Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds tRust, Inc.

SUMMER 2010 VOLUME 1 NO 2

Milwaukee-Area Projects to Receive Millions in GLRI Funding

Thirteen Greater Milwaukee area watershed-related projects advanced in the first round of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project funding. The projects are to receive $7,478,746 in GLRI funds. The grant requests are among 270 finalists from 13 states and one Canadian province that are advancing for $161 million in GLRI funding. Congratulations to all the GLRI winners and their partners. These successes bode well for our joint work on the Milwaukee area waterways and Lake Michigan. Here is a listing of the Milwaukee area projects listed by the submitting agency (though most of the projects have multiple partners): Groundwork Milwaukee, Milwaukee Estuary habitat project, $140,000 Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), Green Tree wetland project, $200,000 MMSD, Kinnickinnic River habitat project, $1,605,000 MMSD, Menomonee River fish passage project, $1,103,000 MMSD, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Development for Kinnickinnic River, $132,839 MMSD, TMDL Development for Menomonee River, $170,252 MMSD, TMDL Development for Milwaukee River, $349,854 MMSD, TMDL Development for Milwaukee River Estuary, $225,752

Receive an Electronic Copy of the RiversReport

The RiversReport newsletter is a public service provided without charge by Sweet Water, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. To get your free copy every quarter, send an email message to [email protected] with RiversReport in the subject line. Thank you. Inside This Issue
Gathering Waters Festival A Success Upcoming Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference SWWT Mini-grant Program River Greenway Approved BioBlitz to be held at Cedarburg Bog - July 17 Managing the Waters Edge UWM: Water Tech Certificate Root-Pike WIN Survey Water Star Program 2 3 3 4 5 6 6 7 8

Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Dept, Milwaukee AOC habitat project $1,478,640 Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Dept, Milwaukee River monitoring, $491,000 Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee River Estuary habitat restoration project, $953,450 UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute, Great Lakes shipping ballast water research project, $378,959 Village of Shorewood, Atwater Beach improvement project, $250,000 Of the 270 projects advancing in this GLRI round, 50 were from Wisconsin. To see a complete listing of GLRI projects, including statewide projects, visit http://epa.gov/ greatlakes/fund/2010rfp01. This news is only the beginning of the GLRI grant review and award process. Best wishes to all those planning to submit projects for future GLRI funding.

Phosphorus Forum

Medicine Collection Program 9 Area of Concern FAQs

SWWT Public Policy Award

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Milwaukee Celebrates the Outdoors, Wellness and Freshwater at the

Gathering Waters Festival

Kae Donlevy
Event Director Friends of Lakeshore State Park

On June 12, 2010 the summer festival season was launched at this Urban Outdoor Experience at Milwaukees lakefront, at the only urban state park in Wisconsin Lakeshore State Park. This free festival was located on the 17-acre peninsula off the coast of the Summerfest grounds, along nearly 2 miles of trail, beach, short grass prairie, rain gardens, boat docks and fishing pier of the Park. Over 100 groups entertained festival goers with activities, demos and exhibits. They enjoyed kayaking demos with REI, fishing

with the DNR and Trout Unlimited, biking, rock wall climbing, kite flying. Exhibits featured Milwaukees freshwater resources, solutions to green cleaning and gardening, and health and wellness. The Parks 20 boat slips were filled with research, search and rescue and recreational vessels. Visitors were also able to tour the lake by pontoon and sailboats. This family event had activities for all ages, with a great variety for kids including painting with the Milwaukee Art Museum, martial arts demos, and live animals and reptiles. Visitors also enjoyed great hometown music, food, beverages and beautiful lakefront scenery. The Festival was one of 65 National Get Outdoors Day events celebrat-

Courtesy of Kae Donlevy

Event activities include rock climbing with Adventure Rock (above) and Tae Kwon Do with Ruofus Evolution Martial Arts (below left).

