RiversReport eNewsletter May 2010

8/9/2019 RiversReport eNewsletter May 2010

1/12

B Nnc Frnk, Chir, SwtWtr Strin Council

ith the inaugural issueo this collaborativenewsletter betweenthe UW-Extension,Wisconsin Department

o Natural Resources and Sweet Water,we achieve another milestone in SweetWaters recent set o accomplishments.Sweet Water, ounded in 2008, isa partnership-based organization

dedicated to improving water quality throughoutthe Greater Milwaukee Watersheds. We areapproaching Sweet Waters second anniversarythis spring, and the collaborative eort that welaunched back then is proving to be a good thing.

Here is what I have observed:

Swt Wtr hs ttrctd nw undin toorts to impro wtr qulit nd qutichbitt in Milwuks rirs nd nr shorLk Michin. Te three-year, $1.9 milliongrant rom the Joyce Foundation would not haveoccurred without the ormation o Sweet Water.Te grant supports many o the eorts that youwill read about in this newsletter, including the

critical work o our committees and WatershedAction eams (WAs).

Swt Wtr is strnthnin xistinrltionships mon stkholdrs ndorin nw rltionships tht will llowinnoti nd cost-cti strtis to bimplmntd. Sweet Water is increasing boththe amount and the depth o interaction betweendierent environmental NGOs, municipalities,scientists, and businesses. And we have onlybegun! When the ederal government announcedthis all the availability o over $450 millionin Great Lakes unding, stakeholders workedtogether in an unprecedented way to put together

proposals that drew upon the unique strengthso each partner and that targeted the highestpriorities, as indicated in the Southeastern WIRegional Planning Commissions Water QualityManagement Plan Updateand in the ongoing WatershedRestoration Plans or theKinnickinnic and Menomoneewatersheds.

Swt Wtr tks cost-ctinss sriousl. SwtWtr, rom its incption,

hs souht to idnti nd pursuth most cost-cti strtisto corrct th wtr mnmntissus tht w c. As I like tosayand many readers will haveheard me say itSweet Water is aboutmaking progress toward water qualitygoals aster, better, cheaper. Tatmeans making progress more quickly,making more progress with the samedollars, and spending ewer dollars onachieving the waters that we want tobequeath to the next generation. Te

goal o cost-eectiveness is addressed in everyconversation, whether at the Science Committeeor a Watershed Action eam meeting. It ispermeating the culture o Sweet Water.

Swt Wtr tks scinc sriousl. Scincis crucil in idntiin or us wht w mnb ctinss. Sweet Water is not interestedin cutting costs or the sake o spending lessmoney. We seek to achieve clean and healthyrivers by applying the best inormation to setgoals and identiy solutions. Tis commitmentto basing actions on sound science is evidentin the work o our Science Committee and theinteractions between watershed modeling

consultants and Watershed Action eams.Finll, Swt Wtr would not h chidwht it hs without th hrd work o mnpopl. We are indebted to the vision and hardwork o our ounding chair, Pat Marchese, whoset Sweet Water on its path. We owe tremendousgratitude to our committee chairs and WAco-chairs, the Joyce grant partners, MMSD,SEWRPC, and the DNR. And, personally, I alsowant to thank the Sweet Water Steering Councilor their willingness to serve and their diligence inkeeping Sweet Water on the right track.

oday, the number o people who are activelyengaged in Sweet Water activities ar exceeds the

number o signed Memoranda o Understandingso Sweet Water membership. Tat is a testament toSweet Waters success in attracting committed andknowledgeable people to join this important work.

J Swt Wtr Ty!

Its r, and it shows that you suort th worko Swt Watr. Visit swwtwatr.org/hom/documnts/SWWTMOUvrsion14.d

Cabrain is wring

Nancy Frank

Swt Watr Chair

WWelCometo th First

RiveRSRepoRtTh RIVeRS RepORT is aquartrly comndiumo nws concrningth watrshds o thGratr Milwauk ara.In an ort to build on th

rcnt ort o rovidinga rgional quartrlynwslttr, Swt Watr(Southastrn WisconsinWatrshds Trust,Inc.) is joining with thWisconsin Dartmnto Natural Rsourcsand th Univrsity oWisconsin-extnsion inromoting th orts inour rgion that advanc

watr quality and watrrsourc rstoration.Togthr, th thrartnrs will bring thlatst vnts, rograms,rojcts and ol whomov our rgion closr toshabl and swimmablwatrs. Your commntsar always wlcomd!

SpRING 2010volume 1 no 1

INSIde this issueRecoRd-sized RiveR cleanups .

FRee monitoR tRainings ..........

pRojects get state Funding ...

industRial pt. souRces pRimeR

medicine collection oFFeRed .

new eFFoRts in KK wateRshed

wateRshed action team updates

ozauKee pRoject employs youth

speaKeRs BuReau oFFeRings....

gReenseams pRoject in

BRooKField .........................

To learn more about thchallenge, go to page

southeasternwisconsinwatersheds

trust, inc.Learning for life

RiveRSRepoRt


2/12pag 2 RiveRSRepoRt SpRING 2010

Te 15th Annual Spring River Cleanup was held on Saturday, April 17th. A majorannual event organized each year by Milwaukee Riverkeeper, the event attractedbetween 3,500 and 4,000 volunteers this spring.

