter along the coast of Lake Michigan. PROJECT NAME: A Migratory Flyway on Lake Michigan DESCRIPTION: A former golf course near the shore of Lake Michigan has been turned into a migratory preserve for the many birds that use the Lake Michigan Flyway. The Forest Beach Migratory Preserve is 116 acres, with a mix of hardwood forest with seasonal ponds, prairie, and constructed wetlands. The land trust that owns the site has removed invasive species and is encouraging native plants to thrive. Besides restoring natural habitat to the former golf course, the preserve aims to introduce vegetation to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan through natural filtration. Wetlands and space for ephemeral ponds absorb stormwater, filter pollutants, and provide other vital services. They also are a habitat for migratory birds, reptiles, and insects. Educational facilities and a trail system encourage people to learn more about migratory birds and the importance of their habitats. The site of the former golf course has been returned to a more natural state benefitting both people and wildlife. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $2,900,000 with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excess nutrient run-off, excessive water use from the golf course, lack of habitat for migratory birds Restoration Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ozaukee-Washington County Land Trust, Ozaukee A summer intern helps relocate a snapping turtle as part of a pond restoration effort. Amphibians and reptiles were relocated temporarily while a pond was drained and reconstructed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo courtesy of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust. County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Riveredge Nature Center Bird Club, SciTech Adventures, Lake Road Properties, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Cederburg Science, LCC., Great Lakes Ecological Services, LCC., EC3 Environmental Consulting Group, Inc., Pheasants Forever, and many neighbors and volunteers TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Research scientists, seasonal staff, college interns, management contractors, signage contractors, planters, pond construction workers, invasive species management; project also benefitted local nurseries, hardware stores, and suppliers of herbicides for invasive plants WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1e7sltq Members of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Youth Corps install a kestrel box. Photo courtesy of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Forest Beach Migratory Preserve has already recorded 230 bird species using the site, a number that exceeds expectations. Nine different habitat types on site provide shelter for at least 80 rare or declining bird species that use the Lake Michigan Flyway each year. Birds such as the black-billed cuckoo, eastern meadowlark, solitary sandpiper, and golden-winger warbler are using the habitats provided. Converting the land into a preserve prevented 10 tons of fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides from being applied to the landscape. In addition, nearby towns and villages that were having issues with their well-based water supply found their water replenished thanks to the preserve. Formerly, the golf course was extracting 20 million gallons per year to water its grounds and this use of water was directly competing with nearby municipal water needs. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 31

Streamside rearing facility helps restore lake sturgeon NEWBURG, WISCONSIN The lake sturgeon may be able to return to the Great Lakes in greater numbers thanks to this sturgeon rearing facility that has introduced more than 7,400 of the native fish back to the Lakes. Resources and the Riveredge Nature Center, provides a safe space adjacent to their natural environment and uses river water for the incubators. The hope is that the sturgeon will imprint on the natural space and return to spawn. The main goal of this project is to support lake sturgeon populations so they may once more flourish naturally. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $200,000 PROJECT NAME: Lake Sturgeon Imprinting Project DESCRIPTION: Around 1800, sturgeons were abundant in the Great Lakes and used the Milwaukee River as a spawning ground. By 1850 a dam was put into the Milwaukee, about 5 miles from Lake Michigan, and this prevented adult sturgeon from making it upstream to their spawning grounds. For the last 150 years, the spawning success of the lake sturgeon has been on the decline as their upstream spawning habitats, in places like the Milwaukee River, have been decimated. These fish spawn in small rivers or estuaries and imprint on the place they were born, returning to spawn in the same location at reproductive maturity. The Milwaukee River lake sturgeon streamside rearing facility uses this biological signal to help maximize the probability lake sturgeon will return to successfully spawn. The facility, operated by both the Wisconsin Department of Natural RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Lake sturgeon blocked from accessing their spawning habitat in the Milwaukee River, low population levels of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes Fisheries Trust, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Riveredge Nature Center volunteers, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and U.S. Geological Survey TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Fish biologists, construction workers, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1jhkacn RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Since 2003, the Milwaukee River lake sturgeon streamside rearing facility has been operating to help the population of lake sturgeon regain strength in the Great Lakes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has stocked 7,400 sturgeons into the Great Lakes population through the Milwaukee River program. Since sturgeons take between 10 years and 20 years to reach maturity, the success of the project is just starting to be assessed, but researchers have begun spotting tagged sturgeon in the Milwaukee River. Lake Sturgeon in the Streamside Rearing Facility at four months old. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Tribal elders blessing the release of lake sturgeon into the Milwaukee River in 2007. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 32 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Campus stormwater discharge reduced due to green landscaping MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Three students determine the volume and contours of a swale in the spiral garden. Understanding the volume and other aspects of a swale allows engineers and landscape architects to calculate the positive impact the bioswale can have during a heavy rain event helping to slow and absorb water as it flows through the depression. Photo courtesy of Jim Wasley. The native prairie green roof on top of the Sandburg Commons. Green rooftops can absorb rainwater, slowing the time it takes for the water to reach the sewer system and helping the sewer cope with heavy rain events. Photo courtesy of Jim Wasley. The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee has installed green rooftops, bioswales, and other natural landscaping projects that have lead to a dramatic decrease in the water the campus discharges into the Milwaukee sewer system. PROJECT NAME: University Decreases Runoff DESCRIPTION: The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee has been reworking their campus to reduce stormwater discharge. Seven buildings on campus have green roofs incorporated into their design, including a Wisconsin native dry-prairie, one with solar panels in the landscape, and a vegetable garden used by a campus café. These green roofs will absorb water and heat more effectively than traditional roofs ever could, while benefitting wildlife by providing habitat. A 5,000 square foot spiral garden on campus catches rainwater drainage from some of the green roofs and other traditional rooftops to decrease runoff into Lake Michigan. The garden and two cisterns that double as fountains at the end of it slow the flow of water, allowing it more time to seep into the ground. The presence of native plants also slows the progress of the water, increases the absorption in the landscape, and filters nonpoint source pollution that collects on the rooftops and in the nearby parking lot. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: Between $2,000,000 and $2,500,000, with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excess runoff and erosion, nonpoint source pollution, energy use and maintenance costs, lack of wildlife habitat in urban spaces Restoration Initiative, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and WE Energies TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Landscape designers, biologists, university research assistants, construction workers, truck drivers, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1mtmlpm RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The spiral rain garden in combination with the green rooftops are estimated to reduce average stormwater runoff into the city s sewerage system by 97 percent. This impact is in part due to a large area of impervious surface whose runoff was diverted into the spiral rain garden, providing the space and time for water to absorb into the landscape instead of running off into Lake Michigan. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 33