ing this Presidential proclamation. The festival also celebrated boating in Wisconsin for National Marina Day and had exhibits on safe boating, reducing invasive species and the new Wisconsin Clean Marina Program which was launched this summer. Friends of Lakeshore Park, organizers of the festival, were supported by generous sponsorship funding from the Walmart Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Veolia Water Milwaukee, Columbia St. Marys Foundation, Kohler Company, U.S. EPA, U.S. Forest Service, Rip Tide Seafood Bar & Grill, MilwaukeeMoms.com, REI, Historic Third Ward Association, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. Summerfest, Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful and UW Sea Grant Institute. Lakeshore State Park is truly a great gathering place for community groups, businesses, outfitters and Milwaukee residents to enjoy the outdoors in an urban setting with amazing views of Milwaukee and our Great Lake Michigan. For more information on this and next years event visit www.GatheringWatersFest.org.

Courtesy of Kae Donlevy

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SUMMER 2010

Sweet Water Announces Mini-Grant Program

The Southeast Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc. (Sweet Water) is offering a Mini-Grant Program to provide project grants in the amount of $500 to $2,000 to established non-profit organizations, civic and community groups, or schools for projects and activities that will positively impact the health and quality of water resources within the 1,100 square mile Greater Milwaukee River watersheds. The goal of the Mini-Grant Program is to support local green infrastructure and conservation activities that will teach citizens about water quality issues, enhance conservation, and improve water quality in the Greater Milwaukee River watersheds served by Sweet Water. The chosen MiniGrant projects must have potential to positively impact the water quality of the Kinnickinnic, Menomonee, Milwaukee, or Root Rivers, Oak Creek, or the adjoining near shore areas of Lake Michigan. The projects must complement the mission of Sweet Water, addressing one or more of the following goals: To achieve water resource goals and objectives such as clean water, conservation, and ecological function through innovative and sustainable practices. To test and then implement innovative approaches and practices that will achieve improvements in water resources in a cost-effective way. To build broad partnerships to the benefit of the areas waterways. Examples of projects that may be submitted include: Rain barrel, rain garden, and native landscaping installations. Grey water recycling system installations. Educating the public about storm water pollution prevention options.

Annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference Set for September 15th

Courtesy of US EPA

Cameron Davis will speak at the 2010 Clean Rivers Clean, Lakes Conference.

Sweet Water will be hosting the Annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference on Wednesday, September 15th from 7:30 am to 5 pm at the Radisson Hotel West, 2303 N. Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa. As a special feature, Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor for the Great Lakes US EPA, will address the group. Mr. Davis is the coordinator of the EPAs Great Lakes policies, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) . In addition to providing insights into Great Lakes efforts, he will offer updates on the agencys work in the areas of watershed-based permitting and water quality trading, as well as outlining progress on the GLRI. Produced jointly by Sweet Water and its regional partners, including the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage

District, the 2010 Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference will offer a full day of information, including workshops for engineering professionals, residents and businesses concerned about water quality in their watersheds, and elected officials and representatives of local government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). More than 300 are expected to attend the 2010 event. The day will include three plenary sessions and nine workshops offered in three tracks. New this year a field trip to the nearby $99 million Underwood Creek storm water retention project and exhibit opportunities for service and equipment vendors, academia, and NGOs! Watch www.swwtwater.org for updates and registration information.

See Mini Grants page 12 SUMMER 2010 Page 3

Milwaukee River Greenway Approved

A Master Plan for New Greenway

The Milwaukee River Greenway encompasses 878 acres of land between Humbolt Avenue and Capitol Drive. The Greenway includes; 515 acres of primary environmental corridor, 148 acres of river, 12 parks, and 28 miles of trails. The Master Plan for the Milwaukee River Greenway advances a comprehensive vision for this unique urban wilderness, including actions to improve and preserve habitat and recreation opportunities, including: completion of a biotic inventory of existing plant and animal communities identification of targeted species and habitat goals a public process to achieve consensus on these goals long-term monitoring and adaptive management of plant and animal communities public educational events to improve ecological literacy The Master Plan proposed the formation of a body called the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition that will be comprised of several nonprofits and jurisdictions within the greenway area. The coalition will lead implementation of the plan through joint decision-making, coordination of projects, educational outreach, and fundraising during the next fifteen years. The MRWG effort has demonstrated that government will respond when citizens act proactively and persistently. Committed neighbors and friends have shown how important this stretch of river is to their neighborhoods, their spirit, and their quality of life. For more information on the Milwaukee River Work Group and Greenway, visit www.protectmilwaukeeriver.org