Reecting on the day, Milwaukee Riverkeeper Executive Director Karen Schapirosaid, We were so pleased with the strong and spirited turnout, with thousandso area residents pitching in at 47 sites all across the metropolitan area. And theweather was a boost as well, with sunny skies and nice temperatures.

Te 15th Annual Spring River Cleanup was organized into geographic areas witheach the 47 clean up sites hosted by volunteer organizers, oten representing localcompanies or civic groups. Volunteers met at the sites or cleanup instructions andsupplies and then radiated out on oot, or in some cases by canoe or kayak, to dotheir good work.

Tis years cleanup included seven locations in the northern watersheds o theMilwaukee River, twelve locations along the Milwaukee River south o Brown DeerRoad, ten locations along the Menomonee River upstream rom the MenomoneeRiver Valley, six locations in the Menomonee Valley itsel, and our locations alongthe Kinnickinnic R iver.

Event organizer and longtime Riverkeeper sta member CherylNenn spoke to the enthusiasm o the volunteers this year,Tanks to the community support, the 2010 Cleanup was atremendous success. We had a hard-working crowd this year

and the rivers in the greater Milwaukee area look much,much better because o them.

Several hundred o the volunteers met at Gordon Parkalong the Milwaukee River in the Riverwest neighborhoodor a rash Bash! Party ater their cleanup work. Tey

enjoyed ood, drink and live music together, and receivedprizes or the weirdest thing retrieved rom the river andawards or the most creative art-to-trash sculptures.

evenTS

J t cll ty!Visit ths wbsits:

swwtwatr.orgurbancologycntr.org

mmsd.com

In celebration o the 40th anniversary oEarth Day on April 22, the Urban EcologCenter, Milwaukee Metropolitan SeweragDistrict (MMSD), and Sweet Wateorganizations are encouraging amilieand neighbors to customize their owplan to reduce water usage inside the homand increase water storage in the yarwhenever your avorite orecaster calls oheavy rain. Installing a rain barrel on youdownspout alone can capture 55 gallons owater that you can use during dry weathe

to water trees, gardens, and owers.We each use about 65 gallons o water a dainside our homes. With 1.1 million peoplin MMSDs service area, just think o thdierence it would make i everyone toothe challenge, remarked Ken LeinbachExecutive Director or the Urban EcologCenter. Small changes at the householdby-household level can yield huge benetto our area rivers and ultimately, to LakMichigan, the source o most o oudrinking water and the place many o uock to or recreation and relaxation.

Tere are dozens o ways to cut down thawill not signicantly impact your daiactivities. Heres a ew:

k short showr instead o a bath.Do th lundr tomorrow i there

heavy rain today.Dont l th wtr on while brushin

your teeth or shaving.Instll wtr fcint uct

showerheads and toilets to reduce indooconsumption by 1/3 or more.

You can help reduce sewer overows Lake Michigan and basement backups btaking the challenge. Sign on by visitin

any o the three partnering agencies: wwwurbanecologycenter.org, www.mmsd.comor www.swwtwater.org.

15h Rir Can U A Big Succss

Chag Issd t

mark 40th earth Day

CoURteSy of mIlWAUkee RIveRkeepeR


3/12RING 2010 RiveRSRepoRt pag 3

B Pul SchwrzkopOutrch CoordintorMilwuk Rirkpr

Financial and stang shortages havemade it increasingly more dicult orthe Wisconsin Department o Natural

Resources (DNR) to monitor Wisconsins84,474 miles o streams. Te DNR hasbecome receptive to the idea o MilwaukeeRiverkeeper and other groups trainingcitizens to be monitors.

Te qualications to participate in thetrainings are not restrictive, but areimportant. No science backgroundis necessary, but volunteers must bededicated, meticulous, and physically ableto walk in and along the river to access themonitoring sites. Tey are responsible orcollecting monthly data during the spring

and summer and reporting the data in anonline database.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper trains volunteersand loans them the equipment they needto monitor a designated area within theMilwaukee River Basin. Introductory

volunteers conduct a habitat assessmentand collect data on the stream ow, watertemperature, clarity, macro-invertebratesand dissolved oxygen levels o the water intheir stretch o the river.

wo May workshops are oered:

LeveL I RaININgSaturday May 22, 10am-3pm. RiveredgeNature Center (4458 W. Hawthorne Drive).No previous experience is required.

martika Hird asSwt Watr Dirctr

Sweet Water has hiredJe Martinka as itsrst Executive Director.Marinka began workingwith Sweet Water onJanuary 4, 2010. Mar-tinka brings to Sweet

Water broad experiencemanaging nonprot or-ganizations and work-ing with governmentalpartnerships.

A native o Milwaukee, Martinka servedmost recently as Executive Director o theWest 7th Community Center in St. Paul, MN.During his tenure there, he was responsibleor all management o this independent,multi-unction social services organization,including program and sta management(31 sta), marketing and und raising.During this time, he raised more than $1.5million in new project unding, growingthe centers budget by 40% in three years.In his tenure, the organization launchedmany new programs, including expandededucation eorts or at-risk childrenand youth and new in-home services orvulnerable seniors.

