Te development o2011/2012 action plans or t he Menomon ee and Kinnickinnic River Watersheds will be completed in November 2010. Tese eorts were major milestones or Sweet Wat er. Starting rom two comp lex Watershed Restoration Plans, prepared or the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District by its engineering rm contract ors and completed in March, Sweet Water and its partners set out a structured 8-month public process to systematically examine the tenets othe two restora tion plans against the environmental realities in the two rivers. Te Meno monee River Wat ershed covers 135.8 square miles and about 100 river/ stream miles, while the KK covers 24.7 sq. mi. and about 25 river/str eam mi les. In a systematic mapping exercise lasting ve months, the two Watershed Action eams each met monthly in local park acilities, private rms or governmental ofces in their respective watersheds. Looking at one or two othe most challenged subwatersheds othe two rivers each session, the teams examined the oundation actions cited in the Watershed Restoration Plans against the land uses and conditions on the ground. Tey created an initial set owatershed ‘marching orders’ or consideration in the rst years othe Sweet Wat er eort. Te monthly meetings averaged 21 participants or the KK and 27 participants or the Menomonee. Specia l eorts made t o seek out diverse input rom residents, businesses, and local government actors, depending on the sub- watershed(s) in ocus that partic ular month. Ater 15 public meetings involving more than 700 participant hours, the initial approach set in March has proven itsel successul. It wasn’t always easy, but i t worked. In the coming months and years, the lessons learned by the ocus on the Kinnickinnic and Menomonee Rivers will be applied to the other rivers in the region. It is expected that the same approach – systematic, public, and based in science – will guide those watersh ed planning eorts, as well. WatshActi Tams - A Succssful Ml FALL 2010volume 1 no 3 InSIde this issue GRee N ROOFs ............................... 2 AOC uPDA te .................. ............... 3 seWeR sChOOL ............................ 4 LOW-s ALt Diet this WiNteR.......... 5 visiON AND PRACtiCe ................... 6 LiNCO LN PARk ................ ............... 7 DAv e CieiPLuCh .......................... ... 7 southeastern wisconsin watersheds trust, inc. Learning for life riversreporT Chck ut Swt WatFacbk Want to keep updated on all Sweet Water’s events and news? Go online to our Facebook page. You’ ll fnd othe r items ointerest there too. You don’t need a Facebook account. You can also fnd out the current news and events by clicking the Facebook button at the bottom othe homepage on our website. Iyou have an account with Facebook, ask your riends to avorite our page. Let’s use every avenue to build interest in the work orestoring our rivers and Lake Michigan! Go To: facbk.cm/Se.WI. WatshsTust.g MInI-GrAnTS TO PAGE 3 Cgatulati s 2010 Swt WatMi i-Gat rci i ts Eleven area projects have been awarded a total o$15,000 to support projects that will help to protect water quality or to restore aquatic habitats in the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds. Te awards, ranging rom $600 to $2000, were made through Sweet Water’s 201 0 Mini-Gra nt Program to neighborhood and civic associations, non-prot organizations and municipal departments as part oa competitive application process that drew 33 applications. Projects were ranked on their potential to positively impact water quality in the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds; to raise awareness and promote behavior change regarding water quality issues; to leverage partnerships through the project; to be replicated in other areas othe watershed; and on the capacity othe group seeking support to implemen t and susta in the project. Mang ty aeas at KnnknnWateshed Atn Team meetng. Awads eemny wth Kevn Shae, MMSD; Mlly Flanagan, Jye Fndatn; Davd Lee, WE Eneges; and gant eent Nany Geenhagen aetng the Vllage Menmnee Falls. S W E E T W A T E r neWS BrIeFS To pAGE 8 M M S D
Te development o 2011/2012action plans or the Menomonee andKinnickinnic River Watersheds will becompleted in November 2010. Teseeorts were major milestones or SweetWater. Starting rom two complexWatershed Restoration Plans, preparedor the Milwaukee MetropolitanSewerage District by its engineeringrm contractors and completed inMarch, Sweet Water and its partnersset out a structured 8-month publicprocess to systematically examine the
tenets o the two restoration plansagainst the environmental realities inthe two rivers. Te Menomonee RiverWatershed covers 135.8 square milesand about 100 river/stream miles, whilethe KK covers 24.7 sq. mi. and about 25river/stream miles.