Courtesy of Ann Brummitt

Ann Brummit

Director Milwaukee River Work Group

A coalition of non-profits, government agencies, neighborhood associations, and property owners formed the Milwaukee River Work Group (MRWG) in 2006 to protect green space adjacent to the Milwaukee River. On May 25th, 2010, the MRWG successfully convinced the City of Milwaukee to implement protections for the Milwaukee River in the form of an overlay district. Another effort culminated on June 30th when Milwaukee, Shorewood, and Glendale residents completed a Master Plan for the Milwaukee River between the Riverwalk District and Milwaukee City limits. The plan makes recommendations for habitat restoration and recreational improvements. The Milwaukee Common Council passed overlay legislation (which created the Milwaukee River Overlay District) after three years of community outreach, negotiations with property owners, and meetings with the Department of City Development. Alderman Nik Kovac, along with Alderwoman Milele Coggs and Alderman Ashanti Hamilton,

sponsored the measures brought forth by the Milwaukee River Work Group (MRWG). The new district commercial and multifamily building restrictions include: No new construction within the primary environmental corridor A minimum setback of 50 feet from the top of the bluff Limits on building height, impervious surface square footage, sign types, and facade treatment Native plant landscape screening requirements and landscape islands in parking lots In addition is encouragement of green and high albedo (reflectivity) roofs. The Overlay District also includes stricter storm water management regulations, beyond what is required under MMSD Chapter 13 and Wisconsin DNR rules. A tree protection ordinance is being held over while the City and County of Milwaukee review the language and consider the legal ramifications.

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SUMMER 2010

BioBlitz Coming to Cedarburg Bog

Carl Schwartz
Vice President Friends of the Cedarburg Bog

The Friends of the Cedarburg Bog is joining with the Natural Resources Foundation (NRF) of Wisconsin to offer a fun and free citizen-science event called a BioBlitz. Designed as part educational event, part scientific endeavor, and part festival, the BioBlitz will bring together scientists, volunteers, and the public to see how many species can be tallied in a day-long biological survey of the Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area in Ozaukee County on Saturday, July 17th.
Courtesy of Carl Schwartz

Society for Ornithology, Bird City Wisconsin, and others. Several guest speakers are also scheduled to give short talks under the Field Stations base camp tent. Currently, discussion topics include rehabilitated birds of prey, natural history, and bog ecology. While a few BioBlitzes have been held in Wisconsin before, this is the first to be held at one of Wisconsins 600-plus State Natural Areas. These specially designated areas are considered the best of the best remnants of original Wisconsin landscape. They represent a window into our past and a road map for how and why Wisconsins Great Lakes coastal habitat should be protected and restored. A full schedule of activities will be available online later in July 2010 and is expected to include additional events the night of Friday, July 16th involving bat and other small mammal research. Registration is recommended and free, but not required. The Natural Resources Foundation is sponsoring two other BioBlitz events: Saturday, June 26 - Europe Bay Woods State Natural Area, Newport State Park, Door County Saturday, July 24 - Dwight's Point State Natural Area, Douglas County

Members of the public are invited to come for a few hours or stay for the whole day. The BioBlitz at Cedarburg Bog will run approximately 12 hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Data collection trips, guided by skilled naturalists and ecologists, are scheduled throughout the day (rain or shine), and will target; birds, native plants, invasive plants, mammals, insects, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles. Trips will leave from the Field Station base camp located at 3095 Blue Goose Road west of Saukville, and from the DNR parking lot on the south side of Highway 33 just east of Birchwood Rd. Environmental educators from Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center (UEC), Wisconservation Corps, Milwaukee Public Museum, and the UW-Milwaukee Field Station will be on hand to introduce conservation science to families and young children through fun, fast and easy activities. There will be displays set up by the Bog Friends, Natural Resources Foundation, Urban Ecology Center, Wisconsin

Courtesy of Carl Schwartz

To register and learn more visit www.wisconservation.org and follow the BioBlitz link on the home page or contact Jeffrey Potter, NRF Special Projects Coordinator at [email protected] or 608-261-4392.