In other nonprot positions, Martinkaserved in management positions atPerspectives Family Center (MN) and PreventChild Abuse Minnesota and as ExecutiveDirector o Literacy Services o Wisconsinin Milwaukee. Prior to his nonprot career,

he worked in management at the MilwaukeeCounty Parks, in the Milwaukee Mayor JohnNorquists Oce, and at the MilwaukeeDepartment o City Development.

Martinka earned his Masters degrees inUrban Planning and Public Administrationat the University o Wisconsin Madison,where he earned ull tuition ellowships.His Bachelors degree in GeologicalSciences and Anthropology was awardedrom the University o Wisconsin Milwaukee. Martinka previously servedon the boards o Great Lakes Future,Teatre X, and Future Milwaukee. InMinnesota, Martinka served on the Boardand Executive Committee o Metropolitan Alliance o Connected Communities, onthe Executive Committee o the Councilo Agency Executives, and on the Boardo Zenon Dance Company and School. Hisnon-work activities include backpacking,cross country skiing, canoeing, and travelin Europe and Latin America.

Trough a partnership with the Universityo Wisconsin Milwaukee Great Lakes

fr Sra mniring training Casss

J Martinka

TRaining

CoURteSymIlWAUkeeRIveRkeepeR

mARtINkA TO pAGe 4tRAINING TO pAGe 8



Te Sweet Water Steering Council represents the diverse stakeholders o theGreater Milwaukee Watersheds including academia, business, municipalities,governmental agencies, and nonprot organizations. Te Council meets bi-

monthly at the Innovation echnology Center in Wauwatosa. New ocers haverecently been selected. Nancy Frank, Chair o UW-Milwaukee Dept. o Urban

Planning, will serve as the Council Chair. David Lee, Water Quality Manager at

WE Energies, will serve as Secretary/reasurer. Tom Grisa, Director o PublicWorks in Brookeld, will serve as Vice-Chair.

Sweet Water welcomes Susan Greenfeld as a new member o the Steering

Council. Greeneld is the Executive Director o the Root-Pike WatershedInitiative Network (WIN). Since joining Root-Pike WIN in 2007, she has led theimplementation o a new Rain Garden Initiative that has unded the installation

o 59 rain gardens in Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee counties and broughttogether 17 southeastern Wisconsin towns, villages, cities and counties and

the University o Wisconsin-Parkside or a new public, stormwater outreachprogram, Keep Our Waters Clean!

Acknowledged or her environmental work, Greeneld was named WisconsinsPolicy Maker o the Year in 2004 by Gathering Waters Conservancy. In 2008 the

YWCA named her Woman o Distinction or the Environment in 2008. In March2010, in honor o Womens History Month, she received a commendation rom

the Racine County Board o Supervisors or her dedicated public service andcontributions to promoting the public good or all citizens o Racine County.

Previously, Greeneld was a consultant in land planning, conservation andrestoration and ormer chair o the own o Caledonia in Racine County serving eightyears on the town board. Prior to serving as an elected ocial, she was the principal

o Susan Greeneld Communications and employed as the communicationsmanager or the Aspin Procurement Institute, a business development organization

ounded by Congressman Les Aspin. Greeneld currently serves as a commissioneron the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

Ara Prjcts Rci

Casta Fdig

Four Sweet Water partners have notied by the Wisconsin Departmo Administration that their applicaor Wisconsin Coastal Zone ManagemGrants received tentative approval$83,382 in support (nal approval wi

granted later this spring). All our oprojects will provide unding that dircomplements unding received romJoyce Foundation. In addition, several ogrants or projects key to Milwaukee watershed work were also unded.

Here is a summary o the grants or SWater Partners:

1000 Frinds o Wisconsin ($18Bilingual Nonpoint Source PolluOutreach Eorts in Milwaukee, Menomand Kinnickinnic River Watersheds

Milwuk Mtropolitn Sw

District ($23,382) Habitat improvemMilwaukee River Estuary

Rir allinc o Wisconsin ($10Greater Milwaukee Watersheds MonitoAssistance

16th Strt Communit Hlth C($32,000) Kinnickinnic Nonpoint SoPollution Design and Outreach Eorts

In addition, the Wisconsin Departmo Administration is supporting seother grants boosting Greater Milwawatershed initiatives. Tose proinclude: Milwaukee Public Sch

$39,310 or Maryland Avenue Scrain garden creation; City o Milwa$35,000 or a boulevard bioswales proCity o Milwaukee, $75,000 suppothe extension o the Reed St. Riverextension along Menomonee River chaand Southeastern WI Regional PlanCommission, $20,000, watershed techassistance to area governments. Te unding or these additional initiawould be $169,310.

SWeetWAteRSteeRINGCoUNCIl

Susan Grnld addling lad cano in Root-pik WIN rivr vnt.

updaTe

CoURteSyRo

ot-pIkeWIN

WAER Institute, Martinka is houseoce space at the Institute. He will wodeepen collaboration throughout the GrMilwaukee watersheds in the Lake Michbasin and to increase the organizateectiveness o the Sweet Water. organization, however, will continue toperated primarily by volunteers ancollaboration with governmental and governmental partners.

mARtINkA FROM pAGe 3



B Bn Us, Wtr Qulit SpcilistWisconsin Dpt. o Nturl Rsourcs

When people think o water pollution,many think o a pipe dripping green toxicwaste into a river with dead sh nearby.