In a systematic mapping exercise lastingve months, the two Watershed Actioneams each met monthly in local park acilities,private rms or governmental ofces in theirrespective watersheds. Looking at one or two o themost challenged subwatersheds o the two riverseach session, the teams examined the oundationactions cited in the Watershed Restoration Plans
against the land uses and conditions on the ground.Tey created an initial set o watershed ‘marchingorders’ or consideration in the rst years o theSweet Water eort. Te monthly meetings averaged21 participants or the KK and 27 participantsor the Menomonee. Special eorts made to seek
out diverse input rom residents, businesses, andlocal government actors, depending on the sub-watershed(s) in ocus that particular month. Ater 15public meetings involving more than 700 participanthours, the initial approach set in March has provenitsel successul. It wasn’t always easy, but it worked.
In the coming months and years, the lessons learnedby the ocus on the Kinnickinnic and MenomoneeRivers will be applied to the other rivers in the region.It is expected that the same approach – systematic,public, and based in science – will guide thosewatershed planning eorts, as well.
Watsh Acti Tams - A Succssful Ml
FALL 2010 volume 1 no 3
InSIde this issue
GReeN ROOFs ...........................
AOC uPDAte ..............................
seWeR sChOOL ........................
LOW-sALt Diet this WiNteR ......
visiON AND PRACtiCe ...............
LiNCOLN PARk ................ ...........
DAve CieiPLuCh .........................
southeastern wisconsin watersheds
trust, inc.Learning for life
riversreporT
Chck utSwt Wat Facbk
Want to keepupdated on all SweetWater’s events andnews? Go online toour Facebook page.
You’ll fnd other itemso interest there too.You don’t need aFacebook account.
You can also fnd outthe current news andevents by clickingthe Facebook buttonat the bottom o thehomepage on ourwebsite.
I you have an
account withFacebook, ask yourriends to avorite ourpage. Let’s use everyavenue to buildinterest in the worko restoring our riversand Lake Michigan!
Go To:facbk.cm/Se.WIWatshsTust.g
MInI-GrAnTS TO PAGE 3
Cgatulatis 2010 Swt Wat Mii-Gat rciitsEleven area projects have been awarded a total o $15,000 to support projects that will help to protectwater quality or to restore aquatic habitats in theGreater Milwaukee Watersheds.
Te awards, ranging rom $600 to $2000, were madethrough Sweet Water’s 2010 Mini-Grant Programto neighborhood and civic associations, non-protorganizations and municipal departments as part o acompetitive application process that drew 33 applications.
Projects were ranked on their potential to positively impactwater quality in the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds; toraise awareness and promote behavior change regardingwater quality issues; to leverage partnerships through theproject; to be replicated in other areas o the watershed;and on the capacity o the group seeking support toimplement and sustain the project.
Mang ty aeas at Knnknn Wateshed Atn Team meetng.
Awads eemny wthKevn Shae, MMSD;Mlly Flanagan, JyeFndatn; DavdLee, WE Eneges; andgant eent NanyGeenhagen aetng the Vllage
Menmnee Falls.
S W E E T W A T E r
neWS BrIeF
To pAGE 8
M M S D
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Karen Sands, Manager o Sustainability, MMSD Chris Schultz, Water Quality Sr. Manager, MMSD
Te Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)is helping to blanket rootops throughout the GreaterMilwaukee Watersheds with green – green roos that is! In April o this year, the MMSD Commission authorized up
to 14 contracts totaling nearly $3.8M as part o a programknown collectively as the 2010 Regional Green Roo Initiative. When complete, these projects will add over 4acres o roos that can soak up rainwater throughout theregion.