A community effort cleans up the Kinnickinnic River MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Restoring Milwaukee s Kinnickinnic River is helping to reduce flooding risks, improve public safety, provide a home for fish and wildlife, and bring families back to their neighborhood river. PROJECT NAME: Kinnickinnic River Naturalization DESCRIPTION: The south side neighborhoods that border the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee are in the middle of a transformation that is improving the health of the River and the neighborhood. The Kinnickinnic River was placed into a concrete channel in the 1960s, and had a long history of overflowing these artificial banks. The River was also seen more as a dangerous and polluted liability and less as a resource that would draw people to enjoy it. To address these problems, organizations serving Milwaukee s south side in conjunction with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, came up with a plan. First and foremost, the river would need to be returned to a more natural, meandering state, allowing for flood events on the banks of the river, and providing habitat for aquatic life. To accomplish this, 56 houses immediately adjacent to the stream channel have been purchased and demolished to make room for the expanded riverbanks, and another 27 are planned for acquisition. Secondly, nearby residents needed to better understand their role in improving and protecting their neighborhood river. They have begun by leading neighborhood cleanups, installing rain gardens and rain barrels to capture stormwater keeping it from directly running into the Kinnickinnic. Currently, 40 residents have installed rain gardens and swales in their yards to slow rainwater, and the Sewerage District has donated 100 rain barrels to collect rain for later use. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $93,000,000, with BEFORE: This picture of the Kinnickinnic River is representative of what the river looked like before the naturalization effort expanded the banks of the river, allowing it to meander. Photo courtesy of the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. some funding coming from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Flooding, natural river flow with pools and riffles, access to nearby outdoor recreation, understanding of how people impact the health of the watershed Restoration Initiative, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Fund for Lake Michigan, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Sweetwater, Southeast Wisconsin Watershed Trust, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Groundwork Milwaukee, and Southside Organizing Committee TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, general laborers, landscapers, lawn construction, landscape architects, and rain garden instillation experts WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1nohwqx AFTER: This portion of the Kinnickinnic River is fully naturalized. It can now manage flood- waters while being a beautiful amenity to the neighborhood. Photo courtesy of the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: More work is yet to be done, but so far an aging bridge that restricted the flow of the Kinnickinnic was restructured, the downstream channel has been widened and concrete has been removed. Neighborhood residents have implemented active stormwater management practices such as using rain barrels and planting rain gardens, and designed and built a pocket park next to the river. Because of these changes, more aquatic life has returned to the river, flood risks have been reduced, residents will have new green space near the channel to enjoy the Kinnickinnic, and a neighborhood has a better understanding of how they impact their watershed. 34 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Large woody debris restores Whittlesey Creek ASHLAND, WISCONSIN Placing logs and other large woody debris in Whittlesey Creek in Wisconsin has restored a more natural flow to the river and provided habitat for fish and wildlife. PROJECT NAME: Whittlesey Creek Debris Project DESCRIPTION: Fallen trees and logs might not seem like a good thing to have in a creek, but they provide a valuable service for the habitat. During heavy rains and floods, the wood gives shelter to aquatic life, catches and filters gravel and sediment, and creates a more complex flow of water with pools and riffles. Too much sediment was finding its way into the Whittlesey Creek, a tributary to the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior. Engineered log jams introduced to the creek in 2011 and 2012 helped restore natural habitat and filter sediment. The placement of the logs helped to increase the complexity of the channel, creating a variety of habitats for micro- and macroinvertebrates, such as crayfish, beetles, snails, and dragonfly larvae. Fish health is being monitored to understand which populations have benefited from the project. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $44,000 with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Lack of habitat for a variety of aquatic life, too much sediment build up throughout the river Restoration Initiative, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bayfield County Land and Water Conservation Department, Wisconsin DNR, Trout Unlimited, Northland College, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Youth Conservation Corps TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, heavy equipment operators, hydrologists, scientists, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1h75fv1 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Adding 210 logs to the Whittlesey Creek has restored the streambed to a more natural state and created a variety of habitats. The addition of woody debris has filtered sediment, protected fish eggs, and stopped macroinvertebrates from being smothered. This debris has also allowed pools and riffles to form, expanding the type of habitat available to aquatic life. Workers position a log in the stream channel, which will help prevent sedimentation and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Photo courtesy of Inter-Fluve, Inc. Logs placed at intervals throughout the stream collect other woody debris, adding to the complexity of the channel. Photo courtesy of Inter-Fluve, Inc. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 35