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New Professional Certificate Program at UWM: Water Technology

If you are looking for professional development to advance your career in the area of water resources, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) has a program that may be of interest to you. UWMs School of Continuing Education is developing a new certificate program for professionals working in areas related to water resources. The Water Technology Certificate Program, with applications for engineers as well as other water professionals, requires 9 days of continuing education credit for certification. Murali Vedula, Program Director, noted, The development of the Water Technology Certificate Pro-

Courtesy of Tom Slawski

New Resource Available: Managing the Waters Edge - Making Natural Connections
Many of us are engaged in projects related to watershed restoration work and are investigating the use of buffers to manage and mitigate the impacts of development. A new publication available from the Southeastern WI Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) will serve as a valuable resource for these efforts. It is titled, Managing the Waters Edge-Making Natural Connections. Tom Slawski, PhD, Principal Planner at Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is the principal author. This booklet highlights the water quality, wildlife, and human benefits to be achieved through providing appropriate buffers along shorelines and riverbanks. Author, Tom Slawski noted, These benefits are human choices, but in exchange provide significant ecological and economic benefit when the buffers provided are of greater width. The science summarized in the document is relevant to both rural and urban areas of the State. It is an accessible and timely document that examines in-depth the rationale for the utilization of buffers and significant environmental benefits of this practice. The publication is available online at the SEWRPC website, http://www.sewrpc.org/ SEWRPC/Environment.htm in the Recent Publications section.

See Water Tech page 7

Courtesy of http://newsline.llnl.gov

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...Water Tech from page 6

gram reflects the continued commitment of UWM to connect with and serve the city and region of which it is a part. The Water Technology Certificate Program is another example of the generative synergy of the new water initiatives concurrent in the Greater Milwaukee River Watersheds. These initiatives include the establishment of the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Studies, the Water Council, the designation of Milwaukee as a UN Global Compact City and Sweet Water. Courses currently offered as part of the Water Technology program include: Water Law for Sustainable Management, Wetland Hydrology and Sustainability, Construction Site Stormwater Best Management Practices, Theory and Practice of Phosphorus Removal, and Accelerated Product DevelopmentUsing Product Realization. Instructors for the courses are practitioners in the field and bring their up-to-date knowledge regarding what is relevant in the field as well as rising issues. Of interest to those individuals who are working in Watershed Action Teams and with interest in watershed planning is a new, upcoming course, Watershed PlanningPutting the Pieces Together. The course will be led by Mike Hahn, Chief Environmental Engineer at Southeastern WI Regional Planning Commission. The dates for this course are September 28th and 29th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individuals may take courses independent of the certificate program. For more information and to register , please go to: http:// www4.uwm.edu/sce/certificate.cfm or contact Murali Vedula, program director, at 414-414-227-3121, or by email at [email protected].

Plant a Rain Garden, Save a Fish

Courtesy of Root-Pike WIN

Root-Pike WIN volunteers and their rain garden at Gateway Community College.

A new media campaign in the Root-Pike Watershed is helping people connect the dots between personal actions that we can take as householders and improvements to the health of our rivers and streams. Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network (WIN), a grassroots collaborative dedicated to preservation, promotion, and protection of land and water resources in the Root-Pike Watershed, has crafted their outreach campaign from the results of a survey of residents in the Root-Pike Watershed. The survey poised questions concerning knowledge and understanding of water issues and of current stewardship behaviors of the respondents. The leadership team, Susan Greenfield, Executive Director, and Andy Yencha, UW-Extension Basin Educator, were surprised by some of the survey results. Of all water benefits listed, respondents ranked scenic beauty and enjoyment highest. Correspondingly, the water issue of highest concern was trash and debris affecting the appearance of the river. Another concern of high importance is the issue of fish contamination. The media attention on sewer overflows has also skewed understanding about the major issues facing our waters. Andy Yencha commented, The high publicity about (sewer) overflows is blocking people from seeing whats happening in their own backyards and their own impact on water quality. All recent studies confirm that nonpoint pollution far out-weighs problems associated with overflows. It is this type of misinformation that Root-Pike WIN plans to counteract. This insight into the general public is informing Root-Pike WINs outreach efforts and will help them connect the dots for their residents between behavior and water quality. With limited dollars in organizational budgets for outreaching and education, knowing who the right audience is and what they care about helps to