Tis is good news or stormwater management. Greenroos help to manage not only the volume o stormwaterruno, but also the rate and the quality o that runo. Additional benets o green roos are many includingenergy savings, extended roo lie, reduction o the urbanheat island eect, sound insulation, improved aesthetics,improved air quality, and credits toward the GreenBuilding Council’s LEED certication.
MMSD project awards were made in the public, private,
and not-or-prot sectors or large and small projectsalike. For instance, the City o Mequon in the separatesewer service area (storm and sanitary in two separatepipes) was awarded $24K to complete its green roo on the PieperPower Education Center at the MequonNature Preserve. Other green roo awards are larger,including a uture green roo or the UW-Milwaukee’sGolda Meir Library which will include solar panels.Rockwell Automation also received an award or a greenroo on Building 42 under the amous our-sided clocktower which may be the largest green roo in the state o Wisconsin at 48,500 square eet!
Under the MMSD program, mutually benecialpartnerships are ormed with up to 14 developers and
building owners. Te stormwater management benetsvary depending on where the roos connect to thesystem. In the combined sewer servicearea (downtown Milwaukee, the eastside and part o Shorewood) stormwaterbenets include less water sent to theJones Island Water Reclamation Facility and subsequently less energy costs to treatstormwater runo. In the separate sewerservice area (everywhere else) stormwaterbenets include less water that’s able toleak into sewers and better water quality inarea streams and Lake Michigan. Withouteatures such as green roos, stormwaterruno fows across the surace o the land,
picks up pollution and carries it untreatedinto waterways.
Trough this program, MMSD hopes tonot only improve water quality and bettermanage stormwater, but also to demonstratethe real business case or green roos. Tesecatalytic green roo projects are destinedto seed even more green inrastructurethroughout the region as MMSD leads theway on green inrastructure solutions in theGreater Milwaukee Watersheds.
Nick Kasza, Intl Program Coordinator,Milwaukee Community Service Corps
As you may recall rom one o the articles inthe Summer issue o RiversReport, in 1987 theMilwaukee Estuary was designated as an “Areao Concern” along with 42 other signicantly polluted or degraded regions o the Great Lakes.Each year an annual meeting is held to bringtogether those individuals working to cleanup these degraded regions. Te 2010 AnnualMeeting or the US Great Lakes Areas o Concern(AOC) was held September 22 and 23 in Bualo,New York. Te event was attended by over200 individuals representing local, state, andederal agencies, private contractors who haveor are looking to take part in AOC clean up andrestoration work, and other interested parties.
Te most prominent news out o the conerencewas the imminent release o Great LakesRestoration Initiative (GLRI) grant money.Much o 2010 was spent reviewing the grantapplications and grants that should be awardedin October. Because o the late release date
o the grants, 2011 is envisioned as the yearo action or “on the ground and in the water”projects. A website has been established orthe GLRI and the grants awarded. (See http://greatlakesrestoration.us/).
Common themes discussed during theconerence include past, present, and uture workin AOCs, what is being done to delist “benecialuse impairments” (BUI), setting targets oruture processes and completion, prioritizingimplementation projects, methods to track andmonitor the progress o work within AOCs,inorming and educating the public, and ways toshare inormation.
Troughout the conerence the EPA regularly stressed the importance o comprehensiveStage 2 Remedial Action Plans. Te agency isnot looking or a ramework but rather exactdetails on proposed projects such as who will beinvolved, what specic work will be completed,what sites will be worked, the time period orthe work plan, project prioritization and how thework will proceed.
Seven dierent topics were discussed ataternoon breakout sessions on the rst day.opics included: implementing a strategicapproach to assessing, restoring, and delisting
AoC Cnference update AWArDs
MInI-GrAnTS FROM PAGE 1
UpdATe TO PAGE 6
BeneFICIAL USe IMpAIrMenT (BUI): A nga cang n al o a war body mang nabl or abnfcal a a bn agnd o. exampl o mparmna dgnad n Gra La WarQaly Agrmn ncld: rrconon f and wldl conmpon, bacclong, dgradaon o ac, loo f and wldl aba, and rrconon drnng war conmpon.