Hank Aaron Trail in the Menomonee River Valley hits a home run MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Once a railroad yard for the Milwaukee Road, the land adjacent to the Menonmonee River in Milwaukee has been restored to a more natural state, allowing wildlife to return and providing the public with outdoor recreational opportunities. PROJECT NAME: Menomonee River Restoration DESCRIPTION: The Hank Aaron Trail is a 12-mile long trail along the Menomonee River that has combined prairie restoration, stormwater management, and habitat to help improve water quality, while providing a recreational opportunity for the public. A former railroad yard for the Milwaukee Road and other brownfield sites along the Menomonee were slowly eroding into the river, degrading water quality and providing little habitat for local wildlife. By restoring the land, the river has also benefited through erosion control. The installation of managed wetlands helps filter and absorb the rainwater that falls on the land, reversing erosion and limiting the pollution in the river. The north side of the river hosts a new industrial park with ponds to filter runoff before it enters the Menomonee. Uncontaminated slag from the old brownfield site has been turned into a park on the south side of the river. Pathways along the trail allow the public to enjoy the outdoor space, by biking, running, skating, or just leisurely walking. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $26,000,000 with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Brownfield site pollution, erosion, sedimentation in the river, lack of river habitat Restoration Initiative, American Recovery and A bird s eye view from fall 2012 of the old Milwaukee Road rail yard during restoration, now reconstructed into the Three Bridges Park along the Hank Aaron Trail. Photo courtesy of the Redevelopment Authority for the City of Milwaukee. Reinvestment Act, the City of Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and Menomonee Valley Partners TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, hydrologists, fisheries experts, engineers, environmental consultants, structural engineers, road builders, landscapers, fencing contractors, masons, general laborers, and industrial park employees WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1bmga63 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Menomonee has had its riverbanks restored, preventing erosion from adding sediment to the river. Boulder clusters have also increased the complexity of the river, allowing a variety of aquatic habitats to form. Native prairie plants have been returned to the park, while invasive species like Crown Vetch and Purple Loosestrife are being eradicated. Wetlands and a River Lawn flood plain have been installed to absorb and filter the water from flooding events. 36 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Wetland wastewater treatment facility helps protect the Great Lakes JACKSON, WISCONSIN The Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School replaced an old septic tank with an engineered wetland to filter their wastewater, thereby removing excess nutrients from the water supply and creating a habitat for local wildlife. PROJECT NAME: High School Wastewater Wetland DESCRIPTION: Wetland environments are known as natural filtration systems, removing or capturing nutrients to prevent algal blooms downstream. The Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School has harnessed this power of wetland biology to naturally filter the wastewater from the school. The engineered wetland system uses a mix of bacteria populations, a solar powered nitrate pump, and windmill for aeration, as well as wildflower and prairie grasses to digest and filter the nutrients from human waste. This process makes the water safe by the time it enters the ground water. After flowing through the school s wetland, the water makes its way through the Jackson Marsh, then the Milwaukee River, and finally into Lake Michigan. Besides being an effective way of preventing excess nutrients from entering the watershed, the engineered wetland is A close up of the line that carries oxygen generated by the windmill to the appropriate bacteria tank. Some of the wildflowers on site can also be seen in this photo. Photo courtesy of Tom Mellon. used by the teachers as a hands-on lesson about the water cycle and water quality. Students A windmill and solar panel stand in the constructed wetland. The solar panel provides power to run monitoring equipment, while the windmill aerates the aerobic bacteria tank that processes the effluent. Photo courtesy of Tom Mellon. of all ages not just those attending the high school are educated about the importance of wetland ecosystems and the roll they play in filtering water. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $20,000 RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excess nutrients in the water cycle, lack of habitat for wildlife, old septic tank in need of replacement KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, Toyota TAPESTRY, and Wisconsin Focus on Energy TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, biology teachers, environmental engineers, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1d0hsdj RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: By using an engineered wetland to treat wastewater, the Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School has improved water quality and increased community understanding of the importance of wetland ecosystems. The wetland has also created a space on campus for waterfowl, amphibians, and even beavers to live. In 2012, they upgraded their system by adding a vertical flow wetland, which allows already treated water to percolate through sand and plants to be further cleaned. About 10 percent of this water is redirected for further treatment, decreasing the likelihood that excess nutrients will find their way into the Great Lakes. The filtration system works so well that in about 25 years the water filtered by this wetland would be drinkable. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 37

Cat Island restoration project restores native fish populations GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN A former barrier island chain off the coast of Green Bay is being rebuilt to protect wetlands and habitat, allowing native fish like bluegill and largemouth bass to return. PROJECT NAME: Shoreline Protected by Barrier Island DESCRIPTION: The Cat Island chain off of Green Bay used to protect the coast from punishing waves and storm events. Starting in the late 1960s, high lake levels and storms started to erode the island chain. By the 1970s, the three islands that comprised Cat Island were submerged. Work has begun to restore these islands, which once protected 1,400 acres of wetlands along the coast. Restoring this island chain will help restore this wetland habitat. A wave barrier, ranging between four and eight feet in height, has been built on the old outline of the Cat Island chain to calm the waters nearshore. Now, thanks to calmer and clearer waters, bluegill, largemouth bass, and pumpkinseed fish will all have an easier time returning to their natural habitat. After the 6.8 mile long wave barrier has been fully constructed, sandy sediment dredged from the harbor will be used to fill in the island area. The Cat Island chain will also provide a productive use for 30-50 years of dredged sediment. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $34,000,000, with $1,500,000 coming from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Sedimentation in the water, erosion from waves, strong impact of storm events, loss of barrier island Restoration Initiative, Port of Green Bay, Brown County, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Lower Fox River/ Green Bay Natural Resources Trustee Council, University of Wisconsin Sea-Grant, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and 14 port terminal operators, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Harbor Assistance Program, and Natural Resources Damages Assessment TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Dredging operators, biologists, restoration ecologists, construction workers, landscape architects, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1c3356j RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The restoration of natural nearshore habitat has allowed bluegill, largemouth bass, and pumpkinseed fish to return. On the island chain, nesting water birds, shorebirds, and other invertebrates will benefit from the newly constructed land. By protecting the nearshore waters, the island chain will also provide fish nursery habitat. The outline of Cat Island, prior to the wave barrier being constructed. Photo courtesy of the Army Corps of Engineers. The wave barrier connected to the outline of Cat Island, June 2013. The fully constructed shell for the island chain will protect the wetland habitat on shore. Photo courtesy of the Army Corps of Engineers. 38 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Removing culverts, dams, and obstacles restores passage to river OZAUKEE COUNTY, WISCONSIN Removing dams, culverts, and other obstructions along the upper Milwaukee River has reconnected more than 100 miles of streams, allowing native fish like northern pike to return to parts of the river they had been cut off from. PROJECT NAME: Ozaukee County Fish Passage Program Resources, Wisconsin Department of Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ozaukee County Land and Water Management, Milwaukee Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Fund for Lake Michigan, and Great Lakes Fisheries Trust TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, conservation corps workers, office workers, general laborers, educators, and biologists; all total, 62,000 paid labor hours created under this program WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1jhmb8f DESCRIPTION: The stretch of the Milwaukee River near the villages of Thiensville and Grafton had tributaries clogged with invasive plants and low culverts preventing aquatic species from easily traveling upstream. A dam across the river outside of Grafton was also impeding the natural flow of the water and aquatic life. The historically connected riparian zone had been fragmented until Ozaukee Planning and Parks department developed a plan of action. While lower portions of the Milwaukee River have been significantly altered through urban development, the portion in Ozaukee County had more intact spawning habitat and other high quality habitat relatively preserved. The parks department removed over 180 impediments to fish and wildlife passage including two dams which helped reconnect more than 100 stream miles. Fish returned to places where, for years, they have been blocked from swimming. The Ozaukee County Highway Department removes a dam, blocking aquatic life from moving throughout the watershed. Photo courtesy of the Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $8,000,000 with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Invasive plant species, blocked natural river flow from culverts and dams Restoration Initiative, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Wisconsin Department of Natural The Ozaukee County Highway Department installs a fish passage culvert near Daly Lake on the Riveredge Creek. Shady Lane Road crosses this creek, causing the need for the culvert. Photo courtesy of the Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Fish and other aquatic life have been able to move throughout the river, thanks to the removal of two large dams and over 180 smaller impediments. Other dams remaining in the area now have natural fish passageways to connect the upper and lower parts of the river. Other portions of the river and its tributaries are being returned to an increasingly wild, or meandering, state that is better for the health of aquatic life. This state will help northern pike and other native fish as meandering rivers are a more suitable habitat for them. Floodplains were constructed or identified, to help prevent floodwaters from reaching communities along the river. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 39

