Calumet River

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The Little Calumet River, with the Chicago Skyway traversing it.

The Calumet River refers to a system of heavily industrialized rivers and canals in the region around South Chicago and Gary, Indiana.

1 Origin of Name
2 Original Course
3 Parts of the Calumet River system
4 Problems with the urban river
- 4.1 Nonpoint sources
- 4.2 Point sources of contaminants
5 Effects of pollution
6 Source
7 See also

[edit] Origin of Name

The name "Calumet" refers to the calumet, an elaborate pipe that served as a universal sign of peace among the Illiniwek, and which was presented to Pere Marquette in 1673.

[edit] Original Course

The area is extremely flat and the course and even the direction of the river system has changed repeatedly. The low gradient gives the river only a very small current. Before human alteration, water flowed westward from LaPorte County, Indiana along the Little Calumet River, made a complete turn, and flowed east along the Grand Calumet into Lake Michigan at the Miller section of Gary, Indiana.

[edit] Parts of the Calumet River system

[edit] Calumet River

The Calumet River, on the south side of Chicago, originally simply drained Lake Calumet to Lake Michigan. A canal extending it, legendarily claimed to have been created by voyageurs at the site of a frequent portage, was dug connecting the two Calumet Rivers at the point where the name now changes from Grand to Little.

[edit] Grand Calumet River

The Grand Calumet River, originating in the east end of Gary, Indiana, flows 13 miles (21 km) through the cities of Gary, East Chicago and Hammond. The majority of the river's flow drains into Lake Michigan via the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, sending about 1,500 cubic feet per second (44 m³/s) of water into the lake. Today, 90 percent of the river's flow originates as municipal and industrial effluent, cooling and process water and storm water overflows. Although discharges have been reduced, a number of contaminants continue to impair the area of concern (AOC).

[edit] Little Calumet River

The Little Calumet River flows through or borders the towns of Blue Island, Illinois, Dixmoor, Phoenix, Riverdale, Harvey, Calumet City, Lansing, Dolton, South Holland in Illinois and Hammond, Munster, Griffith, Highland, East Gary in Indiana. The Little Calumet flows into the Calumet River and Cal-Sag Canal. The Little Calumet has 109 miles of river and tributaries and drains 213 square miles.[1]

[edit] Cal-Sag Channel

The Cal-Sag Channel (short for "Calumet Sag Channel") is a navigation canal in southern Cook County, Illinois. It serves as a channel between the Little Calumet River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. It is 16 miles (26 km) long and was dug over an 11-year period, from 1911 until 1922.

The Cal-Sag Channel serves barge traffic in what was an active zone of heavy industry in the far southern neighborhoods of the city of Chicago, Illinois and adjacent suburbs. As of 2006 it is also used more as a conduit for wastewater from southern Cook County, including the Chicago-area Deep Tunnel Project, into the Illinois Waterway. It is also used by pleasure crafts in the summer time.

The western 4.5 miles (7.3 km) of the channel flow through the Palos Hills Forest Preserves, a large area of parkland operated by Cook County Forest Preserve.

[edit] Problems with the urban river

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Problems in the area of concern include contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, such as mercury, cadmium, chromium and lead. Additional problems include high fecal coliform bacteria levels, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids, oil and grease. These contaminants originate from both point and nonpoint sources.

