2014 Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference -- MN WAT Update
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Menomonee River
Watershed Action Team Update
Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Menomonee River Watershed
• 136 Square Miles; 55 Miles of Rivers/Streams; 28 Miles Mainstem
Little Menomonee River Honey Creek Underwood Creek Dousman Ditch Willow Creek Little Menomonee Creek Butler Ditch Lilly Creek Nor-X-Way Channel Grantosa Creek
Menomonee River Watershed
• 16 Municipalities: Brookfield
Greenfield
Mequon
Milwaukee
New Berlin
Wauwatosa
West Allis
Brookfield
• 335,000 Residents
(2463/sq. mile)
Germantown Lisbon Richfield Butler Elm Grove Germantown Greendale Menomonee Falls West Milwaukee
Menomonee River Watershed
Current Land Use:
• agriculture in N. 1/3,
densely urban in
lower 1/3, and rest is
rapidly urbanizing
• 60% Urban, 40% rural
• 90% of the population
receives sanitary
sewer service
Land Use Changes
• Land use changes and increased
imperviousness in the watershed has
caused habitat degradation and stagnated
fish diversity.
• Development has created many
impassable culverts, has filled in/ altered
habitat, and created other artificial barriers
like small dams and drop structures.
Menomonee River Watershed Elevation Profile
0 5 10 15 20 25 30500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
Men River - Near Future Cond (8-16-05) Plan: Near Future 8-2005
Main Channel Di stance (mi )
Ele
vatio
n (ft
)
Legend
Ground
Menomonee River Watershed
Major Pollutants:
• Urban stormwater – Wildlife, pets & lawns
– Construction site erosion
– Illicit Discharges
• Rural nonpoint sources – Eroding agricultural lands
– Eroding streambanks
• Sanitary & combined sewer overflows
Riparian Corridors Conditions
Greater than 75 feet 51 - 75 feet 26 - 50 feet Less than 25 feet Enclosed conduit
Stream Condition--SEWRPC
(SEWRPC_TR-39)
Menomonee River
Biological
Conditions
Fishery Poor
but improving
due to removal
of Falk Dam and
Miller Brewery
Dam.
Menomonee River Watershed
Existing Initiatives to Build On:
– Menomonee River Flood Management Efforts (Elm Grove, County Grounds, Hart Park, Valley Park)
– Menomonee River Valley Redevelopment
(Stormwater Park, 3 Bridges Park)
– MMSD Greenseams
– Municipal Work/Group Stormwater Permit
Purpose of the Watershed
Restoration Plans
• Develop plan to improve our watersheds based on science and input from stakeholders
• Identify cost effective water quality and habitat improvements
• Incorporate the public’s desire for improvements along the waterways
• Identify actions (both short and long term) to achieve our water quality goals and objectives
Menomonee River Watershed Assessment Points & Reaches
•18 Assessment Point Areas in the Menomonee
•Hot spots identified for TSS, Phosphorus, and Bacteria
•Colored assessment point areas are in “top five” for pollutant loading for 1-3 pollutants of concern
Foundation Actions
ADDRESS THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH
(BACTERIA)
• Identify places where recreation and body
contact with the river are currently
occurring.
• Identify areas where recreation/body
contact is suitable or desired.
• Prioritize measures to reduce bacterial
contamination in the areas identified above:
• Identifying riparian buffer opportunities
• Managing pet waste
• Identifying areas where waterfowl congregate
• Municipal actions such as repair of leaking or
incorrectly discharging sanitary sewers.
Foundation Actions (cont.)
REDUCE LAND-BASED IMPACTS TO THE RIVER
• Reduce water quality and quantity impacts from stormwater runoff, because excessive stormwater flow causes water quality, fish/wildlife habitat, flooding, and safety problems:
• Green Infrastructure and other Stormwater BMP’s
• Restore floodplain
• Reduce nutrient concentrations in the river, with a primary focus on phosphorus. Excess phosphorus fuels algae growth and excessive aquatic plant growth in the river and lake:
• CSO/SSO Reduction, TSS Removal
• Phosphorus Controls (fertilizers, non-contact cooling water)
• Identifying riparian buffer opportunities
• Reduce salt use
• Monitoring and education
Foundation Actions (cont.)
• IMPROVE HABITAT FOR FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC LIFE IN THE RIVER
• Remove concrete channel, starting downstream on the main channel and working upstream.
• Identify and remove barriers to fish passage, beginning on the main channel and moving second to the river’s tributaries.
• Identify aesthetic improvement opportunities – clean ups, reforestation, etc.
• Remove invasive species and identify habitat restoration opportunities.
• Improve access to enhance citizens’ ability to use and appreciate the River.
Case Study: Menomonee Bacteria Loading
Find and Fix Activities
Case Study: KK & MEN Commercial &
Industrial Retrofit Prioritization Project
Case Study: Menomonee Riparian Work
Sweet Stream Stabilization
Prioritization & Design
Fish Passage Project Goals
• Removing artificial barriers to aquatic life passage will increase access for Lake Michigan and other native fish to pass to upstream spawning habitats (e.g., vegetated wetlands, etc.);
• Improve fish productivity;
• Enhance recreational opportunities; and
• Provide a more cost-effective alternative to restoring degraded habitats or creating new ones further downstream.
Menomonee River Watershed Inventory
Menomonee River Watershed Fish Passage Impediments
Milwaukee Ozaukee Washington Waukesha Totals
Dam / Weir 1 2 3
Low Water Crossing 9 1 1 1 12
Railroad Culvert
Barrier 1 2 1 4
Road Culvert Barrier 3 4 4 9 20
Rocky Debris Major 2 1 12 15
Sediment Debris
Major 1 1
Waterfall / Cascade 3 3
Woody Debris Major 43 13 4 60
Total Impediments 62 19 12 25 118
"Passable/Minor"
Impediments 140 74 35 15 264
Total Survey Points 202 93 47 40 382
Example Reach Map from our Fish Passage GIS
Example
Barrier
Survey
Form
(from our
Microsoft
Access
Database)
Tier 1:
Connection
to Lake
Michigan
Tier 2:
Connection
to Mainstem
Tier 3:
Connection
to highest
quality areas
SEWRPC
Prioritization
Potential Spawning Habitat
• 75 areas of promising
spawning habitat
were identified.
• Major tributaries with
the best potential for
spawning habitat
include the Little
Menomonee River
and Creek, Nor-X-
Way Channel, and
Dretzka Park Creek
among others.
Priority SEWRPC Projects To Improve The Fishery Within Menomonee River Watershed
Instream Measures (1) Removal of approximately 1,000 linear feet of concrete (within reach MN-18) in the vicinity of Wisconsin Avenue and IH-94 to reestablish fish passage to upstream reaches from Lake Michigan. (2) Removal and/or retrofitting of five low-gradient structures within the vicinity North Menomonee River Parkway between Swan Boulevard and Harmonee Avenue (within Reach MN-17A).
MMSD Concrete Removal
1
2
3
4
5
Menomonee Low Flow Barriers
Crossing 3 – Removal or Ramp
Upstream Work
Citizen Monitoring
Policy Tools • Menomonee River Watershed Based Permit
– Requires new IDDE protocol to detect human sewage and requires monitoring of minor outfalls (with relaxed monitoring of clean “major” outfalls)
– Requires group (or individual) projects
• TMDLs (and Implementation Plans) for bacteria, TSS, and Total P
• Compliance Tools: Adaptive Management, Water Quality Trading
• 1000 Friends of WI—Menomonee Municipality Ordinance Project
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