Te 2010 Mini-Grant recipients andtheir project titles are:
Friends o Hank Aaron State rail –Hank Aaron Pollution & Runo ControlProject
Holler Park Neighborhood Association– Holler Park Pond Vegetation Improvement
Root-Pike Watershed InitiativeNetwork – Root-Pike WIN RainGarden Program
Urban Anthropology, Inc. – TeFamily ree Program
Victory Garden Initiative–Concordia Gardens RainwaterCollection System
Whitefsh Bay Civic Initiative–Whitesh Bay Rain Barrel Street ArtProject
We will post project updates andphotos throughout the year on ourwebsite. We hope these projectsand projects rom prior years willinspire other groups and associations.Restoring and protecting our waters
and waterways is a shared workand will require the eorts o many individuals and groups throughoutthese watersheds. It is challengingwork and requires us to hold the longview. Trough programs like minigrant program, we can help supportthese eorts that are building ahealthier uture or our waters and ourcommunities.
We want to acknowledge the MilwaukeeMetropolitan Sewerage District, theWisconsin Energy Foundation, and theJoyce Foundation or their generous
support that made this year’s mini-grant program possible.
csten wate nsevatn. u N i T A r i A N u N i V E r S A L i S T c h u r c h W E S T
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Bill Grafn, Public Inormation Manager, MMSD
In one way, water is like electricity.It takes the path o least resistance.Underground, that journey oten involvescracks in sewer pipes that open the door
to enormous amounts o water leakinginto the sanitary sewer system where itdoesn’t belong.
Excess water in sewers is the main reasonwhy we still have sewer overfows andbasement backups. We’re talking aboutmassive volumes o water that are notsupposed to be in the pipes at all. So,where does it come rom?
Reducing the risk o basement backupsis our highest priority at the MilwaukeeMetropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD).We’ve invested billions o dollars on ourregional sewer system. However, many
people do not realize that the regionalsystem is only one third o the solution.
A Tree iered SystemWhen you use water in your home, it fowsto a pipe called a lateral that runs romunder your basement, out to the street,where it connects to your community’ssewer system. Te community sewer pipesconnect to MMSD’s regional pipes deeperin the ground. It’s the regional pipes thatdeliver all wastewater or 1.1 millioncustomers and industry to one o twowater reclamation acilities or the region.
MMSD serves 28 communities thatall own and operate their own sewers. Additionally, homes and businessesaccount or thousands o miles o privatesewer pipes in the overall system.
Tese numbers do not account or any storm sewers that collect rain and meltingsnow rom streets and parking lots. Tevast majority o storm sewers are operatedby municipalities. MMSD does not own oroperate any storm sewers.
Combined vs. SeparateWe hear a lot about combined sewers inthe Milwaukee area. A combined sewer isone pipe that collects sanitary fows romhomes and businesses and stormwaterrom streets. Te only combined sewersin this region are owned by the City o Milwaukee and the Village o Shorewood.Tey make up ve percent o MMSD’stotal service area. You can nd combinedsewers in about one third o Milwaukeeand roughly hal o Shorewood.
Separate sewer systems have one pipe thattransports sanitary fows rom homes andbusinesses. A second pipe, storm sewer,collects stormwater rom streets anddelivers it to the nearest creek, stream orriver untreated every time it rains or thesnow melts.
Deep unnel SystemWater reclamation acilities can only cleana certain amount o wastewater each day.For MMSD, each acility can process about300 million gallons per day. When heavy rain hits and the reclamation acilities
are operating at maximum capacity, morewater continues to pour into sewers.MMSD’s Deep unnel System allowsthe region to store the excess waterunderground until reclamation acilitieshave time to clean all the additional fows.
Te Deep unnel is 28.5 miles long andholds 521 million gallons o water. Itranges in size rom 17 to 32 eet indiameter. Most o the tunnel sits 300 eet
underground in bedrock. One section o the tunnel is about 175 eet undergroundin bedrock.