Farmers fields transformed to help wildlife and water retention NEAR FRANKLIN, WISCONSIN A view from the pier in Dumke Lake, in the Big Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area. Photo courtesy of the Conservation Fund. Restoring habitat on the site of former Wisconsin farmland has helped reduce runoff, created a home for wildlife and created outdoor recreation for people in the community. PROJECT NAME: Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area One of the wetland sites in the Big Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area, pictured in September 2012, that is helping to reduce flooding, while providing a home to wildlife. Photo courtesy of the Conservation Fund. DESCRIPTION: Flooded farmland will cause manure, fertilizer, and sediment to flow off the land into nearby river systems. Increased nutrients in the watershed can cause algal blooms, and too much sediment can block up a river. The Big Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area has taken former agriculture fields that experienced flooding and returned them to a mix of prairie habitat, wetland areas, and forested land. A conservation easement on the property means that it will be permanently managed in a way that protects this environment. Returning the land to a mix of habitats not only helps prevent flooding and nutrient build-up downstream, but it also provides habitat for wildlife not often found in southern Wisconsin. With 25 acres of grassland prairie and 23 acres of wetlands, the Big Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area provides a habitat for wildlife, a buffer to absorb floodwaters, and a beautiful recreation area for people in the community. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: Over $1,000,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, over $1,000,000 from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and $10,825 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Flooding in agricultural areas, nutrient run-off, sediment loading, lack of grasslands habitat in southern Wisconsin KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, The Conservation Fund, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, maintenance workers, surveyors, general laborers, and local plant nursery staff WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/md4x5g RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Big Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area has restored multiple habitat types, diversifying options for wildlife and reducing nutrient and sediment loading into nearby rivers. Wetlands on the 274-acre property, as well as Dumke Lake, mitigate the flood potential from storm events. In total, the Wildlife Area has the ability to absorb and hold about 18 million gallons of water on site thereby moderating flood risk and sequestering nutrients and sediments that could otherwise harm the Great Lakes. 40 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Project helps reduce runoff on a dairy farm NEAR GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN Runoff from dairy farms with high nutrient levels can cause algal blooms, but the Brickstead Dairy is working to reduce the amount of nutrients that enter surface water to protect water quality. PROJECT NAME: Fox River Phosphorous Pilot Project DESCRIPTION: Fertilizer and manure runoff from farms is a major cause of poor water quality in the Great Lakes, especially in the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin. To address this issue, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is focusing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding in the Lower Fox River watershed. In 2012, the program worked with farmers on over 20,000 acres of agricultural land. Nutrient management plans and cover crops on 4,000 acres have improved water quality, allowing aquatic life to return. One such farm, Brickstead Dairy, with NRCS assistance, is installing grassed waterways, basins to control water and catch sediment, cover crops as well as a number of other practices that will prevent soil loss, reduce runoff, and improve water quality. Installation of these conservation practices will also greatly improve the soil health and soil quality on the farm. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $3,000,000 for the entire 20,000-acre pilot project with some funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: High nutrient levels in the water, high sediment levels in the water, algal blooms Restoration Initiative, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department, Outagamie County Land Conservation Department, Calumet County Land and Water Conservation Department, Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department, Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Design, engineering, and construction services WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/1eshlq J RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Nutrient management plans on Brickstead Dairy are improving water quality, allowing aquatic life to return. Cover crops have been planted on 100 acres, which hold soil in place during the winter, further preventing sediment loss into nearby lakes and rivers. Over three miles of grassed waterways are planned these will slow the speed of runoff, allowing the water to slowly absorb into the soil and preventing any excess nutrients or sediment in the runoff from reaching streams. Edge-of-field and in-stream monitoring stations have been installed to measure the water quality improvements as a result of implementation of conservation practices. Brickstead Dairy has planted cover crops on over 100 acres to prevent erosion, holding nutrients in the soil and keeping them out of nearby waterways. Photo courtesy of the USDA-NRCS. Grassed waterways are a key practice to intercept runoff and trap sediment from cropland. The Brickstead Dairy will be installing over three miles of grassed waterways using Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding. Photo courtesy of the USDA-NRCS. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 41