Fortunately, these are mostly memories o atime beore the State and Federal regulationo discharges to our water bodies. Mucho that regulation is directed at controllingpollution rom industrial point sourcepollution. oday, the pipes arent drippinganything green or glowing, but how exactlyare these industries regulated, and what iscoming out o the pipe?

Point source pollution diers rom othertypes o pollution in that it comes rom alocalized, identiable source. Tis article willocus on industrially-related point sources,

how they are permitted, and what types opollutants may be ound in the discharge oa ew examples.

Entities seeking to discharge to suracewaters, groundwater, or to storm sewers thatdrain to them, must obtain a permit rom theWisconsin Department o Natural Resources(DNR). Tose who discharge without permitcoverage may be subject to prosecution. Tereare many types o permits. Major permitsdischarge very large volumes o water and areevaluated by DNR and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA). Eligibility or majorpermits are determined by calculating an EPAscore which considers six actors, includingwater quality, toxic pollutant protection, andpublic health interests. Other permits areall into the minor category. Minor permitsallow discharge o smaller volumes o waterand require permitted acilities to conormto strict regulatory requirements to protectwater quality and reduce the impact o theirdischarge. A paper mill is a good example oa acility that requires a major permit, whilea metal nishing actory would generallyrequire only a minor permit.

Besides being classied as majoror minor, industrial permits arealso determined to be complexand non- complex. Complex

permits are those suracewater dischargers with

water quality-based efuentlimits, categorical limits, and land disposalsystems with groundwater monitoringwells. A complex permit would be requiredor a wastewater treatment plant. Industrialnon-complex permits include dischargeso low strength wastewater (which may ormay not be treated) rom small industries

discharging to surace water with categorilimits. Whether it is a major or minpermit depends on the quantity o watedischarges; i its greater than one millgallons per day, its considered major.

Finally, there are also general permits aindividual permits. General permits designed to protect water bodies rom discharges associated with a specic industactivity, while individual permits are tailomade to match the unique discharge at acility where they are issued.

nusria pin Surcs War puin:Whas cing u h i?

Today, th is arnt driing anything

grn or glowing, but how xactly ar ths

industris rgulatd, and what is coming out

o th i?

SWeet WAteR WeBSIte UpdAteWith th hl o Brnadtt Brds o MMSD, Mnomon Rivr Watr Action Tam(WAT) voluntr John Hackr, and Kat Morgan o 1000 Frinds o Wisconsin, SwtWatr wbsit ugrads ar undrway. Our wbsit will b mor hlul to WATvoluntrs and community mmbrs sking inormation about our orts. Visitwww.swwtwatr.org. Giv us your suggstions!

Stormwatr outall in Jackson park. Industris that discharg wastwatr to storm sw

instad o a watr body must still aly or rmits.

pollUtIoN TO pAGe



A Medicine Collection Day will be heldMay 8 in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Kenoshaand Waukesha Counties. Area residents areencouraged to bring unused and outdatedmedicines to the collection locations.

Medicines in our waters are an emergingconcern, with 80% o the waterwaysshowing traces o common medications.Scientic research is underway to studythe risks o medicines in our waters tohuman health. Other studies, however,have shown that even small traces omedicines in water can have a negativeeect on the health and development osh and aquatic organisms.

Water treatment plants can cleanse thewater o many pollutants but there is nomethod that can remove medicines romour water. Te best way to reduce the

amount getting into our rivers is to disposeo unwanted and outdated medicinesthrough collection programs. Disposingo old medicines in collection programsalso helps reduce possible substance abuseand prevent childhood poisonings.

Te ollowing items can be brought tothe collection programs: prescriptionmedication, over-the-counter medications,ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, vials,and pet medicines. Do not bring illegaldrugs, bio-hazardous materials, needlesor other sharps, personal care products,

or household hazardous waste.

Te May 8 Medicine Collection Daytimes and locations are:

Milwuk Count

9am1pm. Miller Park, MilwaukeeOzuk Count9am1pm. Ozaukee County Hwy. Dept.410 S. Spring St., Port Washington

Milwaukee Area echnical College5555 West Highland Rd., Mequon

Knosh Count9am1pm. Kenosha Cty Job Ctr Entry D8600 Sheridan Rd., Kenosha

Kenosha County Center19600 75th St., Bristol

Wuksh Count9m12pm. Ruby Isle2205 North Calhoun Road, Brookeld

Community Memorial HospitalW180 N8085 own Hall Rd.,Menomonee Falls

D.N. Greenwald Center240 West Maple Ave., Mukwonago

Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital791 Summit Avenue, Oconomowoc

9m1pm. Waukesha County echnicalCollege, 800 Main Street, Pewaukee

Waukesha State Bank, DowntownBranch, St. Paul Ave., Waukesha

k micin ou la michigan

evenTS Ara Sbits mayRstrati PrpsasAt least 40 applications or Great LakeRestoration Initiative (GLRI) Grant und

were submitted to the U.S. EnvironmentProtection Agency in January or suppoo projects based in the Greater Milwauke

watersheds. Many o the proposa

were submitted by Sweet Water partneorganizations.