Beore the rst Deep unnel went intooperation in 1994, the region used to hav50 to 60 overfows to waterways every year with an average annual volume o 8billion to 9 billion gallons. With the Deepunnel in operation, we now average 2.5combined sewer overfows each year withan average volume o 1.4 billion gallonsover the past 17 years.
Where We’re GoingSince the 1980s, MMSD has invested $4billion in the regional sewer system andwater reclamation acil ities. Municipalitiehave poured millions o dollars intoimproving their sanitary sewer systems.However, very little work has been doneon private property and the laterals o homes and businesses, a signicant
Sw Schl:A It t ou pis
SeWer TO PAGE
infw: Sae Wate Enteng System Thgh byasses, cssves and ovefws.
Adapted rom Snow, Road Salt and the Chesapeake Bay by Tom Schueler,Center or Watershed Protection
For saety reasons, we need to keepdriveways and sidewalks clear o ice andsnow. However, choosing the r ight productand using it correctly is important to helpprotect our water resources.
Shvl aly, shvl ft.Remove as much snow as you can duringthe storm i possible. Deicers work bestwhen there is only a thin layer o snow orice that must be melted.
Chck th labl.Te table below shows how the mainingredients o common de-icing productscompare. Check the package closely to seewhat you’re buying—oten a product may contain several o the ingredients listed
below, but the rst one listed is usually themain ingredient. Choose calcium chlorideover sodium chloride when you can.
Aly salt aly, but saigly.No matter which chloride product youchoose, a little goes a long way. Additionalsalt won’t speed up the melting process. Terecommended application rate or sodiumchloride is about a handul per square yard.Calcium chloride works at much coldertemperatures and you need a lot less (abouta handul per three square yards).
Stick t sa.
Kitty litter and ashes may provide sometraction, but sand is cheaper and easier toclean up.
Avi ucts that ctai ua.Urea is a orm o nitrogen, a ertilizer, whenit washes o your driveway it will eventually end up in your local waters.
Avi salt ssitiv lats.Keep de-icing compounds away rom suchcommon plants as green ash, hickory, redmaple, sugar maple, white pine, Norway spruce, dogwood, redbud, rose, spirea andhawthorns. Kentucky blue grass and red
escue don’t like salt either. You may wantto use Calcium Magnesium Acetate CMA asa saer alternative.
put Yu divways a Lw-Salt dit
Chck th labl.
Chck th packag closely to see what
you’re buying.
Choo calcumchlod over
sodium chloridewhen you can.
TABLe 1: CHeCK THe LABeL
on THe LABeL WorKS doWnTo:
CoST enVIronMenT ConCernS
CALCiuM ChLORiDe -25°F 3X MORe thAN ROCksALt
use 3X Less thAN ROCk sALt. NO CYA-NiDe ChLORiDe iMPACt.
MAGNesiuM ChLORiDe 5°F N/A Less tOXiC, sAFe FOR eNviRONMeNtthAN CALCiuM ChLORiDe
CALCiuM MAGNesiuM ACetAte (CMA) 22-25°F 20X MORe thANROCk sALt
Less tOXiC
sAND NO MeLtiNG eFFeCt $3 (50 LB) ACCuMuLAtes iN stReets & stReAMs;NeeDs tO Be sWePt uP
Wnr comng. Coo prodc a alo proc war rorc.
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BUIs; accommodating climate change intohabitat restoration projects; an overview o ederal regulatory requirements or GLRIprojects; how to implement your habitatrestoration grant; tips or writing a habitatrestoration proposal; removing dams andproviding sh passage, issues and examples;options or generating non-ederal cost shareor GLRI projects. Several breakout sessionscontained success stories and examples romwork being done in and around AOCs, such asOzaukee County’s sh passage program andcleanup eorts on the Milwaukee River.