A city reconnects to its river RACINE, WISCONSIN A view of the Root River marina looking towards Racine and Lake Michigan. Photo courtesy of the Root River Council. A couple enjoys kayaking down the Root River as a train uses the trestle to cross into town. Photo courtesy of the Root River Council. Stabilizing the river banks, removing invasive species, installing rain gardens and adding a park along the Root River has improved the health of the river, while providing public access. With more people appreciating and benefitting from the river, the Root River Council hopes there will be an increased understanding of the importance of keeping the river healthy. Future goals include installing more rain gardens, permeable pavement, green rooftops, and rain barrels. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $3,500,000 PROJECT NAME: Restoring the Urban Root River DESCRIPTION: The Root River runs through the town of Racine, Wis., into Lake Michigan, and for the early life of the town the river was used by industry, heavily developed, and its water quality degraded. With the decline of the industrial economy, the town has reimagined its relationship with the river. Newly added green spaces and parks on either side of the river allow the public to enjoy the space, provide habitat for wildlife, and stabilize the riverbanks to prevent erosion. Thick grasses on either side of the riverbank prevent the aggressive colonization of geese. Waterfront property that currently consists of brownfield sites or abandoned industrial buildings will be actively redeveloped with the hopes of increasing community enjoyment of and involvement in the river. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Lack of access to the river, unused industrial buildings, degraded nearshore habitat KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, City of Racine Community Development Block Grants, S.C. Johnson Fund, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Construction workers, park designers, heavy equipment operators, engineers, and general laborers WEB SITE: http://rootrivercouncil.org/ RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The health of the Root River has been improved by removing invasive species, installing rain gardens, and plantings that prevent erosion. Buckthorn and non-native honeysuckle used to line the riverbanks, doing very little to stop erosion. These species were removed and native plants were used to stabilize the riverbank. Holding ponds and basins have been installed beside the river to slow runoff and filter out sediment before the water makes its way into the main channel. Both of these changes have improved water quality. The rain gardens that are currently installed around the city also contribute to water quality by slowing the rate at which water enters the river and allowing plants to absorb some of the excess nutrients in the stormwater that would otherwise cause algal blooms in the water. In the future the community hopes to focus on repurposing old industrial buildings to keep up the momentum that is bringing the city of Racine back to its river. 42 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

A brewery complex renewed with blue ribbon practices MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN The former Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery is being turned into a sustainable neighborhood that follows best stormwater management practices and is now able to absorb 75 percent of the stormwater that falls on the site, in the process preventing 85 percent of the pollutants in the stormwater from reaching the city s drains. PROJECT NAME: Sustainable Brewery Redevelopment DESCRIPTION: The old, abandoned Pabst brewery complex is being given new life. The 25-acre site of the former brewery is being repurposed into a neighborhood with hotels, apartments, offices, and bars. The buildings that could not be repurposed were removed, but 95 percent of the materials were recycled or reused. The stormwater that falls on the complex is directed to filtration areas under the site where it drains more slowly so as not to overwhelm the sewer system. Other features include porous pavement, bioswales, and tree lawns open enough to accommodate the full height of mature trees, thereby minimizing tree culling. Once buildings are purchased the owners must disconnect them from the city sewerage system and redirect the water flow from the rooftops into the retention areas on site. APPROXIMATE COST OF THE PROJECT: $1,700,000 for the total project; to date $1,000,000 has been spent RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Brownfield site with contaminated soil, low water absorption, high levels of runoff KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, Zilber Ltd., State of Wisconsin, and National Park Service Historic Building Tax Credit Program TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: General laborers, construction workers, hydrologists, landscape architects, engineers, and architects WEB SITE: http://www.thebrewerymke.com/index.htm RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The instillation of swales, rain gardens, and large underground water holding tanks that drain slowly has decreased the rate rainwater enters the Milwaukee stormwater system. The Brewery site now absorbs 75 percent of the annual rainfall and through these features it is able to remove 85 percent of the pollutants in the water. The goal is to create a sustainable neighborhood with housing, commercial space, and mixed-use buildings. In the renovated neighborhood, bioswales filter water into a 250,000 gallon reservoir below ground, delaying flood water from entering the town s stormwater system. The native plants are also both drought and salt tolerant important in a cold climate where salt builds up in the streets over the winter. Photo courtesy of Zilber Ltd. The Blue Ribbon Lofts, an apartment complex, which is part of the sustainable redevelopment projects that are helping to reducing runoff. Photo courtesy of Zilber Ltd. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 43

National park culls excess deer to save rare vegetation APOSTLE ISLANDS NATIONAL LAKESHORE NEAR BAYFIELD, WISCONSIN Federal officials culled excess deer that were decimating vegetation at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. PROJECT NAME: Great Lakes Ecosystems Protected from Overabundant Wildlife DESCRIPTION: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Lake Superior is comprised of 22 islands offshore of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Whitetail deer were rare on the islands until the 1950s, when the population increased on several islands. Since 2000, the deer population has exploded on two of the islands: Sand Island and York Island. The animals flourished on those islands because they feasted on Canada yew, an evergreen shrub and a remnant of hardwood forests that were widespread in the northern Great Lakes in the 1800s. Logging, development, and a growing deer herd have eliminated most yew from the region s forests. The Apostle Islands are home to some of largest remaining stands of Canada yew in the region. National Park Service officials concluded that it was necessary to kill as many deer as possible on York and Sand islands to protect the native shrubs, which can grow to eight-feettall. The agency in 2005 tried to thin the deer herd by extending the hunting season, but hunters didn t kill enough of the animals. Funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative allowed the Park Service to bring in sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Since 2009, marksmen have killed about 150 deer on Sand Island and an estimated 30 deer on the 300-acre York Island. Continued hunting has kept deer from re-populating either of those islands. Restoration Initiative, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Geological Survey s Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Wisconsin TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, ecologists, sharpshooters, and truck drivers who delivered hundreds of pounds of venison to needy families in the area WEB SITE: www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm A researcher takes stock of Canada yew on York Island in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Photo courtesy of National Park Service. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $822,000, which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Excessive deer browsing of one of the region s largest stands of Canada yew, and loss of wildlife habitat RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The deer cull removed a total of nearly 200 deer on Sand and York islands, which has allowed stands of Canada yew to recover. 44 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Project protects valuable bird habitat PIERCE, WISCONSIN The confluence of Mashek Creek and Lake Michigan. Photo courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A land purchase in northern Wisconsin increased public access to the Lake Michigan shoreline and protected valuable bird habitat. PROJECT NAME: Mashek Creek Property Acquisition protected the site s ecological values and provided new recreational opportunities and educational programs. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $1.1 million. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources each contributed $398,000 toward the purchase price. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided the NOAA funds. DESCRIPTION: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to acquire a parcel of land where Mashek Creek flows into Lake Michigan. The property includes 1,700 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline and 1,400 feet of frontage on both sides of Mashek Creek. Wooded areas on the site provide stopover habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds and raptors that move along the shores of Lake Michigan. Salmon and steelhead migrate into the creek from Lake Michigan, creating fishing opportunities. The acquisition provided the first public parcel along the shores of Lake Michigan in Kewaunee County. The land buy RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of migratory bird habitat, public access to the Lake Michigan shoreline Restoration Initiative, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Property appraiser, mortgage broker, land acquisition specialists WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/11cjbu9 RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The purchase increased public access to the Lake Michigan shoreline while protecting an ecologically valuable parcel of coastline, forest and Mashek Creek. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 45

