rivers report winter 2015

7/26/2019 Rivers Report Winter 2015

1/8

Have you made your New Yearsresolutions yet? Many of us makeresolutions about healthy eating and

exercise. We know that these changes will give

us lasting benefits. To change long-held habits,

though, we have to think carefully about how

we will plan for, act upon, and ultimately

sustain these new habits. Over time, the new,

healthier way of doing things becomes the

norm, and the old behavior goes away.

The process for keeping our resolutions is the

same process that can help us adopt behaviors

to improve our environment, from the air

we breathe to the water we drink, or water in

which we fish or swim. The largest impacts

in some communities can be made through

individual behavior change. Scientists who

study behavior change tell us that information

and education efforts like the Respect Our

Waters campaig n are important parts of the

process. A multi-step process is involved

when we think about, make, and ultimately

maintain the desired behavior changes.

Changing set behaviors is hard. The

Transtheoretical Model (or Stages of Change

Model) began in the 1970s as a way tounderstand and compare how some smokers

quit on their own while others quit only to

need further treatment. The scientists who

pioneered this model, Prochaska and

DiClemente, found that readiness to

change varies.

Sweet Water and partners recently aired

TV spots in which Sparkles the water spaniel

points out that dumping paint down storm

sewers pollutes local waterways. Viewers

might be found at the following readiness

levels on changing that behavior:

Pre-contemplation: People are not aware

that dumping paint into the storm sewer can

pollute local waterways, or are aware and are

unwilling to change.

CONTEMPLATION:People become aware that

dumping paint down a storm sewer grate is a

problem and begin to think about changing

their behavior.

PREPARATION:People begin making plans to

change their usual practice of dumping old

paint into storm sewers.

ACTION:Old paint is taken to the proper

disposal facilities, preventing pollution of

local waterways.

MAINTENANCE:People save old paint and take

to household hazardous waste locations, neve

again dumping it down storm sewers.

More than 1,050,000 adults saw ads like the on

mentioned above. In the coming year, Sweet

Water hopes to track how many people have

moved from just contemplatingchanging theibehaviors related to water to acting on them.

While we know that these spots in isolation

may not convince people to make behavior

changes, coupled with local health and

environmental events and some great work

happening throughout the Milwaukee River

Basin, working together to improve our

waterways is a resolution well surely keep in

the long term.

RiversReportWINTER 2015 |VOLUME 6 NO. 1

Changing Habits,Improving the WaterwaysMELISSA UGLAND, SOUTHEASTERN WI WATERSHEDS TRUST

Learning for life

For the Fish! ........................2

Taking Back Our Rivers! ........3

Neighborhood GreenInfrastructure ......................4

KK River Community.............5

RRF Streambank

Restoration .........................6

Mini-Grant Awards ................7

Events .................................. 8

Insidethis Issue

Photo:MilwaukeeRiverkeeper


2/8Page 2 WINTER 201

The Menomonee River Watershed covers 136 square mi les,originating in wetlands in southeastern Washington Countyand flowing 28 miles south and east where it joins the Milwaukee

River just upstream from its confluence with Lake Michigan.

The lower 12 miles of the Menomonee River downstream from

the Little Menomonee River confluence (and an additional mile

of the Little Menomonee) are considered part of the Milwaukee

River Estuary Area of Concern (AOC). The AOC contains 11 of

14 beneficial use impairments including degradation of fish and

wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, degradation ofaesthetics, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.

Historic changes in land use and increased imperviousness in

the watershed has caused habitat degradation and stagnated fish

diversity. In addition, development has created many impassable

culverts, filled in/altered habitat, and created other artificial

barriers that impede fish and other aquatic life f rom accessing

existing higher quality habitats for spawning. In addition, stream

impediments also affect recreation, decreasing fishing opportunities

and creating hazards for paddlers.

The Menomonee River fishery is currently characterized as a

poor fishery, but there is reason for hope. Fish species diversity

has increased in recent years due largely to removal of barriers

such as the Falk Dam in 2001, and due to increased numbers of

non-native fish species moving up river from the Lake (e.g. salmon

steelhead). The number of native fish species have decreased in

recent years, but the macroinvertebrate community and food

base in the river system is improving.

Most importantly, the Menomonee River is now undergoing a

type of renaissance with removal of some of the biggest barriersto fish movement and stream connectivity, which is exciting to

witness. Several major efforts have recently been completed, or

are underway downstream to eliminate barriers to passage

and improve habitat.

Great progress is being made on the lower Menomonee River

concrete removal project after a few months of delay due to a wet

spring and early summer.

