See the Final EA
The Final Environmental Assessment (EA) completed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in August 1999 is provided here in portable document format (pdf). To see the files, you need Acrobat Reader software, and it is available for free on the Adobe web site. The EA is provided as one very large document and also by chapter in much smaller files.
Full EA (8.6 MB)
Summary (1.2 MB)
Chapter 1: Purpose and
Need for Action (2 MB)
Chapter 2: Description of
Alternatives (906 KB)
Chapter 3: The Affected Environment
(901 KB)
Chapter 4: Environmental
Consequences (1.1 MB)
Corrected Map of Alternative 5, the Preferred Alternative (407 KB)
Chapter 5: List of Preparers, References
and Glossary (454 KB)
Appendix 1: Economic Impact
Assessment (6.6 MB)
Appendix 2: Frequently Asked
Questions (1.2 MB)
Appendix 3: Service/Corps Cooperative
Agreement (900 KB)
Appendices 4 and 5: Chronology of
Important Events on the Kankakee River, and Planning Process and Schedule (393
KB)
Appendix 6: Newsletters (2.4 MB)
Grand Kankakee Marsh 
Grand Kankakee Marsh Then and Now
Restoring the Marsh
About the National Wildlife Refuge System
Next Steps
For More Information
The Grand Kankakee Marsh Then and Now
With 500,000 acres in eight counties in northwestern Indiana, the Grand Kankakee Marsh was one of the great freshwater wetland ecosystems of the world. This unique landscape was important for its diverse composition of fish, wildlife and plants, and it was renown for its abundance of waterfowl and wetland-dependent wildlife.
Draining the land for agriculture and development changed the landscape and dispersed the wildlife that depended on it. Of the wetlands remaining in Indiana, only a small percentage remain as they existed 200 years ago, and few support their original complement of plants and animals.
Restoring the Marsh
Reviving the grandeur of the Grand Kankakee Marsh has been a goal for many individuals and organizations. In the 1990s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studied the potential for restoring part of the Marsh by creating a national wildlife refuge. The Service completed an Environmental Assessment in 1999 and made a finding of no significant impact in establishing the proposed refuge. However, over the past decade, multiple conservation funding needs limited the Service's ability to proceed with this project.
Local initiatives have been active in restoring the Marsh using a combination of partners, grants and local government. The Indiana Grand Kankakee Marsh Restoration Project, or IGKMRP, is a volunteer organization that has brought a variety of partners together on a variety of restoration projects.
The IGKMRP works to buy restorable wetlands and associated upland from willing sellers and restore natural wetland and upland conditions as much as possible before transferring ownership to government agencies or nonprofit organizations.
The organization has completed 83 projects, including restoration of 5,774 acres, acquisition of 8,932 acres, and enhancing 3,700 acres.
About the National Wildlife Refuge System
The National Wildlife Refuge System is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is the world's largest collection of lands and waters specifically managed for fish and wildlife. Overall, it provides habitat for more than 5,000 species of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles and insects. Refuges serve a crucial role in preserving endangered species, and they provide unique wildlife-dependent recreation and education opportunities for people.
National wildlife refuges also have an economic benefit for communities, according to a report prepared by the Service, "Banking on Nature." More information is available on the National Wildlife Refuge System website and in "Banking on Nature," (1 MB), which is available in portable document format.
Next Steps
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service continues to be interested in the restoration of the Grand Kankakee Marsh. Our role in supporting that restoration, whether it's through establishing a refuge or providing other assistance, will depend on funding and partnership opportunities. The Service is interested in any opinions that people may wish to share regarding the proposed Grand Kankakee Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. See the next section for information on how to contact the Midwest Region's Regional Office.
For More Information
For more information on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's involvement in restoring the Grand Kankakee Marsh or to express an opinion, you are welcome to call, write or e-mail the Division of Conservation Planning:
E-mail the Division of Conservation Planning at: [email protected]
Call the Division at: 1-800-247-1247
TTY: 1-800-877-8339
Send a letter to:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Conservation Planning
Attention: Grand Kankakee Marsh
BHW Federal Building, Room 530
1 Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111