See Survey page 8 SUMMER 2010 Page 7

...Survey from page 7

create a strategic, cost-effective approach. Root-Pike WIN plans to capture their audiences attention with simple, direct phrases such as, Plant a Rain Garden; Save a Fish and Save a Pike; Plant a Stormwater Tree. Other initiatives will be generated from the results of the survey. Under consideration is a river clean-up event as well as developing materials targeting interest in fish and fish habitats. Root-Pike WIN will continue in its efforts to engage and motivate residents of the Root-Pike Watershed to protect and preserve their waters. The survey and its results are an additional tool in their tool kit that will add new muscle to those efforts. For more information about Root-Pike WIN, visit their website at www.rootpikewin.org.

WATER STAR PROGRAM Honors Wisconsin Municipalities Water Resources Protection Efforts
Wisconsin municipalities that go above and beyond federal and state regulations in their water conservation efforts are being recognized in a new program, which made its debut on Earth Day 2010. The program--Water Star--honors cities, villages, towns and counties that have taken important steps to protect surface water and groundwater, such as strengthening stormwater controls, ensuring water quality, protecting habitats and encouraging residents to conserve water. The Water Star application consists of over 275 actions a municipality could do in the areas of land use planning, groundwater source protection, stormwater management, drinking water conservation, public lands management and wastewater treatment. Water Star program sponsors include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), UW-Cooperative Extension, MSA Professional Services, Town and County Resource Conservation & Development Inc., Rock River Coalition, UW-Extension Environmental Resources Center, Wisconsin Public Service Commission, Dane County, Natural Resources Consulting Inc. and Ruekert-Mielke. Too often we complain about what isnt being done instead of celebrating the positive steps municipalities are taking, said Suzanne Wade, a University of WisconsinExtension Basin Educator and the Water Star Coordinator. Im amazed at the local wisdom that these municipal staff and elected officials have used in solving problems. Water Star is one way for them to share their good work. Municipal representatives nominated to pilot test Water Star welcomed the opportunity to participate in a program that would recognize their communities water conservation efforts and help them identify new ways of improving water resource protections. The City of Manitowoc has generated community interest in water resources and a huge demand for rain barrels with a

...personal care products are being found at very low levels in some of our nation's lakes, rivers and streams. Antibiotics...fragrances, hormones, and pain medication can be excreted from the body (usually in urine), flushed into toilets, and can pass through sewerage treatment plants into surface waters (some of which are community water supplies). Treatment has eliminated all detectable levels of these products in Milwaukees water supply.
(http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/water)

See Water Star page 10

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SUMMER 2010

Forum on Phosphorus Draws a Crowd

Nearly 70 people attended Sweet Waters Forum on Phosphorus on May 27 at the UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has developed new phosphorus standards for all water bodies in the State of Wisconsin. The new rules were considered and adopted by the DNRs Natural Resources Board in June. The new rule will have a very significant impact on water quality criteria and limitations and effluent standards, leading to important revisions to Chapters NR 102 and NR 217 of the Wisconsin Administrative Codes which concern phosphorus water quality standards for Wisconsin water bodies and effluent limits for Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (WPDES) permits. Briefings were given by four experts on aspects of the phosphorus challenge facing the State of Wisconsin: Susan Anthony, Senior Staff Attorney, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District James Baumann, Bureau of Watershed Management, WI Dept. of Natural Resources Paul G. Kent, JD, Partner, Anderson & Kent, S.C. Betsy Lawton, Staff Attorney, Midwest Environmental Advocates. The presentations were followed by an extended question and answer period. Representatives from municipalities, state agencies, academia, and non-governmental organizations were in attendance. A copy of the speakers PowerPoint presentations and a related study on phosphorus loadings from Iowa State University are available on the Sweet Water website at www.swwtwater.org.