Story continued on page 8

For the Fish! Advancing Fish Passage

in the Menomonee River Watershed!BY CHERYL NENN, MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER

Restoration underway on Menomonee River; view from Bluemound Road One of five low-flow barriers in Hoyt Park to be removed by MMSD in 2015


3/8WINTER 2015 Page

Taking Backour Rivers!GAIL EPPING OVERHOLT, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - E XTENSION

Last springs edition of the RiversReport highlighted the toxicsediment cleanup of Lincoln Creek and the Milwaukee RiverChannels in Lincoln Park on Milwaukees northeast side. All agencies

involved in the cleanup realized that if in-stream and bank habitat

improvements were going to be sustained for the long-term, local

stewards would have to take on this responsibility.To that end, last spring UW-Extension and the University of Illinois-

Indiana Sea Grant hosted two focus groups of local Lincoln Park

neighborhood stakeholders to gauge interest in establishing a Friends

of Lincoln Park stewardship group. Of the 19 stakeholders who attended

89% of them noted they were either interested or very interested

in having a Friends group established.

Despite lack of interest to volunteer for leadership positions, an initial

Friends meeting and Ice Cream Social was pulled together with

additional support from Milwaukee County Parks, the Park People

and UW Sea Grant to pitch the idea to more community members and

once again gauge interest from a larger group and solicit volunteers to

lead the group, if warranted.

By the end of the September meeting, an October meeting was scheduled.

A Steering committee was identified as well as a list of potential areas of

focus for the Group. By the time of this publication release, two more

meetings will have been held and several spring activities planned!

Watch for these upcoming opport unities to lear n about this great

Milwaukee Park and the very passionate people who call it home.

Photo:UW-Extension

Top: Contractors set up cleanup site staging area

Left: 1st Annual Lincoln Creek Park Bird Walk with Carl Schwartz

Photo:UW-Extension



Throughout 2014, thanks to funding support from MilwaukeeMetropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and the WisconsinCoastal Management Program, Clean Wisconsin worked with

MMSD Interns, Northwest Side Community Development Corp.,

Marek Landscaping and local artist Quan Caston to educate

Corridor residents about the benefits of managing water where it

falls and to install rain barrels and rain gardens (green infrastructure)

on homes and vacant neighborhood lots.

These simple tools and methods accomplish a simple goal: catching

water where it falls and reducing strain on sanitary a nd storm

sewer infrastructure, which helps to reduce the risk and severity

of basement backups and system overloads that have plagued

homeowners in the community.

The project area stretches from Hampton Avenue on the north,

to 46th Street on the west, to the Menomonee Valley in the south

and to about 20th Street on the east. This area generally has

lower levels of income and home ownership and higher levels of

crime than other parts of the City. Despite these challenges,

the project team connected with over 100 residents who were

enthusiastic to help improve water quality and manage stormwate

in a sustainable way through green infrastructure.

Outreach and educational activities included presentations at

neighborhood association meetings, rain barrel painting at

community events like National Night Out, and installation of

community rain gardens.

Ninety rain barrels, eight rain gardens and three storm water

public art pieces were installed throughout ten neighborhoodsin the 30th Street Industrial Corridor, including Century City

Triangle, Sherman Park, Washington Park and Cold Spring Park

Based on feedback received from project participants, rain barre

water was used to water residents grass, trees, flowers, and

vegetables, often eliminating the need to use water from the hose.

Thanks to these installations, residents are diverting approximatel

126,000 gallons of storm water from the combined sewer system

and keeping 104 pounds of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) out of

Milwaukee area waterways every year.

Participants were motivated to participate in the project to conserv

water, help reduce the risk of basement back-ups and combined

sewer overflow events, and to take part in a community effort.Due to the popularity of the program and high demand for rain

barrels, Clean Wisconsin will continue these green infrastructure

outreach efforts into the spring and summer of 2015 through a

grant from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

Its a proud moment for everyone involved. As one of the resident

put it: From the beginning, I didnt know a rain garden from a

vegetable garden, but MMSD put us in good hands. We created

beauty in our community and made an impact on our environment.

Painting rain barrels at National Night Out event Local artist, Quan Caston, unveils stormwater themed public art

NeighborhoodsEmbrace GreenInfrastructure inthe 30th StreetIndustrial CorridorPAMELA RITGER, CLEAN WISCONSIN


5/8WINTER 2015 Page

Cleaner Water, Healthier Spaces,and the Kinnickinnic River CommunityNADIA BOGUE, SIXTEENTH ST. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

The Kinnickinnic R iverneighborhood onMilwaukees south side

has already started to see

how river restoration can

shape how the community

looks and functions. With

the Milwaukee Metropolitan

Sewerage Districts (MMSD) Kinnickinnic River Flood

Management Project moving into the fina l design and

engineering stages, residents are better poised than ever

to make decisions about changes and opportunities

in the community.