Listed below are our o the submitte

GLRI project applications directly involveSweet Waters eorts:

BIODIveRSIy PROjeCPrtnrs: Chicago Wilderness, SweeWater, and Lake Erie Allegheny PartnershipBiodiversity Project paid or the granapplication, with writing/research hel

rom other partners).Proct: Green Inrastructure Outreach t

Reduce Stormwater Pollution.Budt: $996,852.Dscription: o improve water quality ithe Great Lakes, we will motivate municipdecision-makers, engineers and plannin

sta and homeowners to implement specigreen inrastructures and best stormwate

management practices. We will designimplement and evaluate a comprehensiv

education and outreach campaign treduce urban stormwater pollution ithe Great Lakes. We expect this projec

to result in a reduction o a minimum o

2.5 million gallons o stormwater runoper storm event in the Cleveland metrarea, 2.8 million gallons per event in th

Milwaukee area and 7.9 million gallons peevent in the Chicago metro area.

CeNeR FOR ReSILIeN CIIeSPrtnrs: Milwaukee Public SchoolMilwaukee Department o Public WorkMilwaukee Community Service Corps oGroundwork Milwaukee, Sweet Wate

Sweet Water paid or grant application.Proct: Stormwater rees & Rain Garden

at Milwaukee Public Schools.Budt: $338,725.Dscription: Tis project addressepersistent problems o urban stormwateruno, combined sewer overows, an

sanitary sewer overows in the urban coro Milwaukee by adding trees and rai

gardens to paved playground and parkinareas on Milwaukee Public School site

Stormwater and sewer overows ow tlocal rivers, and rom there through th

pRopoSAlS TO pAGe 1

CoURteSy

mIlWA

UkeemetRopolItANSeWeRAGedIStRICt



Arican Rirsors Sr WarWrshsSimon Landscape, Energy Exchange

and the national organization AmericanRivers are partnering with multiplestakeholders to create a center or

education and implementation oBest Management Practices (BMPs)

in Milwaukee. Te new stormwaterbest practices center will be located on

South 6th Street in the KinnickinnicWatershed, and when completed, theacility wil l maintain over 7,500 square

eet o permeable pavement, 4,000 sq.t. o green roo in several styles, 1,100

sq. t. o bioswales or rain gardens andtwo 1,000 gallon rain harvesters.

According to Sean Foltz, AssociateDirector o the American Rivers Clean

Water Program, We are pleased to be acooperating partner with Sweet Water

in planning watershed improvementeorts in Greater Milwaukee. Wehope that the BMP practices taught

at the Simon Landscape center, aswell as the lessons learned rom other

American Rivers eorts across theUS, can be successully applied in our

area watersheds. American Riversis providing unds to help with BMPimplementation in Milwaukee, as well.

Te Center will host workshops eaturingspeakers rom around the state who are

involved in low impact development.Policymakers, local rooers, architects,

landscapers, lawyers and LEEDspecialists will help inorm Milwaukee

residents and businesses in ways toimprove the environment while alsobeneting their businesses or homes.

Te rst workshop is June 17 eaturingDr. Robert Roseen rom the University

o New Hampshires Stormwater Center.Dr. Roseen is a national expert in BMP

eorts, with a special talent in colderweather storm water mitigation options.Contact Sean Foltz o American Rivers

at [email protected] or 414-727-2292 or more inormation.

WoRkShopS

(to hoto) Crw food-tsting rmabl avmnt.

(bottom hoto) prmabl avmnt installation.



Rain Barrs:I sars wih

ach r war

You can

rduc

watrollution,

lowr your

watr costs,

and hl

rsrv Lak

Michigan...

all by caturing

watr rom your roo's downsout

in a rain barrl. Rain barrls ar un

and asy to install. Rain barrls

stor 55 gallons o rainwatr rom

your roo that you can us whn it's

dry to giv thirsty gardns, fowrs

and trs a drink. Rain barrls hl

k xcss watr out o th swr

systm whn it rains. Thy also

hl rvnt rain rom bcoming

ollutd storm watr runo, th

biggst rmaining thrat to clan

watr in th Unitd Stats. To gt

your MMSD rain barrl today, go to

www.mmsd.com and s th list

o local rtailrs that ar slling th

MMSD rain barrl!

Ater two years o work by the consultantso HNB and signicant participationby a diverse group o stakeholdersincluding municipalities, environmentalorganizations, and citizens, theWatershed Restorations Plans or theKinnickinnic and Menomonee Rivershave been completed. Tese plans will

orm the oundation or watershedrestoration eorts in the Kinnickinnicand Menomonee Watersheds.

