GREAT LAKES REVIVAL How Restoring Polluted Waters Leads to Rebirth of Great Lakes Communities IAGLR GREAT LAKES REVIVAL How Restoring Polluted Waters Leads to Rebirth of Great Lakes Communities Co-edited by John H. Hartig University of Windsor Gail Krantzberg McMaster University John C. Austin The Brookings Institution Paula McIntyre International Association for Great Lakes Research IAGLR ©2019 International Association for Great Lakes Research 4840 South State Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 USA iaglr.org 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is a collaborative effort among numerous Canadian and U.S. researchers, agencies, institutions, and nongovernmental organizations. Any binational effort covering such a broad scope, by nature, requires considerable collaboration and numerous contributions. Without their significant contributions, this report would not have been possible. We also gratefully acknowledge all the stakeholders in the 43 Areas of Concern over the past 34 years who are the lifeblood of these restoration efforts. The lessons learned presented in this report were developed from a symposium titled “Restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern” convened at the 2017 annual conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research. Symposium co-sponsors included the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, the International Association for Great Lakes Research, the Great Lakes Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and the International Joint Commission. We gratefully acknowledge their contributions and input. This project was made possible by a grant from The Erb Family Foundation to the International Association for Great Lakes Research to review and evaluate what has been achieved and learned over the past more than three decades of the remedial action plan program to clean up Great Lakes Areas of Concern. We are grateful for their support and leadership on Great Lakes issues. The views expressed in the St. Louis River case study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On the cover Background photo: Detroit riverfront circa early 2000s (courtesy of Detroit Riverfront Conservancy) Postcard photos, clockwise, from upper left: Detroit RiverWalk (courtesy of Detroit Riverfront Conservancy); Watching the fire boat on the Cuyahoga River (courtesy of Cuyahoga River Restoration); Collingwood Harbour Yacht Club with The Shipyards in the background (courtesy of FRAM Building Group); Activity along the Buffalo River (courtesy of Joe Cascio); and the Simcoe Wavedeck, Toronto (courtesy of Waterfront Toronto) iii CONTENTS Acknowledgements ...........................................................iii Executive Summary ...........................................................ix 1 Introduction .................................................................. 1 2 Buffalo River Cleanup Improves Buffalo’s Ecological Health, Economy, and Public Spaces ................................................................3 J. Jedlicka and J.H. Hartig 3 The Collingwood Harbour Story: From Shipbuilding Center to Great Lakes Pollution Hot Spot to Waterfront Revitalization ....................................11 G. Krantzberg and N. Farrer 4 Cleveland Flats’ Revitalization Linked to Recovery of the Cuyahoga River ............17 J. Goodman and M. Gigante 5 From Cleanup of the Detroit River to Revitalization of the Waterfront ...............27 J.H. Hartig 6 Economic Benefits of Remediating Contaminated Sediments at Hamilton Harbour’s Randle Reef .......................................................33 K. O’Connor and C. McLaughlin 7 From Lumber to Foundries to Revitalization: The Muskegon Lake Story .............39 K. Evans, P. Isely, and A. Steinman 8 From Cleanup of the River Raisin to Revitalization of Monroe, Michigan .............47 S.J. Bentley, M. Cochran, and J.H. Hartig 9 Economic Benefits Help Drive Cleanup of Severn Sound .........................53 K. Sherman 10 From Remediation to Restoration and Revitalization: The St. Louis River Story ....... 61 K. Williams, J. Hoffman, and N.T. French 11 Cleanup of Toronto Harbour Leads to Waterfront Revitalization ....................67 V. Francella, with input from M. Wolfe 12 Lessons Learned ............................................................79 Literature Cited .............................................................95 Appendix 1 .................................................................101 v List of Figures Figure 1. 43 AOCs identified in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem .....................................1 Figure 2. River Raisin Heritage Trail system linking Downtown Monroe with River Raisin National Battlefield Park, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Sterling State Park, historic districts and sites, waterfront parks, and cultural destinations ................................ 50 Figure 3. Map of municipalities in the Severn Sound watershed. .....................................54 Figure 4. Map depicting the Toronto and Region AOC, including its six major watersheds: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek, and Rouge River ............68 List of Tables Table 1. Examples of Buffalo River habitat restoration projects completed with GLRI funding since 2012 .....................................................................................6 Table 2. A summary of waterfront development projects along the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York, 2012-2018 ............................................................................9 Table 3. A summary of the fiscal impact of the proposed development of the former Canada Steamships property (now called The Shipyards) in Collingwood, Ontario. ............................15 Table 4. A timeline of significant activities related to the restoration of impaired beneficial uses in the Cuyahoga River AOC ................................................................21 Table 5. Flats development projects planned as of August 2018 .....................................25 Table 6. Summary of Detroit River environmental improvements .....................................28 Table 7. Summary of Detroit riverfront economic impacts in the first 10 years ..........................31 Table 8. Summary of the status of beneficial use impairments in Hamilton Harbour .....................35 Table 9. Total estimated benefits by beneficiary for the Randle Reef project and all other remedial projects for Hamilton Harbour ...........................................................38 Table 10. A timeline of significant activities related to the restoration of impaired beneficial uses in the Muskegon Lake AOC ................................................................41 Table 11. Major habitat restoration projects completed with GLRI, Great Lakes Legacy Act, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in support of delisting Muskegon Lake as an AOC ...............................................................................44 Table 12. List of sites in Monroe appearing on the National Register of Historic Places ..................48 Table 13. Park attendance, 2011-2017 ............................................................49 vi List of Tables continued Table 14. Estimates of economic benefits of River Raisin National Battlefield Park based on three different models .................................................................51 Table 15. River Raisin Heritage Corridor East Master Plan cost summary ..............................51 Table 16. Estimated total cost savings and monetary benefits generated by implementation of the Severn Sound Remedial Action Plan (RAP), compared to costs of the rehabilitation projects, 1991–2002 ...........................................................................59 Table 17. Highlights of progress in key indicators of the Toronto and Region RAP .......................69 Table 18. A summary of economic benefits of construction projects located on public lands controlled by Waterfront Toronto in the East Bayfront and West Don areas, and privately owned lands in adjoining neighborhoods .........................................................77 Table 19. RAP institutional structures to help achieve public involvement, implement an ecosystem approach, and build capacity for implementation of remedial and preventive actions .........81 Table 20. Contaminated sediment remediation costs in the 10 AOC case studies ......................84 Table 21. A summary of habitat restoration efforts in the 10 AOC case studies .........................86 Table 22. A summary of economic benefits resulting from the cleanup and restoration of 10 AOCs in the United States and Canada. ..........................................................87 vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HE GREAT LAKES are one of the world’s most distinctive, valuable, and emotionally resonant natural features. Their water basin and ecosystem both serve the people and define the character and lifestyle of eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. TThe ties to these waters and the bounty of the lakes have shaped and sustained native peoples for millennia. The beauty and grandeur of the lakes left European explorers and settlers in awe. These waters also supported the industrial and agricultural revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries. These revolutions, in turn, powered the growth of Great Lakes’ cities and provided jobs and wealth to millions; yet over time,