To help meet water quality and quantity reduction goals,

partners have been working to develop a comprehensive

Pulaski Park Neighborhood Plan that identifies the most cost

effective locations and combinations of green infrastructure in

and around Pulaski Park. Project partners include Sixteenth

Street Community Health Centers, Milwaukee County

Parks, City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works,

MMSD, Urban Ecology Center, Graef and residents.

What makes this project unique is the collaboration of partners

(community, public and private sector), joint implementationof projects that support various stormwater management

plans, and identification of opportunities to leverage green

infrastructure to improve the neighborhood and revitalize

Pulaski Park. By creating a vision that meets multiple needs

(flood management, neighborhood and park revitalization), it

ensures that the benefits that are a result of this project truly

will help support a more susta inable community.

Community input throughout the development of the plan

has been a driver and has been sought in multiple formats

throughout the process. 125 bilingual surveys were administered

that will help partners better understand the needs of the

community as they relate to the park and larger strategic

planning efforts being undertaken by Milwaukee County Parks.

In July, 30 diverse stakeholders participated in a focus group

to provide input on green infrastructure and needs related

to the park. In October, the neighborhood fall clean up was

held where residents took tours of the park with naturalists,

cleaned up litter in the surrounding neighborhood, and

planted a large rain garden next to the pavilion which

demonstrates how multiple best management practices(cisterns, permeable pavement, native plantings, and soil

amendments) can be combined to manage stormwater in an

aesthetically pleasing way. Bi-lingual signage was installed

which outlines how the inst allation improves water qualit y

which will positively impact the watershed and Lake Michigan.

In November, a large community open house took place where

residents voted and provided input on green infrastructure

installation on public and private property, youth programming

and park revitalization. Residents 100% supported the

installation of green infrastructure on public and private

property and the majority indicated that they would be willing

to help maintain the installations.The investments that residents and partners have made, and

will conti nue to make, will change this neighborhood for

generations. What that looks like, how it functions, and

who plays a role are conversations that need to happen now

to ensure that projects meet the needs of everyone involved.

A big thank you to the KK River Neighbors In Action

neighborhood association for their thoughtful input and time!

Community rain garden planting Building interest in potential programs at community open house

Photos:16thSt.CommunityHealthCenter

Inset: Maritza Martin and resident discuss the Neighborhood Plan

at open house


6/8


7/8WINTER 2015 Page

S

weet Water received the most grant request s yet for its

2014 Water Quality Mini-Grant Program 38 in all!

Thats more than the 31 that were received in 2013 and the

24 in 2012. We believe our program is getting more widely

known as an reliable, annual funding source for grassroots

organizations, churches, non-profits and community groups

that share the same water resources in southeastern Wisconsin.

We hope to continue the program many years into the future

receiving more and more applicants. The program allows

residents to get involved in many different ways, or, to see

and learn first-hand how improving water quality is done.

Funding of $47,250 was available for distribution and Sweet

Water had 13 grant winners. The winners organization,

project name, and the affected watershed follows:

GREAT LAKES COMMUNITY CONSERVATION CORPS:

Sustainable Water Quality Monitoring and Invasive Species

Treatment Initiative in the Upper Root River Watershed

Root River

GROUNDWORK MILWAUKEE:Redeployment of Fish Habitat

Islands in the Milwaukee River Estuary Milwaukee River

LINCOLN CENTER OF THE ARTS:School Rain Garden

Milwaukee River

MILWAUKEE AREA LAND CONSERVANCY: Carity Prairie Water

Quality and Habitat Improvement Root River

MILWAUKEE AUDUBON SOCIETY:Fish Passage Restoration on

Tributaries to Mole Creek Milwaukee River

MILWAUKEE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES CHARTER SCHOOL:

Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Native Landscape Hub

Project Milwaukee River

MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER: Phosphorus Monitoring The

Milwaukee River Basin

MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER:Rain Barrel Workshop

Potentially All Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds

THE PRAIRIE SCHOOL:The Prairie Stream Project Root River

RIVER REVITALIZATION FOUNDATION:Cambridge Woods

Restoration Milwaukee River

RIVEREDGE NATURE CENTER: Milwaukee Riverbank

Restoration Project Milwaukee River

TRANSCENTER FOR YOUTH, INC. / ESCUELA VERDE: Escuela

Verdes Rain Garden Initiative Menomonee River

URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER:Washington Park Woodland

Garden Project Menomonee River

Awards will be presented at Sweet Waters Clean Rivers,

Clean Lake Conference at the Harley-Davidson Museum in

Milwaukee on April 30, 2015. Registration and more infor-

mation about the conference will be available in late January

at swwtwater.org.

Sweet Water invites your business or organizationto sponsor the 11th annual Clean Rivers, CleanLake Conference which will be held on Thursday,

April 30th at the Harley-Davidson Museum inMilwaukee. The conference will have programs

ranging from writing your own Nine Key Elements

plan to storm water quality and quantity plans for

the Hoan Bridge construction and much, much more.