Te Watershed Restoration Plans arebased on robust scientic data compiledrom Milwaukee Metropolitan SewerageDistrict, Wisconsin Department oNatural Resources, UWM Great LakesWAER Institute, US Geological Serviceand the work o citizen monitors. Teconsultants at HNB compiled andanalyzed the data and then drated plansthat, i ully implemented, will advance

water quality and resource restoration tomeet the goals established by the DNR,MMSD, and SEWRPC. Te plans detaila strategic ramework and outline keyactions required to meet those goals.

Te restoration eort will be led andcoordinated by Sweet Water and itspartners. Projects will be prioritized tohave the greatest impact on the healtho our rivers and Lake Michigan. Tey

will ocus on reducing nutrients owinginto our waterways, protecting andrestoring habitats and the natural beautyo our rivers, and addressing the problemo bacteria and pathogens entering ourrivers and streams.

Sweet Water has ormed Watershed Actioneams (WAs) or the Kinnickinnic and

Menomonee Watersheds. Te initial worko the WAs was to provide eedbackand input to the consultants during thedevelopment o the plans. Teir workwill now ocus on the implementationo the completed Watershed RestorationPlans. Te WAs will help identiy priorityprojects, gather necessary people orprojects and participate in project activities.Watershed Action eams are open to allwho care about their rivers and lakes. Newparticipants are always welcomed.

For inormation about the Watershed

Restoration Plans and Watershed Actioneams, visit www.swwtwater.org orcontact the WA co-chairs. For theMenomonee River, contact Cheryl Nennat [email protected] or Gail Epping Overholt at [email protected]. For theKinnickinnic River, contact BenGramling at [email protected] Ben Sykes at [email protected].

ming r panning AcinSwt Watrs Watrshd Action Tams,

Kinnickinnic and Mnomon Rivrs

Volunteers receive basic training. Teirdata is used or educational purposes andor identiying problem areas and waterquality trends.

LeveL II RaININgSaturday, May 1, 10am-3pm. MenomoneeFalls Village Hall (W156N8480 Pilgrim Rd)

Volunteers have participated in Level I trainingor received previous water quality monitoringtraining proessionally. Te volunteerstraining, responsibility & commitment tothe project are elevated. Use sophisticatedequipment (including meters, thermistors)and the data they produce may be used by theDNR and Riverkeeper to make decisions.

I you are interested in attending trainingsor want more inormation, contact Joe Rathat [email protected] orby calling 414-287-0207 x234.

moNItoR tRAININGFROM pAGe 3

Sign-in at rcnt WAT mting hld at UW-extnsion ocs.



Barriers in our rivers and streams negativelyimpact their ecological health and vitality;likewise, barriers exist within our communitiesthat negatively impact the health and vitalityo those same communities. Te barriers in

rivers and streams include dams, culverts,riprap, log jams and sedimentation; barrierswithin our communities include lack o accessto jobs, insucient training or potential jobsand the disempowerment o youth in oururban areas.

Trough a key partnership with theMilwaukee Community Service Corps, theOzaukee County Milwaukee River WatershedFish Passage Program is addressing bothchallenges. Milwaukee County Service Corps(MCSC) provides programs that enable youthto overcome socio-economic barriers byproviding meaningul job training and workexperience while improving the communityand the environment.

Tis spring, over 40 youth rom the MCSCwill join the restoration work on the UpperMilwaukee River. Tese youth are taking partin MCSCs Wastewater reatment Operatorclass in preparation or the Department oNatural Resources examination. Successulcompletion o this exam serves as an entrypoint into the work orce. Te programcombines classroom curriculum with eldwork and experiences.

One o the eld work components or this

course will put groups o youth to work in thethe Milwaukee River Watershed Fish PassageProgram. Youth will take part in the removalo 84 barriers including log jams, sedimentaccumulations, invasive species, and railroadballast deposits. Other eld experiences orthe Wastewater reatment Operator classinclude water sampling and monitoring,cladophora removal, and manning the riverskimmer boats to remove debris.

Chris Litzau, Executive Director orMCSC observed, Te eld experiences inenvironmental improvement loop back to the

wastewater treatment studies. Trough theseexperiences (the youth) begin to understandthat all the learning strands come togetherand relate directly to water quality.

As work continues throughout the year toits completion in the all o 2010, not onlywill the Fish Passage project have succeededat reconnecting 158 miles o the MilwaukeeRiver and tributaries, but also will haveconnected a group o youth to job training, toopportunities, and to the wider communitywhich includes the river itsel.

yuh prgra Assiss ozauCuns fish passag ers

CoURteSy mIlWAUkee CommUNItySeRvICe CoRpS



Swt Watr Grat Rcipits Gathr at meC At a recent meeting o the Joyce NGO Partners at Milwaukee EnvironmentalConsortium (MEC), the group reviewed progress to date and outlined the next phaseo work. Front row: Kimbrl gl, River Revitalization; ezr Mr, CleanWisconsin; j Mrtink, Sweet Water; Mliss Scnln, Midwest EnvironmentalAdvocates; Kt Morn, 1000 Friends o Wisconsin. Bck row: Chris Clton, RiverAlliance; Kimbrl Wriht, Midwest Environmental Advocates; Ptr Mcao,16th St. Community Health Center; Mriln goris, Sweet Water; Krn Schpiro,Milwaukee Riverkeeper; St Hinikr, 1000 Friends o Wisconsin; Nnc Frnk,UWM-Department o Urban Planning and Chair o Sweet Waters Steering Council.

