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 30
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
Men Ri ver - Near Future Cond (8-16-05) Plan: Near Future 8-2005
Main Channel Di stance (mi )
E
l e
v
a
t
i o
n

(
f
t
)
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 publics
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 BMPs
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
rivers 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 WIMenomonee
Municipality Ordinance Project