In order to keep this important event affordable to

all participants, we are seeking sponsorships in the

amounts of $750, $1,500, and $2,500 or higher.

In addition to promoting water quality improvements

and strengthening the partnerships in our region,

sponsors will receive recognition for their 2015

conference support. You may find additional

information regarding sponsorship recognition on

the Sweet Water web site by January 31, 2015 atswwtwater.org.

We hope you find that this oppor tunit y has a stron

appeal to your organization. Sponsorship checks

should be made payable to Sweet Water and sent t

Sweet Waters office at 600 East Greenfield

Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204-2944. If you have

any questions, please contact Joan Herriges at

(414) 382-1766 or via [email protected].

Thank you for your consideration.

Sweet Water Announces Winners of2014 Mini-grant AwardsJOAN HERRIGES, SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN WATERSHEDS TRUST

You Can Sponsor the2015 Sweet Water Conference!JOAN HERRIGES, SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN WATERSHEDS TRUST



University of Wisconsin Extension

9501 W. Watertown Plank RoadWauwatosa, WI 53226

PHONE(414) 256-4632

WEB naturalresources.uwex.edu

EMAIL [email protected]

Learning for life

Sweet Water

600 East Greenfield AvenueMilwaukee, WI 53204

PHONE (414) 382-1766

WEB swwtwater.org

EMAIL [email protected]

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR

Kate Morgan, Sweet Water

This publication made possible in part through

the generous support of

RiversReport PARTNERS

Now through March 24

MMSDs Rain Garden Plant Sale

Application period closes March 24

Plant order pickup May 30

http://www.freshcoast740.com/funding-

programs/rain-gardens-projectEmail: [email protected]

February 24 26

Wisconsin Wetlands Association 20th Annual

Wetland Science Conference: Telling Our Stories

Monona Terrace Convention Center

Madison, WI

http://www.uwlax.edu/conted/wwa/

Email: [email protected]

February 27

Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference:

Targeting Conservation and Monitoring

UW-Green Bay | Green Bay, WI

http://wi-swcs.org


April 18: 9 AM NOONMilwaukee Riverkeeper 20th Annual Spring

River Clean Up

http://www.milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/events.htm


April 30

Southeastern WI Watershed Trust 11th AnnualClean Rivers, Clean LakeConference

Harley-Davidson Museum | Milwaukee, WI

www.swwtwater.org


EventsThe first phase of this MMSD-led

project includes removing concrete

along a 1,100-foot-long corridor

upstream of the Blue Mound Road

bridge to the Canadian Pacific Railway

crossing near Miller Brewer. This

involves transforming the concretechannel to a natural streambed that

has rock riffles and pools, and allows

for safe passage of fish. This first

phase is largely complete, and the

second phase downstreambeing

led by the US Army Corps of

Engineersis continuing this work

along a 2,600 foot long stretch

downstream of Blue Mound Road to

I-94 using the same local contractors,

Purpero. It is likely that this work

will be complete by the end of 2015,

but we are already seeing more

salmon and steelhead (which are

strong swimmers) moving well up

into the watershed--with spawning

fish detected all the way up into

Menomonee Falls this year.

MMSD is also still working on

removal of the five low flow barriers

in Hoyt Park in Wauwatosa upstream

of the concrete removal. The

project will remove/retrofit five

existing low gradient structureson the Menomonee River along the

Menomonee River Parkway with the

expected result of improving fish

passage and restoring habitat.

One old ford, one grade control

structure (that includes a path and

stairs), and two pipe crossings will

be removed completely. One pipe

crossing will be replaced with a

deeper siphon sewer, which serves

Hoyt Park Pool. This project should

hopefully start construction next

year, and be complete by end of 2015.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper finished

our assessment of fish passage

barriers throughout the main-

stem and natural t ributaries of

the Menomonee River Watershed

in 2013, thanks to support from

Wisconsin Coastal Management

Program and WDNR and hard

work by a dozen volunteers. Thanks

to additional funds from Wisconsin

Coastal Management Program,

weve been able to contract with

Interfluve to help provide conceptual

designs and cost-estimates for

several priority fish passagebarriers upst ream.

We are also identifying and

fundraising for projects to improve

fish habitat and connection between

the Menomonee and several major

tributaries with adjacent wetland/

floodplain habitats that can be used

for spawning by fish such as

Northern pike. We also received

funding from the Fund for Lake

Michigan to help remove some

man-made barriers--trash, stone

fill, fallen bridges, etcusing

volunteers and paid work crews,

and we hope to start that work

in spring 2015.

For the Fish!

Story continued from page 2

rivers report winter 2015

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