Milwaukee Estuary Area o Concern into

Lake Michigan, polluting our near shoreenvironment and leading to benecial use

impairments. Te trees and gardens will beused as an opportunity to educate studentsand teachers about urban stormwater.

MILWaUKee MeROPOLIaNSeWeRage DISRIC (MMSD)Prtnrs: SEWRPC, Sweet Water, Cityo Milwaukee; MMSD paid or the grant

application.

Project: Milwaukee Watershed Plan ocusedon the Milwaukee Estuary AOC.Budt: $929,529Dscription: Te Milwaukee MetropolitanSewerage District proposes to develop anadaptive Watershed Restoration Plan or

the Milwaukee River watershed, ocusedon the Milwaukee Estuary Area o Concern.

Te Plan will identiy high priority actionsto improve water quality and habitat in thewatershed to be implemented in the next

5 years. Te project will study sources o

phosphorus to understand the impactso point and nonpoint sources as well asimplement and monitor actions to reduce

phosphorus.

MILWaUKee RIveRKeePeRPrtnrs: MMSD, UWM Water Institute,Sweet Water, USGS; (Sweet Water paid orthe grant application).Proct: Find and Fix Human BacteriaSources in Milwaukee Watersheds.Budt: $993,500.Dscription: High levels o ecal coliorm

contamination in the Menomonee andKinnickinnic River watersheds contributeto bacteria loading and thus to signicant

water quality and human health impactsin the Milwaukee Estuary Area o Concern.

Sampling and modeling suggest the sourceis illicit storm sewer connections, leaking

sanitary sewers, and other unknown sources.Pursuant to the Watershed RestorationPlans created or each watershed, this

project will identiy and correct the sourceo bacteria at known problem areas.

pRopoSAlS FROM pAGe 6

Water is a recurring topic in the news with a

ticles and stories reporting on water qualitAsian carp, water diversions and other cha

lenges acing our rivers and Lake MichigaTese news stories underscore the impotance o an inormed citizenry that unde

stands the issues and our impacts on thcritical resource as well as actions we can tak

to protect and restore our water resources.

o promote a greater understanding o ou

rivers and lakes and the challenges acinour waters, Sweet Water and its partne

have created a speakers bureau to enablocal groups, businesses, and municipaliti

to more easily access experts to speak owater quality and watershed improvementTe presentations ocus on water throug

a variety o topic areas including historecology, recreation, archaeology, law, issue

and eorts to protect our rivers and LakMichigan. Te presenters are experts

their elds and include scientists, municipdepartment heads, leaders o nonproorganizations and the sewerage distric

lawyers, an archaeologist, historian anartist. Each expert is not only knowledgeab

but also passionate about our waters.

Sweet Water encourages businesses, group

and associations to consider water as

topic or their event, meeting or gatherinand to build a greater understanding anappreciation o rivers and lakes. For moinormation, contact Kate Morgan at 41

416-6509 or by email kmorgan@1kriendorg. A catalog or the speakers bureau w

be available on our website.

Gratr miwak

Watrshds Spakrs

Bra Cratd

In addition, Sweet Water also submitte

18 letters o support or GLRI applicationwhich were submitted by the Sand Count

Foundation, Milwaukee Riverkeepe

Sixteenth Street Community HealtCenter, MMSD, Biodiversity Projec

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional PlanninCommission, UWM WAER Institut

Center or Resilient Communities, anUW-Extension. Sweet Water also wro

letters or other agencies in support o ouGLRI projects.

For a complete listing o GLRI projecsubmitted rom the Milwaukee area, viswww.swwtwater.org.



tABle 1: Limitations or surac watr dischargrs o non-contact cooling watr and thir associatdmonitoring rquirmnts.Som o th limitations or surac watr dischargrs undr th non-contact coolingwatr, or condnsat and boilr blow down gnral rmit rviously mntiond ar listd in this tabl.Som aramtrs lik H ar rquird to all within a scic window to b considrd acctabl, whilothrs lik oil and gras ar monitord to indicat ossibl cross connctions within th acilitis. Thostys o aramtrs may qualiy or rducd samling rgims atr two yars o monitoring show no signs ocross connctions.

pARAmeteRS dAIlymINImUm

dAIlymAXImUm

tempeRAtURe elIGIlIBItyvAlUe (tev)

SAmple (a)

fReQUeNCySAmple (b,c)

type

Flow (gallons peR day)

