In 2007, Milwaukee Riverkeeper (then Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers) successfully nominated the Kinnickinnic River for one of the nation’s Most Endangered Rivers. Our objective was to shed some light and advocate for funding for this river that had been neglected—laced with toxic contamination, lined with concrete, degraded, and ignored over the years. Yesterday, work began to help restore this endangered river, and reclaim the benefits that this river once provided to people, fish, wildlife, local businesses, and the community at large.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources held a press conference yesterday to initiate the $22 million cleanup of the Kinnickinnic River from West Becher Street downstream to South Kinnickinnic Avenue. Over 170,000 cubic yards of PCB and PAH contaminated sediment will be removed from the river using $14.3 million from the Great Lakes Legacy Act fund and $7.7 million from a state of Wisconsin bond fund. Dredging will be complete by the end of the year, with contaminated sediments transported by barge and disposed of in a specially contained “cell” of the Milwaukee Confined Disposal Facility (near the Lake Express Terminal).

The KK will be generally be open from 10 AM to 2 PM each day from May 26th to December 31, 2009. The rest of the time, the river will be closed for dredging. Notice to Mariners: Tune your radio to VHF Channel 22 for Safety Zone Restrictions during this time, obey posted signage, and use VHF Channel 16 to declare emergencies. You can also contact the U.S. Coast Guard with any queries/concerns at (414) 747-7190 or the CH2M Hill KK River line at (414) 294-4820.