MMSD dredged materials management facility and milwaukee skyline

Dredged Material Management Facility

Project Overview

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) partnered with the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), We Energies, and Port Milwaukee to create a new Dredged Material Management Facility (DMMF) in the Milwaukee harbor. This facility provides safe, secure containment for approximately 1.9 million cubic yards of sediment that will be removed from the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers.

Over time, contaminated sediment has accumulated in the downstream portions of our rivers. The Milwaukee Estuary (the area where Milwaukee’s three rivers converge) was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) by the EPA in 1987 due to historical contamination. Since then, there have been ongoing efforts to clean up Milwaukee’s Estuary.

The existing Confined Disposal Facility located north of the Lake Express ferry dock is nearly at capacity and does not have available space for the sediment that will be removed from the rivers as part of the Milwaukee Estuary AOC Initiative. The new DMMF will provide the needed capacity for storage of this sediment.

Key Steps In Building The Dredged Material Management Facility - September 2025

The DMMF is a cost-effective approach that manages the contaminated sediment and protects both river and lake health. In addition to reducing the cost to remove and store the sediment, construction of the DMMF at the lakefront bypasses the negative environmental impacts of hauling the material to a new landfill. If the material was trucked to a landfill instead of to the DMMF, there would be increased truck traffic and the need for landfill expansion.

MMSD constructed the DMMF, which is now owned and operated by the Port of Milwaukee.

The DMMF project is part of a larger initiative to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC). Learn more about the AOC by watching this John Gurda video or visiting the Waterway Restoration Partnership website.

Sign-Up for Milwaukee Estuary AOC Email Updates

Project Map

What's Beneath the Surface? Cleaning Up Milwaukee's Waterways

The water may look clear, but pollution from the past remains. Partners are working together to remove legacy pollution and create healthier waterways for fish, wildlife and people.