Massive Buffalo River cleanup reaches halfway point BUFFALO, NEW YORK The first phase of a massive sediment cleanup in the Buffalo River is already producing results. PROJECT NAME: Buffalo River Sediment Cleanup and Habitat Restoration DESCRIPTION: The Buffalo River was one of several Great Lakes rivers that were so polluted they caught fire in the 1950s and 60s. Local industries and municipalities treated the Buffalo River as an open sewer for much of the 20th century, dumping toxic chemicals and raw sewage into the waterway. The result was a horribly polluted river, nearly devoid of life, that also pumped toxic contaminants into Lake Erie and the Niagara River. Historic pollution poisoned miles of the river s muddy bottom with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals. The river was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern in 1987. Now Buffalo s namesake river is undergoing a dramatic transformation, thanks to a $44 million project that is one of the largest river cleanups ever in the United States. The project will improve water quality, create new habitat for fish and wildlife, and improve navigation in the City Shipping Canal. Crews are roughly halfway through a project that will remove one million cubic yards of toxic sediment from the river. A prolonged effort to restore a 6.2-mile stretch of the river has Crews are roughly halfway through dredging one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Buffalo River. Photo courtesy of New York Department of Environmental Conservation. already produced dramatic improvements. Thirty species of fish now live in parts of the river that were once too contaminated to support any fish, and an area of the river referred to in the past as a repulsive holding pond is now home to marinas. Local residents are rediscovering the river, which has become a centerpiece in efforts to revitalize downtown Buffalo once known as the Queen City of the Great Lakes. In 2011-2012, crews removed 550,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the middle of the river. The second phase of the cleanup, which began in October 2013, will remove another 488,000 cubic yards of toxic mud (about 33,000 truckloads of toxic mud) from the sides of the river. Once the dredging of contaminated sediment is complete, crews will restore fish and wildlife habitat in and along the river. The project will be complete in 2015. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $44 million, which includes $23 million for the second phase of the sediment cleanup, which began in October 2013. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funded much of the project. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Contaminated sediment, which poisoned aquatic life and posed health threats to wildlife and humans that ate fish from the river. The contaminated sediment left parts of the river devoid of life and were an ongoing source of contaminants entering Lake Erie and the Niagara River. Restoration Initiative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Great Lakes National Program Office, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honeywell, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the City of Buffalo, and Erie County TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Chemists, toxicologists, biologists, civil and chemical engineers, dredge operators, heavy equipment operators, and general laborers WEB SITE: www.buffaloriverrestoration.org RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Crews have already removed 550,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river and will dredge another 488,000 cubic yards of toxic mud from the river bottom by the end of 2014. The dredging operation and earlier restoration activities have resulted in numerous species of fish and other aquatic life returning to parts of the river that were once dead. Removing one million cubic yards of toxic sediment will reduce human exposure to contaminants through direct contact with the polluted river bottom or from consuming contaminated fish. The work will also improve navigation, reduce the need for future dredging and advance efforts to get the Buffalo River removed from a list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. 46 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

New sea lamprey barrier protects Lake Ontario fishery NEAR ALTMAR, NEW YORK A new sea lamprey barrier and trap in New York s Orwell Brook will protect fish in Lake Ontario and reduce the cost of controlling the deadly invader s population. PROJECT NAME: Orwell Brook Sea Lamprey Barrier DESCRIPTION: The sea lamprey is one of the most destructive invasive species in the Great Lakes. The eel-like fish, which cling to trout, salmon and whitefish and suck out their blood and other bodily fluids, decimated Great Lakes fish populations in the 1930s and 40s. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has been controlling sea lamprey populations since the 1950s, primarily by treating streams with chemical lampricides. In June, a new weapon was added to the sea lamprey control program arsenal: a sea lamprey barrier and trap in New York s Orwell Brook. The barrier will reduce lampricide treatments that have been conducted on the brook since 2007. Orwell and Pekin brooks, which flow into Lake Ontario s Salmon River, produce tens of thousands of sea lamprey larvae annually. Those lamprey eventually move into Lake Ontario to feast on trout, whitefish and salmon before returning to the stream to spawn. A single female lamprey can produce more than 100,000 eggs, and each adult lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish annually. The new barrier at Orwell Brook is an adjustable crest, low-head barrier that blocks sea lamprey from spawning in the stream while allowing steelhead and Atlantic salmon to bypass the structure and migrate further upstream. The barrier also captures sea lamprey in a built-in trap. Ending the use of chemical lampricides in Orwell Brook, above the new barrier, will save hundreds of thousands of dollars in treatment costs. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $350,000, which was provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Invasive species, loss of desirable sport and commercial fish KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): Great Lakes Fishery Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Canada s Department of Fisheries and Oceans TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Engineers, biologists, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/11b7isx The new sea lamprey barrier in New York s Orwell Brook. Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Fishery Commission. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The new barrier will reduce sea lamprey populations in Orwell Brook and Lake Ontario, which will benefit the lake s trout and salmon fisheries, and reduce the cost of controlling the sea lamprey population. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 47