QuaRteRly estimate

tempeRatuRe (F) () QuaRteRly gRaB

total suspended solids () 40 / QuaRteRly gRaB

h () 6.0 .. 9.0 .. annually gRaB

oil gRease (/)(f) annually gRaB

Bod5

(/)(f) annually gRaB

total phosphoRus (/) annually gRaB

ammonia nitRogen (/)(f) annually gRaB

wateR tReatment additives monthly RecoRd usage

tABle 1: lImItAtIoNS foR SURfACe WAteR dISCHARGeS moNItoRINGReQUIRemeNtS

As an example: consider the non-contactcooling water, condensate and boiler blow

down general permit. Tis permit would beapplicable to all acil ities that discharge non-contact cooling water, condensate, or boilerblow down water to Wisconsin waterwaysor to storm sewers that drain to thosewaterways. Te permit requires monitoringto be conducted on the discharged water.Non-contact cooling water absorbs heatrom industrial process, without directlycontacting those processes. Samples arecollected and analyzed to make sure thatdischarged water is not contaminated withother sources o pollution present at theacility. How hot the water can be whendischarged is a requirement o the permit,and that temperature depends on manyactors, including the time o year, volumeo water discharged, and size and type owater body being discharged to. Another

pollutant o concern in thenon-contact cooling water caseis phosphorus. In aquatic

ecosystems, phosphorus is aprimary plant nutrient thatcan contribute to excessive

plant and algae growth andassociated sh kills. Phosphorus is presentin non-contact cooling water, because a

phosphorus compound is put into nearlyall municipal water supplies to reduce pipecorrosion, and to reduce the presence odissolved metals l ike lead in drinking water.Presently the DNR tracks the amount o

phosphorus discharged rom non-contacooling water, or condensate and boileblow down general permit holders, buuntil a cost eective measure can be ounto reduce pipe corrosion, options to reducphosphorus remain limited.

Additional inormation about point sourwater pollution will be presented in uturnewsletters. Additional Inormation o

point source permitting in Wisconsin available online at http://dnr.wi.gov/orgwater/wm/ww/pmttypes.htm#industrial

Inusria pin Surcs War puin:

Whas Cing ou h pi?

pollUtIoN FROM pAGe 5 A ar mill is a good xaml o a acility

that rquirs a major rmit, whil a mtal

nishing actory would gnrally rquironly a minor rmit.


12/12

CoURteSyofACevollmeR

B jss HrobrT Consrtion Fund

During the early 1840s, a landmarkinn was built in the City o Brookeldby albot Dousman. Te Greek revivalstructure unctioned as a stagecoachinn to accommodate travelers arrivingat the intersection o Bluemound andWatertown Plank Roads. As armersmade their way towards Milwaukee todeliver grain to the breweries, they hadto pay a toll at the inn and reerred toit as the Halway House, due to itslocation halway between Waukeshaand Milwaukee.

Te house was moved in1981 to its present site at1075 Pilgrim Parkway, aew acres north o where

it originally stood. JohnBehling donated thebuilding to the ElmbrookHistorical Society, whorestored the inn with thehelp o volunteers. It isnow listed on the NationalRegister o Historical Placesas the Dousman StagecoachInn Museum. Te rest othe original property is stillin marsh and agriculture,a rare place in a rapidlydeveloping suburb.

Jerey Ace Vollmer is John Behlingsgrandson, who worked the land alongwith his grandmother, Mabel (picturedlet, circa 1953). Ace knew the propertyneeded to be preserved ater analysis bythe Wisconsin Department o NaturalResources (WDNR) concluded that waterruno would become a problem i the landwere to be developed. Ater discussions

with the Milwaukee Metropolitan

Sewerage District (MMSD), Ace and hisamily decided to sell their land to theGreenseamsSM Program. Te WDNRStewardship Fund, a state undedconservation land acquisition program,contributed grant money to assist inthe purchase o this historic property,along with unds rom MMSD. MMSDwill hold a conservation easement onthe land in perpetuity, preventing any

uture development.

T grnsmsSM Prorm

GreenseamsSM is an innovativeood management program thatpermanently protects key landscontaining water absorbing soils.Currently the program has acquired67 properties in the MilwaukeeMetropolitan area, totaling 2,034acres. Te program makes voluntarypurchases o undeveloped, privatelyowned properties in areas expected tohave major growth in the next 20 years,creating valuable open space alongstreams, shorelines and wetlands.MMSD hired Te Conservation

Fund (CF) to run GreenseamsSM. CFis a national non-prot conservationorganization that orges partnerships toprotect Americas legacy o land and waterresources throughout the country. All theland acquired through the program willremain undeveloped, while protectingwater and providing the ability to store

rain and melting snow.

GrnsasSm prjc prsrs Hisricparc in mnn Warsh

CoURteSyofpAtmUllIGAN

Unirsi Wiscnsin exnsin

9501 W. Watrtown plank Road

Wauwatosa, WI 53226

phon: (414) 256-4632

Wb: htt://clan-watr.uwx.du

email: [email protected]

Wiscnsin darn Naura Rsurcs

2300 N Dr ML King Jr. Dr.

Milwauk, WI 53212

phon: (414) 263-8625

Wb: www.dnr.wi.gov

e-mail: [email protected]

Learning for life

RiveRSRepoRt paRTneRSsoutheastern

wisconsin watershedstrust, inc.

Sw War

600 east Grnld Avnu

Milwauk, WI 53204

phon: (414) 382-1766

Cll: (414) 477-1156

Wb: www.swwtwatr.org

email: [email protected]

CoNtRIBUtING edItoRSJ Martinka, Swt Watr

Kat Morgan, 1000 Frinds o WisconsinGail eing Ovrholt, UW-extnsionBn Uvaas, WI DNR

RiversReport eNewsletter May 2010

Documents