Te main element o day two was breakoutsessions ocusing on the restoration eorts
o each o the Great Lakes. Participantswere grouped according to the lake that their
AOCs is a part o. Representatives rom LakeMichigan AOCs cited numerous lake-wideissues and suggestions: invasive species,climate change, reerence sites or delisting,comprehensive education plans, and capacity building to allow the public to understandwhat is happening in their AOC. Many people stressed the need or a way to easily share inormation, successes and ailures,helpul tips, etc. that are available to all AOCs,regardless o state or lake aliation. Ideasmentioned include a listserv, blog, and GreatLakes wiki page, which the EPA is currently developing. (See www.greatlakeswiki.org/index.php/Areas_o_Concern.)
Te awarding o GLRI unds presents a mas-sive opportunity or AOCs to continue the
clean up eorts. While many o the projectswill not begin until next spring, 2011 will bea year o action and restoration or the Areaso Concern around the United States.
Te Milwaukee Estuary AOC was well repre-sented, including echnical Advisory Com-mittee representative, Nick Kasza (MilwaukeCty Service Corps and Gail Epping Overholt(UW-Extension and Menomonee Watershed Action eam Co-chair). A highlight includedkeynote remarks rom odd Ambs, ormerWater Division Administrator or the Wisconsin Dept. o Natural Resources.
Visi & pactic:Uivsity f Wiscsi-
Milwauk Z
dischag pla
Kate Morgan, Water Policy Director,1000 Friends o Wisconsin
Jim Wasley, associate proessor o architecture at University o Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his cadre o students arereducing the impact o the University on the local stormwater system projectby project. Teir ambitious goal is a zerodischarge rate or stormwater fowing intothe sewer system, mimicking the land inits pre-settlement state. Some projects areonly visible rom an upper foor windowoverlooking the green roo on SandburgHall or the green roo installation on theGolda Meir Library. Other projects onthe ground blend in with the landscaping
surrounding the campus acilities.Wasley and his students are employing thepractices o green inrastructure to captureand hold rainwater where it alls and slowdown its fow. Green inrastructure takesits inspiration rom the processes in naturethat capture, store, and slow the fow o rainall. Green inrastructure counters theloss o land to development along with itsassociated impervious suraces o roads,roos and parking lots, and puts into placedesigned practices that mimic nature’sprocesses. From the green roos to theSpiral Garden with its meandering bio-swales planted with native fowers, grasses
and sedges -- these green inrastructurepractices are holding the fush o stormwater back rom the sewer system.
Te vision that drives UW-Milwaukee ZeroDischarge Plan is an expression o Wasley’spassion or designing or environmentalsustainability and human health. Hesaw that the continual inrastructurework on campus was an opportunity toincrementally tackle the challenge o
stormwater runo. A plan in which allstormwater generated on campus wouldstay on campus could become an initiativethat would position UWM uniquely in thegreen campus movement.
He began to inventory potential sites or
green roos. Tis eort evolved into theZero Discharge Master Plan. Te visionand depth o design outlined in the plan ledto its adoption by the University within theocial campus master plan. While not amandate, the University committed to theplan as its ideal and guideline.
While Wasley was developing his zero dis-charge vision or the campus, MMSD wastackling the problem o sewer backups inareas o Shorewood adjacent to the Univer-sity. Te campus and Shorewood are parto the same sewer-shed, a drainage areawhere the network o sewer pipes fows toa common collection point. Te fush o stormwater rom the campus to the sewersshared with the southern border o Shore-wood exacerbated the problems Shorewoodwas acing with basement backups.
Te work Wasley was envisioning wouldhelp MMSD’s eorts by not only keepingstormwater out o the problematic sewersbut also would help build momentumand broader support to address the issue.MMSD partnered with Wasley in the
development o thezero-discharge plan andhas supported components o the plan, thegreen roo on the Golda Meir Library andthe Spiral Garden, through its community green roo and stormwater initiatives.
