Keith West, the Menominee River co-chair. Sam Eggleston
When Dr. Keith West first moved to the Midwest, he had spent his childhood and early adult life in California and other arid climates. His life was forever changed when, after multiple trips to Green Bay for work, West was transferred to the region permanently. The decision to stay past that came easy for the man who was taken aback the first time he set eyes on the Great Lakes.
"Experiencing the Great Lakes for the first time was an experience I equate with seeing the Grand Canyon," says West, now an associate professor of geography and geology at the University of Wisconsin-Marinette on the Michigan-Wisconsin border.
"The lakes are a unique natural phenomenon. When the opportunity arose to join the Menominee River Area of Concern and work on restoring the health of the lakes, I jumped on it."
That's because West found himself immediately attached to the Great Lakes and the waterways that are part of their ecosystem. The chance to help restore one to its former glory was a simple choice.
"I was driven by my overwhelming affection for the Great Lakes and my desire to be active in protecting them," West says of his decision to become a part of the committee focused on cleaning up the Menominee River Area of Concern (AOC).
West has been a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee since 2008, and the co-chair since 2013. Many of his activities have followed his current line of work, as he is involved in programs and efforts to educate residents about the threats that still face the Menominee River and the things that are being done to remedy them.
The Menominee River AOC is a section of the waterway that includes the lower three miles of the river, from the Upper Scott Paper Company Dam to the river mouth and includes the Green Bay shoreline from the Wisconsin side's Seagull Bar to Henes Park in Michigan as well as Green Island. That section of waterway and land was once contaminated by arsenic, coal tar and paint sludge.
Huge strides over the years have been made in the Menominee River AOC, such as major clean-up actions with Tyco, Wisconsin Public Service and the Menekaunee Harbor.
West says he is extremely proud of the restoration efforts.
"We all take pride in the sediment cleanup efforts and the beginning of the restoration of the Menekaunee Harbor," he says. "There is still monitoring work to be completed before delisting, and we need to develop a plan to maintain the good work that has been done long after delisting is complete."
West admits not all of his time as a member of the committee has been full of success and forward progress. When he first joined, it was even a little disheartening.
"It had been around for a couple of decades, and it seemed to be no nearer completing its work than when it began," he says.
But then the major cleanups began and working with the GLRI spurred the Tyco cleanup, which West says "was the lynchpin for the entire AOC project."
"Once the major cleanup actions with Tyco, WPS, and Menekaunee Harbor began, my mood and the mood of the CAC changed radically," he says. "It has been an exciting and joyful ride ever since."
And now what was once a river full of contaminants, pollution and more is now a shining gem in the Menominee and Marinette communities.
West says he thinks the two communities have a wonderful opportunity with promoting the region and the waterway thanks to the hope and expectation of delisting the Menominee River as an Area of Concern in the next few years.
"I think the community can take great pride in the work that has been done within the AOC. Delisting will be something that can and should be used to promote the local area," he says. "It shows that the local community cares about the health of its adjoining waters."
Sam Eggleston is a freelance writer and editor based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
This series about restoration in Michigan's Areas of Concern is made possible through support from the Michigan Office of Great Lakes through Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
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