Buffalo River undergoing transformation BUFFALO, NEW YORK A nearly mile-long section of the Buffalo River is being transformed from an industrial wasteland into a greenway that beautifies the community, improves water quality and creates new wildlife habitat. PROJECT NAME: Buffalo River Bend Restoration Project DESCRIPTION: A stretch of the Buffalo River known as the River Bend was a heavily industrialized area for much of the 20th century. The Republic Steel and Donner Hanna Coke facilities operated there for several decades. Those factories were just two of many industrial operations that dominated the Buffalo River shoreline in the last half of the 20th century and left the river in ruin. The river caught fire in the 1960s and the federal government declared it a dead waterway. In 1987, the river was declared a Great Lakes Area of Concern. Since then, local nonprofit organizations and government agencies have worked together to clean up the river and make it a centerpiece of downtown Buffalo. A cleanup of industrial waste and pollutants at the River Bend site was completed in 2007, clearing the way for efforts to restore 10 acres of riparian habitat along a nearly one-mile long stretch of the river s shoreline. Restoring natural habitat at the River Bend site was identified as a high priority in the Buffalo River Remedial Action Plan. The first phase of the project which restored 2,800 feet of shoreline by removing invasive plants, cleaning up 1,200 cubic yards of debris and planting more than 2,000 native trees and other vegetation was completed in 2013. Future plans call for planting another 750 trees at the site and eventually developing a trail system along the Buffalo River corridor. The trail would provide the community and visitors with a multi-use trail and public access to the waterway. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: Nearly $1 million, much of which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, nearshore pollution and invasive species Restoration Initiative, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, U.S. Environ mental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Biologists, ecologists, landscape architects, heavy equipment operators and general laborers. More than 50 local construction workers and professionals worked on the project. WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1bmiwls A stretch of the Buffalo River, part of the Area of Concern, is dredged. Photo from Flickr/USACE HQ. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The first phase of the project restored more than 2,800 linear feet of the River Bend by removing 1,200 cubic yards of debris and planting more than 2,000 native trees and other vegetation. 48 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Lake trout making a comeback in Niagara River LEWISTON, NEW YORK New research findings are advancing efforts to restore the Niagara River lake trout population. PROJECT NAME: Lake Trout and Lake Sturgeon Research and Restoration in the Niagara River DESCRIPTION: Lake trout were a top fish predator in the Great Lakes for thousands of years, until invasive sea lamprey spread throughout the lakes in the 1940s. Sea lamprey, an eel-like fish that clings to lake trout and sucks their blood and bodily fluids, decimated lake trout populations throughout the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has spent $20 million annually since the 1960s to control sea lamprey populations, which has helped lake trout restoration efforts. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation began stocking lake trout in Lake Ontario in the 1970s in an attempt to rebuild the population. Naturally reproduced lake trout have been collected in the Niagara River since 1994, during population assessments. Lake trout are normally reef spawners, and spawn in lakes, but in 2005 researchers confirmed that lake trout were spawning in the lower Niagara River. That discovery led researchers to tag and track 18 lake trout to identify a suitable spawning site for the fish. In 2011, researchers collected live lake trout larvae in nets in the Niagara River, near Lewiston. The discovery was the first confirmation of successful lake trout spawning in the Niagara River. The finding will help researchers determine where more lake trout could spawn in the river and advance efforts to bolster the lake trout population. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds are funding similar research on lake sturgeon in the Niagara River. Scientists are working to identify suitable sturgeon spawning areas in the river, which would bolster efforts to restore the sturgeon population. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $600,000, most of which was provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish habitat, depressed populations of lake trout and lake sturgeon due to invasive species, pollution and other issues affecting fish in the Niagara River Restoration Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Fishery biologists, technicians and general laborers WEB SITE: http://1.usa.gov/14twyk5 Lake Trout eggs are received by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for hatching. If Lake Trout could once again spawn naturally in the Great Lakes, this kind of artificial hatchery would no longer be as necessary. Photo from Flickr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- Northeast Region. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee shows off a lake trout. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Scientists identified the first lake trout spawning site in the Niagara River and natural reproduction by the imperiled fish. The discovery will bolster efforts to restore the lake trout and lake sturgeon populations in the Niagara River. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 49

Restoring fish habitat by getting the wood out DULUTH, MINNESOTA Thousands of tons of wood waste are being removed from the St. Louis River estuary to restore fish habitat. PROJECT NAME: Restoration of Radio Tower Bay in the St. Louis River Area of Concern DESCRIPTION: In the late 1800s, two sawmills and a railroad crossing were built on wood pilings that were pounded into the bottom of Radio Tower Bay, in the St. Louis River estuary. The river is a major tributary of Lake Superior and its estuary is the largest coastal wetland in the Lake Superior basin. The sawmills dumped thousands of tons of wood waste sawdust, slab wood, and other debris in Radio Tower Bay. Those disposal practices, which were unregulated at the time, buried valuable fish habitat and left a layer of wood waste on the bottom of the bay that ranged from four feet to eight feet thick. The wood waste was one of many environmental problems that resulted in the St. Louis River and Bay being designated one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern in 1987. In 2012, workers removed 250 derelict wood pilings from the bay. Crews deployed massive equipment that used vibration and brute force to extract the pilings from the icecovered bay. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2013 awarded another $1.5 million grant to continue the removal of wood waste from Radio Tower Bay. Once complete, the project will restore the natural depth of the bay, rehabilitate about 40 acres of fish and wildlife habitat, and improve public access to the bay. Achieving that will require removing about 41,000 tons of wood waste, concrete pylons, and 100,000 cubic yards of excess sediment from the bay. The work will restore prime habitat for walleye, lake sturgeon and other fish species. The Radio Tower Bay cleanup is part of a larger effort to restore 1,400 acres of fish and wildlife habitat in the lower St. Louis River, and get the river de-listed as a list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The wood waste extracted from the bay will be recycled. Wood waste that was dumped into Radio Tower Bay harmed fish habitat and prevented public access to the bay for more than a century. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Land Trust. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $900,000 for the first phase of the project, much of which was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The federal government in 2013 allocated another $1.5 million to complete the project. RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degraded water quality, and loss of public access to Radio Tower Bay Restoration Initiative, St. Louis River Alliance, Minnesota Land Trust, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Civil engineers, heavy equipment operators, general laborers, engineers, and biologists WEB SITE: www.mnland.org/st-louis-estuary RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: During the first phase of the project, crews removed 146 metric tons of wood waste from the bay, including 250 wood pilings. The entire project will remove nearly 117,000 cubic yards of wood waste from Radio Tower Bay, restore the natural depth of the bay and 40 acres of fish habitat. 50 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

