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Swan Creek

In 2011, a Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) sediment site characterization sampling project to assess the sediment in the lower 2 miles of Swan Creek was conducted. In 2013, a follow-up sampling event was conducted in the lower 4 miles of the creek. Contaminants include oil and grease, mercury, heavy metals, Diesel Range Organics (DRO), Oil Range Organics (ORO), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOC), and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH).

A Data Gap Investigation is expected to be completed in 2021, followed by a Focused Feasibility Study in 2022.

Project Location

The Swan Creek Contaminated Sediment Project Area is approximately 4 miles of lower Swan Creek and extends from the fish passage project at Highland Park downstream to the Maumee River.  Two studies indicated that Swan Creek sediments were contaminated by oil and grease, mercury, heavy metals, Diesel Range Organics (DRO), Oil Range Organics (ORO), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOC), and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH).

Project Benefits

  • Reduce or remove impairments negatively affecting aquatic fish and bug communities.
  • Improve overall environmental health and usability of this area.

Project Objectives

  • Determine if the cleanup of contaminated sediment is warranted and if so, clean up/removal of contaminated sediments.
  • Improve water quality, habitat, and biological communities.
  • Encourage economic redevelopment and reuse of the area.

Project Links

Project Partners

Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA are working with community partners and other federal, state, and local governmental agencies to evaluate and cleanup any contaminated sediments (as appropriate) utilizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and other non-federal funding.

 

FUNDING

This publication was financed in part through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency with funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The contents and views contained within are those of the authors and have not been subject to any Ohio EPA review and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ohio EPA or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.

The Maumee AOC Committee works toward fishable and swimmable waters in the Maumee Area of Concern and delisting the beneficial use impairments. The Committee is working towards all major restoration projects being completed by 2025, through collaboration of partners and volunteer opportunities by its facilitating organization, Partners for Clean Streams. The committee is made up of representatives from various organizations, citizens, businesses and non-government agencies to build long term solutions to the area’s water quality issues.