The Forum on Phosphorus brought in a full house at the UWM WATER Institute.

Keeping Kids Safe and Rivers Clean

Bill Graffin
Public Information Manager Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Hills, Shorewood, South Milwaukee, St. Francis, West Milwaukee, and Whitefish Bay Departments. The Milwaukee Police Department provided officers at Miller Park to supervise the collection and make sure federal guidelines were followed for handling certain kinds of pharmaceuticals. Volunteer pharmacists from Aurora Pharmacy also helped sort the four tons of medication to make sure federal guidelines are followed. They were assisted this year by pharmacists from the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, who also donated their time to make the collection possible. All medicines collected were destroyed at federally licensed incinerators that are designed to handle pharmaceuticals.

More than 8,100 pounds of unused pharmaceuticals and over-thecounter medications were destroyed following the fifth annual Medicine Collection Day in Milwaukee County on May 8th. That compares with the 5,500 pounds collected in 2009. Most of the drugs, 7,076 pounds, came from 1,661 Milwaukee County residents attending a four-hour collection at Miller Park. The remaining 1,116 pounds came from residents who turned in unused meds at police departments prior to Medicine Collection Day. Thirteen Police Departments in the county are participating in a program that gives residents a way to properly dispose unused medication all year long. They included the Bayside, Brown Deer, Cudahy, Fox Point, Oak Creek, River

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...Water Star from page 8

public education program. Manitowoc has also promoted water conservation awareness with a storm drain stenciling program, rain garden demonstration site, educational paddling trips and a rain barrel workshop. And in south-central Wisconsin, Fitchburg is installing a stormwater basin to protect marshlands from pollution and trash, and developing a plan to irrigate its Nine Springs Golf Course with wastewater effluent to conserve water. Water Star determines how well municipalities meet the programs standards for water resource protections and designates participants as gold, silver or bronze star communities Early evidence demonstrates that Wisconsin municipalities have the capacity to establish and achieve high conservation and protection goals. Representatives from municipalities, the DNR, UW-Extension and other organizations said they hoped that when the program begins to show how Wisconsin municipalities stack up, gold star-designated municipalities will inspire other municipalities to set loftier goals. Municipalities nominated to participate in the pilot testing of the Water Star application process represent some of Wisconsins leading water conservation communities and are slated to receive recognitions. As part of the September Coastal Awareness Month a workshop is under development for Southeast Wisconsin. If interested in receiving a notification of the workshop send and email to Suzanne Wade at [email protected]. For more information about Water Star Wisconsin, go to www.waterstarwisconsin.org.

Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Area of Concern or AOC? In 1987, the United States and Canada came together and identified 43 significantly polluted or degraded regions of the Great Lakes. The Milwaukee Estuary is one of those regions. Areas of Concern are considered to have impaired beneficial uses (see below). An agreement was made between the United States and Canada to complete Remedial Action Plans (RAP) for each area and begin clean up. State, Provincial, and local governments play a major role in RAP development. Today, restoration and remediation work on the Milwaukee Estuary AOC continues. How big is the Milwaukee Estuary AOC? Originally, the harbor and lower portions of the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers made up the Milwaukee Estuary AOC. In 2008, the AOC boundaries were expanded to include more of the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers along with portions of Cedar Creek, the Little Menomonee River, and Lincoln Creek. See the map on page 11 for details. What is a Beneficial Use Impairment or BUI? Beneficial uses are valuable functions and uses of the Great Lakes. To be considered impaired, beneficial uses must suffer a change in the chemical, physical, or biological integrity of one of these uses or functions that is sufficient to cause any of the impairments below. The Milwaukee Estuary AOC is considered impaired for eleven of the fourteen uses listed.

Designated Beneficial Use Impairments Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption Tainting of Fish and Wildlife Flavor* Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations Fish Tumors and other Deformities** Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproduction Problems Degradation of Benthos Restrictions on Dredging Activities Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or Taste and Odor Problems Beach Closings or Recreational Restrictions Degraded Aesthetics Added Costs to Agricultutre or Industry Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat
* Has not been documented

Present X X X X X X X

Absent X

X X X X X X

**Concentrations of pollutants found in sediments within the AOC are similar sites that have documented high cancer rates in fish. To date, surveys have not been conducted to dtermine incidences of fish tumors in AOC.