Project turns industrial wasteland into natural wonder DULUTH, MINNESOTA A former industrial wasteland in the Duluth- Superior harbor is now of the region s best birding areas. PROJECT NAME: Grassy Point Restoration DESCRIPTION: Grassy Point is a 100-acre estuary in the lower the St. Louis, near the river s confluence with Lake Superior. It was one of many coastal wetlands that ringed Duluth-Superior harbor before logging companies transformed it into an industrial port in the late-1800s and early 1900s. Before the logging companies arrived, natural grasses in the lower St. Louis River were so abundant that some explorers struggled to find the river channel, according to published reports. By 1890, several sawmills around the harbor were churning out lumber harvested from hillsides surrounding the bay and beyond. The mills were erected just off-shore, so that logs could be floated up and then processed wood was loaded on railroad spurs raised above the water. In the infamous 1918 Cloquet fire, the mills burned down. Remnants of some mills still poke above the water. The fire broke out near the end of the logging era that swept across the Great Lakes basin, and the lumber mills were never rebuilt. The mills did leave a lasting reminder of logging operations in the bay: Tons of timber and wood waste. Layers of soggy wood waste, up to 16-feet-deep in some areas, suffocated fish and wildlife habitat at Grassy Point. Local, state and federal officials launched a plan in the early-1990s to restore the site. To make the wetland suitable again for fish and wildlife, crews used backhoes to remove tons of soggy wood waste and restore natural channels. Workers then reseeded the marsh by tossing bags of rocks laced with seeds into the water, where they sank to the bottom. Crews also planted cedars and white pine, extended a bike path into the site, built a boardwalk and a viewing platform for birders. The restoration work was completed in 1996. The site is now home to dozens of fish, waterfowl and other wildlife. It is considered one of the best spring birding areas in the Duluth area. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $340,000, half of which was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Great Lakes National Program Office RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Loss of coastal wetlands and the fish and wildlife habitat they provided KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, City of Duluth, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Great Lakes National Program Office TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Fish and wildlife biologists, ecologists, landscape architects, heavy equipment operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/1ky51fp After a century of neglect, the restored Grassy Point now attracts numerous species of fish, birds, and other wildlife. Photo courtesy of Global Restoration Network. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Removing 11,000 cubic yards of wood waste from the wetland at Grassy Point created wildlife habitat that attracts dozens of bird species every spring. New trails provided public access to the site. HEALING OUR WATERS GREAT LAKES COALITION HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/ 51

Cleanup gives new life to Minnesota waterway DULUTH HARBOR IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA Fish and wildlife have returned to a Minnesota waterway that for decades was one of the worst pollution sites in the Great Lakes. PROJECT NAME: Stryker Bay Cleanup DESCRIPTION: Stryker Bay is a 41-acre bay in Duluth Harbor, where the St. Louis River enters Lake Superior. From the late 1800s through the 1960s, tar and coke factories, meatpacking plants and other heavy industry ringed Duluth Harbor. Those factories discharged a massive toxic stew into the harbor, much of which settled in sediment at the bottom of Stryker Bay. Officials at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency began working on a cleanup in 1979, and the site was placed on the federal Superfund list in 1983. The dredging of contaminated sediments began in 2006 and was completed in 2010. The project removed about 200,000 cubic yards of toxic mud from the bottom of the bay; another 175,000 acres of contaminated sediment were left in the bay and capped with a layer of clean sand and a carbon mat designed to permanently isolate the contaminants from the waters of Duluth Harbor. The project also created about 13 acres of green space by capping two former industrial boat slips that were severely polluted. That green space provided habitat for migratory birds and endangered piping plovers. APPROXIMATE COST OF PROJECT: $62 million RESOURCE CHALLENGES ADDRESSED: Contaminated sediments, impaired water quality and loss of fish and wildlife habitat KEY PARTNERS (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE): U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Superfund program, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Louis River Alliance. Three companies that were deemed responsible for polluting the bay XIK (the successor of Interlake), Honeywell Inc. and domtar Inc. funded most of the cleanup. TYPES OF JOBS CREATED: Chemists, toxicologists, biologists, ecologists, dredge operators, heavy equipment operators, wastewater treatment plant operators and general laborers WEB SITE: http://bit.ly/11agxvs Fish and wildlife have returned to Stryker Bay. Photo courtesy of Duluth News-Tribune. Just beyond the Richard I. Bong memorial bridge in Duluth, Minn. are several small bays, including Stryker Bay. Photo from Flickr/davef3138. RESULTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Fish and wildlife have returned to the bay and it is now safe to swim in the water. In 2013, the city of Duluth received a $303,787 grant to clean up a 6.65-acre parcel of land adjacent to Stryker Bay. The site will be redeveloped into a 7,200 square foot building that will house an office, warehouse and fabrication shop for a local manufacturer. 52 GREAT LAKES RESTORATION PROJECTS PRODUCING RESULTS FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES

NOW YOU CAN FIND GREAT LAKES SUCCESS STORIES NEAR YOU! The Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition has documented more than 100 restoration success stories tales of reclaimed rivers and restored harbors, clean beaches and rejuvenated waterfronts. Those stories are on a new interactive map at: WWW.HEALTHYLAKES.ORG/MAP You can also let us know about success stories near you. Contact Jordan Lubetkin at lubetkin@nwf.org or 734-887-7109. Muskego Lakes Wildlife Area. Photo courtesy of the Conservation Fund. Lake Sturgeon Imprinting Project. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (Above and Below) Migratory Flyway on Lake Michigan. Photo Courtesy of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.