Welcome to the Kalamazoo River Webline!

Project Update: Plainwell Cleanup

Project Photo: The Kalamazoo River is now bypassing the old Plainwell Dam. The photograph above, taken during the week of December 1, shows water flowing through a new western channel.

Major construction work on the Plainwell Cleanup effort is complete. Representatives of the Kalamazoo River Study Group (KRSG) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) met with media representatives at the work site on November 25, 2008. The media had an opportunity to capture footage and photographs of the removal of the water control structure and preview the upcoming reopening of the river in this stretch. Click here for recent summary information on the project.

Building on the success of the Plainwell Cleanup, the Kalamazoo River Study Group (KRSG) has proposed conducting similar projects in other areas of the Site while continuing the ongoing Supplemental Investigation efforts. For example, representatives from KRSG, USEPA, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and the Natural Resource Trustees are currently discussing the extension of the Plainwell work to include a focused cleanup in the Plainwell No. 2 Dam area located approximately 3.5 miles upstream of the former Plainwell Dam. Future discussions between KRSG and the regulatory partners will be scheduled to consider implementing Plainwell-like cleanup actions in the reaches of the river upstream of the Otsego City and Otsego Dams.

Project Update: Supplemental Remedial Investigations

Supplemental Investigation activities in Area 1 (Morrow Dam to Plainwell Dam) are currently in progress. The schedule for starting Supplemental Investigation activities in Areas 2 through 7 of the Site was approved by USEPA in September 2008. The start dates mark the beginning of the planning process, and the KRSG will submit an Area-specific work plan to USEPA within 90 days of each start date. Click here to see a map of the investigation areas.

Fish Consumption Advisories for the Kalamazoo River

The Michigan Department of Community Health issues a Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide that includes recommendations on ways to "get the benefits of eating fish without the risks from chemical contamination." Tips on fish preparation methods are included along with specific fish consumption advice by water body, fish species, and fish length. The MDCH´s recommendations for the Kalamazoo River are listed on pages 38 and 39 of the guide. Read the most recent Consumption Guide.