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The Calumet River refers to a system of heavily industrialized rivers in the region around South Chicago and Gary, Indiana. South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, located on the southeast side of the city, is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. ...
Gary is the largest city in Lake County in Northwest Indiana, USA. The city is located on the southeastern corner of the Chicagoland metropolitan area approximately 27 miles (43 kilometers) from downtown Chicago. ...
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. A Lakota (Sioux) peace pipe pipestem, without the pipe itself, displayed at the United States Library of Congress A peace pipe, also called a calumet or medicine pipe, is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by many Native American tribes. ...
The Illiniwek (also known as the Illini, Illinois, Illinois Confederacy, etc) were a group of sixNative American tribes in the upper Mississippi River valley of North America. ...
Father Jacques Marquette (French: Père Jacques Marquette) (10 June 1637–May 18, 1675) and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to see and map the Mississippi River. ...
Original Course Before human alteration, water flowed westward along the Little Calumet River, made a complete turn, and flowed east along the Grand Calumet into Lake Michigan at present day Portage, Indiana. Sunset on Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ...
Portage is a city located in Porter County, Indiana. ...
Parts of the Calumet River system
Calumet River The Calumet River is an artificial canal in the south side of Chicago. The canal was dug to drain the industrial area and provide ships access to the Cal-Sag Channel and Lake Calumet. Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ...
Lake Calumet is the largest body of water within the city of Chicago, Illinois. ...
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). Gary is the largest city in Lake County in Northwest Indiana, USA. The city is located on the southeastern corner of the Chicagoland metropolitan area approximately 27 miles (43 kilometers) from downtown Chicago. ...
East Chicago is a city located in Lake County, Indiana, opposite Chicago, Illinois. ...
Official website: http://www. ...
Sunset on Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ...
Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is an artificial waterway in East Chicago, Indiana which connects the Grand Calumet River to Lake Michigan. ...
In the context of creating Plutonium at the Hanford Site, effluent refers to the cooling water that is discharged from a nuclear reactor that may or may not be radioactive. ...
Little Calumet River The Little Calumet River flows south of Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond. The Little Claumet flows into the Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel.
Cal-Sag Channel The Cal-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 Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ...
Cook County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 340 km 629 km 4. ...
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is the only shipping link between the Great Lakes (specifically Lake Michigan by the Chicago River) with the Mississippi River system, by way of the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers. ...
Historically, the Cal-Sag Channel served 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. While the channel continues to be maintained for this purpose, as of 2006 it was used more as a conduit for wastewater from southern Cook County, including the Chicago-area Deep Tunnel project, into the Illinois Waterway. Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning compared to light industry. ...
Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ...
The Illinois waterway system is consisted of 336 miles of water. ...
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.
Problems with the urban river 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. Labelling transformers containing PCBs. ...
Pah: God of the Moon. ...
The term heavy metal may have various more general or more specific meanings. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 200. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number cadmium, Cd, 48 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 5, d Appearance silvery gray metallic Atomic mass 112. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number chromium, Cr, 24 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 6, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Atomic mass 51. ...
This article is about the chemical element. ...
Binomial name Escherichia coli T. Escherich, 1885 Escherichia coli (usually abbreviated to E. coli) is one of the main species of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of warm-blooded animals (including birds and mammals) and are necessary for the proper digestion of food. ...
BOD - biochemical (biological) oxygen demand is a test used to measure the concentration of biodegradable organic matter present in a sample of water. ...
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.
Checking the status of a cleanup site Superfund is the common name for the United States environmental law that is officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601 to 9675, which was enacted by the United States Congress on December 11...
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. General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Atomic mass 74. ...
A cyanide is any chemical compound that contains the cyano group C≡N, with the carbon atom triple-bonded to the nitrogen atom. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ...
Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ...
Swale is a local government district in Kent, England. ...
Franklins ground squirrel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
Binomial name Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook, 1838) The Blandings Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a species of the genus, Emydoidea. ...
Species see text The Glass Lizards, genus Ophisaurus, are a group of reptiles that resemble snakes, but are actually lizards. ...
Binomial name Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758) The Black-crowned Night Heron (in Europe, often just Night Heron), Nycticorax nycticorax, is a medium-sized heron. ...
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
Eutrophication is apparent as increased turbidity in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, imaged from orbit. ...
Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton Phytoplankton refers to the autotrophic component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. ...
Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton is the aggregate community of weakly swimming but mostly drifting small organisms that inhabit the water column of the ocean, seas, and bodies of freshwater. ...
Progress and improvements Recent achievements and other projects: - U.S. Steel Gary Works plans to begin dredging the East Branch of the Grand Calumet River. The project should begin in 2002 and will last 3 years.
- On July 20, 2001, the City of Hammond, Indiana acquired the north basin of George Lake. The City of Hammond will consult with the George Lake Watershed-Environmental Advisory Committee on how to restore, preserve and enhance George Lake.
- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is working with the RAP technical workgroup, USEPA and GLNPO to develop the AOC delisting guide document. Work began in June 2001.
- IDEM completes technical work for the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessment, May 2001.
- IDEM and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service release the Sediment Injury Report for the Grand Calumet River as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), April 2001.
- IDEM and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant sponsor: The First Biannual Grand Calumet River: Science in the Area of Concern Symposium at Indiana University Northwest, March 30, 2001.
Official website: http://www. ...
The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ...
Indiana University Northwest Indiana University Northwest (IUN) is a regional campus in the Indiana University system located in Gary, Indiana. ...
Source This public domain government website. - Prairie Rivers Network
- TopoZone, Cal Sag and Little Calumet
- TopoZone, Lake Calumet
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