Located in northwestern Indiana, the Kankakee and Yellow rivers have historically experienced severe erosion and sedimentation. Since the 1950s, the county has conducted major investigations with little success in finding long-term solutions.
Burke conducted an assessment to determine the root cause of the river’s instability and better develop solutions to address the issue. Using a holistic approach, the project team considered the entire watershed and stream instead of focusing only on the river.
Sediment monitoring in the stream was instrumental to proving the project team’s theories on the root causes. The information and accompanying analyses provided a scientific explanation of the things happening in the stream.
The project provided a clear understanding of what has been causing the issues and the process that will need to occur to fix the issues. The proposed improvements benefit Starke County and farmers adjacent to the stream by reducing drainage maintenance costs as well as improving water quality and habitat.
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