Restoration

EPA and Partners Announce Projects to Clean Up Detroit Area Waterways

June 12, 2026

Multiple cleanups around Detroit, including Monguagon Creek, Harbortown and Lower Rouge River’s Old Channel, will help restore the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. EPA and partners have already addressed about 400,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and restored more than 320 acres of habitat within the Detroit River AOC.

EPA, MPCA and Partners Celebrate Completion of St. Louis River Cleanup Projects in Minnesota

May 28, 2026

With the completion of the Thomson Reservoir project, all eight sediment cleanup projects are now complete for the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. More than 1.9 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment have been addressed and over 1,000 acres of habitat have been restored across the AOC.

EPA and Partners Celebrate Completion of Fish Passage Project and Return of Lake Sturgeon in the Milwaukee River

May 13, 2026

The Estabrook Falls Fish Passage Project modified the waterfall which prevented native fish from being able to swim upstream to critical spawning habitat during a majority of the year. After the project was completed, several Lake Sturgeon made their way upstream to Ozaukee County for the first time in over 100 years.

Increasing Habitat and Supporting Native Fish in Saginaw Bay

February 3, 2026

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission completed construction of a nearshore rock reef by Channel Island using GLRI funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Habitat Conservation.

EPA and Partners Announce more than $200 Million to Clean Up Grand Calumet River Area of Concern

January 26, 2026

The project will remove over 240,000 cubic yards of contaminated canal and river bottom sediment and remediate over 100 acres of sediment at two sites in the AOC.

Using GLRI Funds to Set Up Habitat Restoration Projects for Success

November 25, 2025

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and other partners are leveraging funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to advance habitat restoration projects in all eight Great Lakes states.

EPA and EGLE Celebrate Removal of Muskegon Lake Area of Concern from List of Most Environmentally Degraded Areas in the Great Lakes

October 8, 2025

In September, Muskegon Lake became the 8th overall U.S. AOC delisted and the 7th delisted under the GLRI. The designation comes after years of restoration and remediation work which restored more than 134 acres of habitat and 6,000 linear feet of shoreline.

EPA and Partners Celebrate Completion of Major Restoration Work in Ohio’s Cuyahoga River Area of Concern

August 14, 2025

The West Creek Flume Spillway Project, completed with a $7M Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, stabilized 6,500 linear feet of shoreline and restored fish passage.

Habitat Restoration in the Great Lakes: By the Numbers

June 24, 2025

NOAA habitat restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin have strengthened fisheries and ecosystems, benefited local economies as well as, supported resilient communities.

Restoring Habitat for Great Lakes Fisheries on New York’s Salmon River

May 20, 2025

NOAA supports efforts to restore habitat and prevent erosion on the Salmon River in New York, a popular recreational fishing destination. Erosion, sedimentation, and changes to the water flow of the Salmon River have contributed to habitat degradation and threatened the health of the river’s fish population.

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