DETROIT — Michigan is investing $89 million recovered through pollution settlements to clean up contaminated rivers, potentially unlocking tens of millions of additional federal dollars while creating opportunities for waterfront development, tourism, fishing and recreation.

The largest investment is $50 million for the Detroit River, where state environmental officials estimate that completing contaminated-sediment remediation in the Detroit River and River Rouge could ultimately cost approximately $1 billion.

Michigan expects its investment to leverage federal cleanup funding at approximately a 2-to-1 ratio for eligible projects, according to Gillian Gainsley, Senior Advisor for the state’s Reclaim the Rivers program.

If the entire $50 million Detroit River allocation qualified for that level of federal matching support, it could potentially attract approximately $93 million in federal funding, creating a combined investment approaching $143 million.

However, the state has not yet selected projects or secured those additional federal dollars.

How Michigan Plans To Multiply The Money

The $89 million Reclaim the Rivers initiative is being administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The money will be divided into three categories:

  • $50 million — Detroit River: Contaminated-sediment cleanup, habitat restoration and public access.
  • $25 million — Kalamazoo River: River restoration, habitat improvements and recreation projects.
  • $14 million — Statewide: Strategic river restoration projects throughout Michigan.

Of the total, $64 million comes from Michigan’s settlement with Monsanto over polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly called PCBs. Another $25 million comes from the Morrow Dam consent agreement.

Gainsley provided those figures in written responses to questions from MITechNews.

“At a minimum, we would expect to leverage an approximately 2:1 match on the funds invested, through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and other programs,” Gainsley said.

The federal Great Lakes Legacy Act provides funding for contaminated-sediment cleanup in designated Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

For eligible projects, federal funding can cover 65% of costs, with the remaining 35% supplied by non-federal partners.

The state also hopes to attract private investment.

Gainsley said municipalities and private developers undertaking projects that improve water quality or restore habitat could potentially contribute work that qualifies toward matching requirements.

That could allow Michigan to stretch its settlement money considerably further.

Detroit River Cleanup Could Cost $1 Billion

The scale of the contamination problem is enormous.

Gainsley said preliminary estimates based on the potential area and volume of contaminated sediment in the Detroit River and River Rouge put the eventual cleanup cost at approximately $1 billion.

Final estimates won’t be available until individual projects complete their design phases.

The Detroit River was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern in 1987 because of decades of industrial pollution, untreated waste discharges, stormwater runoff and habitat degradation.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cleanup projects have already removed contaminated sediment and restored habitat along portions of the river.

But significant contamination remains.

PCBs were widely used in electrical equipment, industrial products and manufacturing processes before their manufacture was banned in the United States in 1979.

The chemicals persist in the environment and can accumulate in fish and wildlife, potentially creating health risks for people who consume contaminated fish.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the Monsanto settlement in May 2026.

The agreement guarantees Michigan at least $108 million, with the possibility of receiving as much as $240 million depending on the outcome of related legal proceedings.

The $64 million allocated to Reclaim the Rivers represents a portion of that settlement.

Harbortown Cleanup Could Begin In 2028 Or 2029

Although Michigan has committed $50 million to the Detroit River, officials have not yet selected which projects will receive the new funding.

Gainsley said EGLE and DNR will prioritize projects that address PCB contamination, have strong potential for attracting matching funds and improve recreational opportunities or public access.

One section of the river is already moving through preliminary planning.

In June, the EPA and EGLE announced a $10 million investment to advance contaminated-sediment investigations and cleanup planning, including work near Harbortown.

The funding includes $6.5 million from the EPA and $3.5 million in state matching money.

Gainsley said the Harbortown and Harbortown Upstream areas remain priorities as planning progresses.

The earliest actual remediation construction could begin at Harbortown is 2028 or 2029.

Other contaminated sections of the river could undergo feasibility studies.

The timetable underscores how complicated these projects can be.

Gainsley said some recreation and habitat improvements could be completed within three to five years, but the broader sediment-remediation effort launched by the new funding could take approximately 15 years.

“We are cleaning up, in some cases, 150-year-old contamination,” Gainsley said, referring to the river’s long history of industrial pollution.

Cleanup Could Generate Economic Development

Michigan officials say the investments are intended to produce economic benefits beyond removing pollution.

Restored waterfronts can attract visitors, encourage private redevelopment and support businesses that depend on clean, accessible waterways.

Gainsley said tourism and economic development will be among the criteria considered when selecting projects.

“River restoration has been linked to an array of benefits for communities, including increased recreation and tourism, expansion in river-related businesses such as marinas, canoe liveries and fishing charters, and improved public health,” she said.

The Detroit riverfront already attracts an estimated 3 million visitors annually, according to the state’s Reclaim the Rivers announcement.

State officials hope improvements to water quality, fish habitat and public access will build on that activity.

Potential benefits include additional boating opportunities, fishing-related businesses and redevelopment of formerly industrial waterfront properties.

However, EGLE has not released estimates of how many jobs could be created, how much private investment might follow or how much additional tourism spending could result.

Those economic benefits remain potential outcomes rather than guaranteed returns.

Kalamazoo River Gets $25 Million

The initiative also includes $25 million for the Kalamazoo River watershed.

Gainsley said the Kalamazoo allocation could include a broader mix of restoration and public-access improvements while continuing to address contamination.

According to EGLE’s announcement, potential work includes sediment and habitat restoration, dam removals and stream improvements in areas including Allegan, Otsego, Plainwell, Swan Creek and Trowbridge.

The investment is also intended to improve boating access and recreational opportunities.

Another $14 million will support strategic river restoration projects elsewhere in Michigan.

Individual projects and spending schedules have not yet been finalized.

Could Michigan Eventually Lift Fish Consumption Advisories?

One of the most important long-term benefits could be reducing restrictions on eating fish caught in contaminated waterways.

PCBs can accumulate in fish tissue, creating health concerns even when the surrounding water appears clean.

Gainsley confirmed that reducing fish-consumption restrictions is one of the initiative’s long-term goals.

Michigan’s Eat Safe Fish program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, monitors contaminants in fish and develops consumption recommendations.

Removing contaminated sediment could eventually reduce PCB concentrations in fish.

However, advisories would not automatically disappear when cleanup work is completed.

State health officials would need monitoring data demonstrating that contaminant levels had declined sufficiently.

EGLE also expects individual projects to establish measurable environmental benchmarks.

These could include improvements in water quality, fish and wildlife populations, habitat conditions and reductions in fish-consumption restrictions.

What Happens Next?

Michigan has committed the $89 million, but important decisions remain.

EGLE and DNR must select projects, establish priorities, negotiate partnerships and secure additional funding.

Gainsley said the agencies expect to work with public and private partners but are not yet prepared to identify those organizations.

The state also has not established a final breakdown of how much money will go directly toward contaminated-sediment removal versus habitat restoration and recreational improvements.

For Detroit, Gainsley expects most of the $50 million to support sediment remediation.

The state has established a long-term goal of transforming the Detroit and Kalamazoo rivers by 2040.

Success will ultimately depend on how effectively Michigan converts its settlement dollars into completed cleanup projects, additional investment and measurable environmental improvements.

For communities along these waterways, the potential payoff could include cleaner fish, safer recreational opportunities, restored waterfronts and new economic activity.

But with some major cleanup projects still years away, Michigan’s $89 million investment is only the beginning of a much larger undertaking.

Residents can follow project announcements and funding decisions through the state’s Reclaim the Rivers website.