Indian Ridge Marsh covers over 145 acres on the southeast side of Chicago between Lake Calumet and the Calumet River.

Section 1135 of WRDA 1986 (Continuing Authority Program)

Located on Southeast Side of Chicago, the Indian Ridge Marsh project site covers about 145 acres between Lake Calumet to the West and the Calumet River to the east of. The site is bounded by 116th street on the north, Torrence Avenue on the east, the Calumet River on the south, and the Norfolk and Western railroad on the west. The Indian Ridge Marsh site was used for the disposal of slag from steel making operations and dredged materials from the Calumet Harbor and River during the 1970s. Large portions of the marsh were filled with dredge material from disposal activities of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since then, lower quality wetlands have been reestablished throughout the site. The poor hydrology of the disturbed area isolated the wetlands and ponds, which allowed the wetlands to become overgrown with invasive and non-native species and reduced the diversity of native aquatic life. The project preserved the existing Black-crowned Night Heron rookery; enhanced and naturalized existing aquatic, wetland, and woodland areas; created marsh, wet prairie, mesic prairie, savanna, and wet woodland habitats; and protected restored areas while encouraging public access.

After clearing and conducting invasive species removal during the first year of the contract, the Great Blue Heron and Egret nests increased from three (prior to these activities) to 25 (after these activities).  

Construction was initiated in April 2011 and was completed in November 2014. The project received the 2014 Conservation and Native Landscaping Award from Chicago Wilderness. The award is for outstanding efforts to address environmental problems and restore lost function and native biodiversity in the Chicago Region. The project was closed out in September 2015.

Click map to enlarge.