Te Zero Discharge Plan refects the
ocus o Wasley’s proessional research:designing or environmental sustainability and human health. Reducing seweroverfows by keeping stormwater out o the combined sewer system helps to keepbacteria out o our rivers and streams.reating stormwater as a resource tobe captured and used not only as wateror irrigation but also to lessen energy demands through the insulating eect o green roos, demonstrates how creatively addressing the challenge o stormwatercan lead to energy conservation.Projects implemented as part o the ZeroDischarge Plan serve as successul models
o green inrastructure practice that canbe replicated in other areas throughoutour community. Te impact o Wasley’swork extends beyond the UWM campusand this watershed. His vision andpassion grounded in innovative, real-world projects inspire a new generation o design proessionals or whom designingwith environmental sustainability inmind will be second nature.
Dave Ciepluch has been working onimproving Milwaukee’s environmentor over 35 years. He has recently retiredrom WE Energies where he worked as an Advocacy and Energy Options specialist.During his time as an advocate he hasdedicated countless hours to improvingthe Kinnickinnic watershed. He recently spearheaded eorts to clean up theheadwaters o Holmes Avenue Creek,which has a direct impact on water quality urther downstream.
Dave is leading the charge with dedicatedresidents, students and neighborhoodleaders on various improvements toHoller Park. Along with volunteers, Davehas planted over 10,000 native plantsaround the Holler Park lodge in one o theareas largest rain garden demonstrationplots. Students rom ve neighborhoodgrade schools participated in the plantingactivities, and in turn learned more about
their natural environment.
In addition to the rain garden, 15-20volunteers were trained in the installationo rain barrels and one cistern at theHoller Park lodge. Te rain garden andrain barrels help to improve storm waterquality by catching runo rom the lodgeroo and Easter Seals parking lot beoreit enters the pond that empties into theHolmes Creek, Wilson Creek and theKinnickinnic River watershed.
Dave was also recently awarded a SWWGreen Inrastructure Mini-Grant tocontinue his work at Holler Park. His planis to plant native emergent and shorelineplants around the new shing pier tocreate a natural buer or educational anddemonstration purposes. With Dave’seort, Holler Park is truly becoming amodel or residents and businesses on thesouth side o Milwaukee.
portion o the three tiered sewer system.
A single downspout connected to thesanitary sewer system can deliver up to 12gallons a minute o excess water duringheavy rain. Homes without sump pumpstypically have oundation drains that areconnected to the sanitary sewer system.Tose can deliver up to 10 gallons a minuteo excess water. Cracked and ailing lateralscan allow many more gallons into thesanitary sewers when the ground becomessaturated rom strong storms. All o thisrainwater can add up ast.
We have a tremendous amount o work
ahead to reduce the risk o basementbackups in our region. In the next
RiversReport, we’ll talk about ways toimprove and a $150 million plan toaddress work on private property.
SeWer FROM PAGE 4
CicatiKy t lic ParkSdit PrjctBen Uvaas, Water Quality Specialist,
Wisconsin Dept. o Natural Resources
Over the summer project partners havebeen working hard to keep the Lincoln Park
Contaminated Sediment Removal Projecton pace. Te project aces the challenge o removing approximately 100,000 cubicyards o sediment contaminated with unsaeamounts o PCBs and other toxicants thatimpact human and ecological health. Ater athorough review o possible alternatives, dry excavation was determined to be the bestmeans o contaminated sediment removal. A nal design o the cleanup eort is expectedwinter o 2011. Sediment removal andstreambank restoration will begin in thesummer o 2011.
Public input has also been a priority o the
project. On June 16 a community inputmeeting was held at Blatz Pavilion. Ater abrie introduction, the meeting was spentcollecting questions and public concerns.
Over the next month citizen commentscollected at the June meeting werecategorized and organized into a 13 pagesummary table. Te summary table alsoprovides written responses to questions anda list o resources or more inormation.
A second meeting was held July 28.Following a presentation o the questionsand responses ound in the summary table, adiscussion o what this project means to thecommunity ensued. Feedback was welcomeand encouraged throughout the meeting.
Comments and suggestions received will beadapted into the project whenever easible.For instance, better signage to inorm parkusers about the project was requested. Tiswinter two 3-panel kiosks will be installedin Lincoln Park containing inormationabout the sediment cleanup project, healthissues relating to shing and the impactso the project, and signage describingother Milwaukee area projects in progressalso working toward cleaner rivers. Moredetails about how community input helpedshape the project are orthcoming as projectdesigns are nalized.