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Why is the Milwaukee Estuary listed as an area of concern? When Areas of Concern were first delineated in the late 1980s, a list of 14 Beneficial Use Impairments was developed to rate potential areas. The Milwaukee Estuary AOC was considered impaired for eleven of the fourteen beneficial uses and, therefore deemed a priority for cleanup How are BUIs cleaned up? To be considered cleaned up, each BUI must go through a formal process commonly referred to as delisting. To be delisted, BUIs must reach and maintain a certain level of quality or improvement for a number of years. Right now in Milwaukee there are dozens of governmental, non-profit, concerned citizen, and state agency groups working to restore and protect the Milwaukee River AOC. In fact, nearly all the projects youve read about in the RiversReport benefit the delisting effort.
More information is available online Delisting Targets: http://www.wiparks.net/org/water/greatlakes/ priorities/MilwaukeeEstuaryAOCFinalReport.pdf Remedial Action Plan: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/milwaukee/Mil waukee-Estuary-RAP1994.pdf Areas of Concern: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/index.html

The Wisconsin DNR and U.S. EPA are working together to remove sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCB) from areas of Lincoln Creek and the Milwaukee River Channel. The project will also restore some of the natural habitat of the area as part of the US EPAs Great Lakes National Program Offices Legacy Act Program. A June 17th Community Input meeting attracted over 60 people providing input and ideas to consider. Participants also submitted questions and concerns which were recorded and will be addressed at a follow up meeting on July 28th (at time of press, the location was yet to be determined. For more information about the project and the July meeting, visit: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/WISites/ LincolnPark/index.htm or http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/ legacy/lincolnpark.htm

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effort included the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, municipal and village leaders, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, agencies, and community members. Key financial support was provided by the Joyce Foundation and the Brico Fund. The Watershed Restoration Plans for the two watersheds were completed this spring. Sweet Water is now leading the implementation phase of the plans engaging stakeholders through Watershed Action Teams for the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers. Related work is beginning on the Root and Milwaukee Rivers, as well.

Sweet Water Selected for Public Policy Forum Award

The Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust Inc. (Sweet Water) has been selected by the Public Policy Forum as the recipient of the 2010 Award for Private-Public Cooperation. The award was presented at the Public Policy Forums Salute to Local Government Awards Breakfast Thursday on June 17, 7:30 9:00 a.m. at the Italian Community Center. The award recognizes the leadership of Sweet Water in bringing together a diverse group of private, public and nonprofit stakeholders, adding critical input into the development of watershed restoration plans for the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Watersheds. Sweet Water is very grateful to the Public Policy Forum for this prestigious award, said Jeff Martinka, Sweet Water Executive Director. We are proud of our work to bring diverse stakeholders together to address water quality issues in the Greater Milwaukee watersheds. We hope this recognition will help others to be aware of and support our work. The partners in the Sweet Water

Mini Grants from page 3

Create a citizen education program about in-home waste reduction and water conservation Mini-Grant award applications are due on August 15th, 2010. For more information and the application materials for Sweet Water Mini-Grant Program, visit www.swwtwater.org. The 2010 award winners will be announced at Sweet Waters 2010 Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference on September 15th.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Gail Epping Overholt, UW-Extension Jeff Martinka, Sweet Water Kate Morgan, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Ben Uvaas, Wisconsin DNR
Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds tRust, Inc.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2300 N Dr ML King Jr. Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212 Phone: (414) 263-8625 Web: www.dnr.wi.gov E-mail: [email protected]

University of Wisconsin Extension 9501 W. Watertown Plank Road Wauwatosa, WI 53226 Phone: (414) 256-4632 Web: http://clean-water.uwex.edu Email: [email protected]

600 East Greenfield Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53204 Phone: (414) 382-1766 Cell: (414) 477-1156 Web: www.swwtwater.org Email: [email protected]