[edit] Nonpoint sources

Contaminated Sediment. The Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor and Canal contain 5 to 10 million cubic yards (3.9 to 7.7 million m³) of contaminated sediment up to 20 feet (6 m) deep. Contaminants include toxic compounds (e.g., PAHs, PCBs and heavy metals) and conventional pollutants (e.g., phosphorus, nitrogen, iron, magnesium, volatile solids, oil and grease).
Industrial Waste Site Runoff. Stormwater runoff and leachate from 11 of 38 waste disposal and storage sites in the area of concern, located within 0.2 miles (300 m) of the river, are degrading AOC water quality. Contaminants include oil, heavy metals, arsenic, PCBs, PAHs and lead.
CERCLA Sites. There are 52 sites in the area of concern listed in the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability System (CERCLA). Five of these sites are Superfund sites on the National Priorities List (NPL).
Hazardous Waste Sites under RCRA. There are 423 hazardous waste sites in the AOC regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), such as landfills or surface impoundments, where hazardous waste is disposed. Twenty-two of these sites are treatment, storage and disposal facilities.
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs). There are more than 460 underground storage tanks in the AOC. More than 150 leaking tank reports have been filed for the Lake County section of the AOC since mid-1987.
Atmospheric Deposition. Atmospheric deposition of toxic substances from fossil fuel burning, waste incineration and evaporation enter the AOC through direct contact with water, surface water runoff and leaching of accumulated materials deposited on land. Toxins from this source include dioxins, PCBs, insecticides and heavy metals.
Urban Runoff. Rain water passing over paved urban areas washes grease, oil and toxic organics such as PCBs and PAHs into AOC surface waters.
Contaminated Groundwater. Groundwater contaminated with organic compounds, heavy metals and petroleum products contaminates AOC surface waters. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) estimates that at least 16.8 million US gallons (64,000 m³) of oil float on top of groundwater beneath the AOC.

[edit] Point sources of contaminants

Industrial and Municipal Wastewater Discharges. Three steel manufacturers contribute 90 percent of industrial point source discharges to the AOC. One chemical manufacturer discharges into the AOC. Permitted discharges include arsenic, cadmium, cyanide, copper, chromium, lead and mercury. Three municipal treatment works (Gary, Hammond and East Chicago Sanitary Districts) discharge treated domestic and industrial wastewater into the AOC.
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Fifteen CSOs contribute untreated municipal waste, including conventional and toxic pollutants, to the AOC. Annually, CSO outfalls discharge an estimated 11 billion US gallons (42,000,000 m³) of raw wastewater into the harbor and river. Approximately 57% of the annual CSO volume is discharged within eight miles (13 km) of Lake Michigan, resulting in nearshore fecal coliform contamination.

Historically, the Grand Calumet River supported highly diverse, globally unique fish and wildlife communities. Today, remnants of this diversity near the AOC are found in the Gibson Woods and Pine nature preserves. These areas contain tracks of dune and swale topography and associated rare plant and animals species, such as Franklin's ground squirrel, Blanding's turtle, the glass lizard and the Black-crowned Night Heron, among others. The problems mentioned above, however, have impaired many desired uses of the AOC.

[edit] Effects of pollution

Total fish consumption restrictions exist for the Grand Calumet River, the Indiana Harbor and the Canal. Partial consumption restrictions exist for all of Lake Michigan. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has identified degraded fish populations, including tainted fish.
Tainting of fish & wildlife flavor
Degradation of fish & wildlife populations. A lack of food, low dissolved oxygen and toxic stress have destabilized river, harbor and canal resident fish communities. Pollution-tolerant species such as carp and oligochates (worms) dominate.
Fish tumors or other deformities
Bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems
Degradation of benthos. Only sludge worms inhabit the Indiana Harbor and ship Canal, suggesting that severe pollution exists. Phytoplankton counts are low in nearshore Lake Michigan.
Restrictions on dredging activities. Due to concern over disposing of contaminated sediments, no dredging activities have occurred since 1972. Accumulated sediment in the harbor and restrictions on sediment removal have reduced shipping capacity 15%, increasing shipping costs.
Eutrophication or undesirable algae
Restrictions on drinking water consumption, or taste & odor
Beach closings. Swimming is prohibited in the river, harbor and canal. The Hammond Beach has been closed for several years.
Degradation of aesthetics. Debris litters the river banks and the canal. The river and harbor often have an oily sheen, and nearshore Lake Michigan waters often appear murky.
Degradation of phytoplankton & zooplankton populations
Added cost to agriculture & industry
Loss of fish & wildlife habitat