Te Lincoln Creek Contaminated SedimentRemoval Project is estimated to cost $22million and is jointly unded by the US EPA and Wisconsin DNR through the GreatLakes Legacy Act and a state bond und orcontaminated sediment cleanup. Projectupdates, community input summary table, and more are online at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/legacy/lincolnpark.htm
Jon swt Wat Today! It’s ree, and it shows that you
support the work o Sweet
Water. Visit www.swwtwat.g/
hm/mmbshi.cfm
D E N N i S M u E L L E r
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neWS BrIeFS LocaL Watershed-Based stormWater
Permit request shoWs Promise
In September, Sweet Water prepareda detailed grant request to the EPA’sRegion 5 Water Quality CooperativeAgreements Program to und the creationo a Menomonee River Watershed-basedStormwater Permitting Framework. Isuccessul, the eort could become a
national model o cooperation acrossgovernmental and quasigovernmentalboundaries – 17 boundaries, in the caseo the Menomonee. In addition to theormal application materials, the packageincluded 10 support letters, including fverom municipalities in the Menomonee Riverwatershed, voicing their support or a new,highly-innovative approach toward stormwater quality improvements.
PLanning efforts Begin on root river
In work started by Root Pike WIN and theUW Cooperative Extension, Sweet Waterhas become central to the creation o apartnership that may lead to a Root River
Watershed Restoration Plan eort beginningin 2011. Those partners, along with dozenso local ofcials and residents, have alreadyheld our inormation and planning sessionsocusing on the 200 square mile Root RiverWatershed. Both Racine County and theMilwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Districthave expressed an initial interest in supportinga restoration plan or the Root River, i sufcientadditional local support is ound. At itsSeptember meeting in Bayside, the region-wide Intergovernmental Cooperation Councilvoiced unanimous support or the new eort.
sWeet Water receives nonProfit
designation
With the generous help o Foley & Lardner,LLC, Sweet Water received confrmationo tax-exempt 501(c)(3) with the InternalRevenue Service in September. This isimportant or Sweet Water to reach outto uture corporate and governmentalfnancial and program partners.
Cla rivs Cofc daws Cow
Te 7th Annual Clean Rivers, CleanLake Conerence attracted more than220 guests to the Radisson Hotel inWauwatosa on September 15. Produced
jointly by Sweet Water – the SoutheasternWisconsin Watersheds rust, Inc. andits partners in the region, the ull-day event attracted engineers, residents andbusinesses concerned about storm waterand water quality, elected ofcials, andrepresentatives o local government andnonprots. Te 2010 event was supportedby generous sponsors, including the JoyceFoundation, Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District, Symbiont, CDM, C.W.Purpero, Inc., Hey and Associates, Inc.,Grae and Visu-Sewer, Inc.
Te keynote speakers or the conerenceincluded Judy Beck, Lake MichiganManager or the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) and Dr. PeterNowak o the Nelson Institute at UW-Madison. Nowak’s popular presentation,advocating innovative approaches towardpromoting water quality practices,
was ranked most highly by conerenceparticipants. Overall, the conerenceprogram was ranked ‘excellent’ by 50%and ‘very good’ by 44% o this year’sparticipants.
Te day also eatured 13 regional andlocal water quality experts oeringworkshop topics, including rom theChicago River watershed group, UWM’sGreat Lakes WAER Institute, EPA’sRegion 5 stormwater ofce, and UW’sDiscovery Farms. opics included MDLs,watershed-based permitting and waterquality trading, green inrastructure
innovations, and habitat restoration. Newthis year, the conerence oered a variety o exhibitors and a eld trip to the nearby Milwaukee County Grounds and ElmGrove storm water retention projects.
Watch or the 8th Annual Clean RiversClean Lakes Conerence in all 2011. I you have suggested conerence ideas anddid not submit a conerence evaluationorm, email your speaker/topic ideas [email protected].
