The Wetlands Initiative awarded new federal funding for community-driven restoration planning along the West Branch of the Little Calumet River in Gary, IN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts
Abby Mattson, Director of Development & Communications
amattson@wetlands-initiative.org | 224-406-6233

TWI staff and local community members paddle through the Chase Street restoration area along the West Branch of the Little Calumet River in Northwest Indiana.

CHICAGO (December 22, 2025): The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) has been awarded a $794,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) for continued collaborative restoration design and planning on the nearly 800-acre Chase Street Complex in Gary, Indiana. The project, titled “Community-centered Final Design for Floodplain Restoration along the Little Calumet River”, will complete final engineering design for riparian and wetland restoration guided by robust community input. This funding is the sole grant awarded in Indiana or Illinois during this round of funding and supports community-driven efforts that will ultimately transform habitat for the benefit of both people and wildlife.

This project is being collaboratively facilitated by the Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative, spearheaded by the Wetlands Initiative in partnership with Audubon Great Lakes, Calumet Collaborative, The City of Gary, Lake County Parks & Recreation, The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, NiSource, and NIPSCO.

Starting in January 2026 and running through 2027, the funding supports completion of the 95% design milestone and builds off the 60% design process supported by NCRF during 2024-2025. The design of the site includes a re-meandering of a stretch of the heavily altered Little Calumet River, increasing functionality of the floodplain and adding flood resilience for the surrounding area. A river re-meander restores a previously channelized river to a more natural shape, which can diffuse the flow of water, increase flood storage capacity, and increase habitat for wildlife. Wetland-reliant birds, fish, and other wildlife will greatly benefit from the resulting habitat improvements to the site.

“Collaborative restoration efforts along the West Branch of the Little Calumet River floodplain corridor are transforming habitat for the benefit of both people and wildlife in Gary. Ultimately, work on the Chase Street Complex will include Northwest Indiana’s first stream re-meandering and add publicly accessible green space and recreational opportunities for the surrounding communities,” said Paul Botts, President and Executive Director of TWI.

This grant will extend and build on a Community Advisory Board made up of local residents to ensure robust community input towards the final design of this publicly accessible green space. The Community Advisory Board directly interfaces with TWI’s engineering consultant on planning for the site and helps facilitate community input through events and outreach to Gary residents.

Community Advisory Board Members participate in an on-site design meeting at the Chase Street Complex.

Dexter Harris, Senior Pastor at Flourish Church in Gary, has been involved as a member of the Community Advisory Board since its inception a year ago. “Publicly accessible green spaces are a huge asset to our community, and my involvement on the Community Advisory Board has helped me elevate the voices and needs of Gary residents. The goal of the Board is to make sure the Chase Street Complex design process centers amenities that people here really want and need. I encourage locals to continue sharing their input during this next phase of work, and am excited to see how the site plan takes shape and benefits our community,” said Pastor Harris.

Work at the Chase Street Complex is part of the Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative’s broader effort to restore healthy wetland areas along the entire West Branch of the Little Calumet River floodplain corridor in Northwest Indiana. Stakeholder engagement and support is critical to the project, and regular planning meetings are held with area landowners and local government to ensure alignment. The ultimate goal of the Collaborative’s work on the West Branch is a connected and publicly accessible network of green spaces that builds climate resiliency for the community, creates habitat for wildlife, and benefits local residents.

Map showing the nearly 800-acre Chase Street Complex and the West Branch of the Little Calumet River floodplain corridor.

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About the Wetlands Initiative

The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) designs, restores, and creates wetlands. We innovate, collaborate, and employ sound science in pursuit of our vision of a world with plentiful healthy wetlands improving water quality, climate resilience, biodiversity, and human well-being. Visit www.wetlands-initiative.org for more information.

About the Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative

The Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative (LCRCC) is an active partnership of regional nonprofits and municipal entities that now includes TWI, Audubon Great Lakes, Calumet Collaborative, Lake County Parks & Recreation Department, The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, NIPSCO and NiSource, and the City of Gary. The LCRCC has been active since 2019 with the long‐term goal to restore the West Branch floodplain basin to diverse, functional habitats while pursuing a shared community vision that improves multiple‐use opportunities at this key local resource.