Shoreland Restoration Presentation jan2015

Jan 2015

Friends of Menominee Park Shoreland

Committee is the organizing and management

group of the restoration sites, and is comprised

of 10 representatives from throughout the

community, including:

• Janet Wissink, Winnebago Audubon

• Zaiga Freivalds, Wild Ones

• Carol Niendorf, Wild Ones

• Kathy Prop, League of Women Voters of Winnebago County

• Dani Stolley, Growing Oshkosh

• Bill Sturm, advisory, city of Oshkosh Parks

• Paul Van Auken, Menominee South Neighborhood

Association

• Samara Hamze, Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board

• Jan Scalpone, Winnebago Lakes Council

• Justin Mitchell, chair

Friends of Menominee Park Shoreland

Photo from first installation day,

taken by Mayor Burk Tower.

The goal of shoreland

restoration is to create a

natural area along the shore

utilizing native species that

help provide a visually

appealing and environmentally

beneficial buffer zone

between land and water.

Goal of Shoreland Restoration

The Wisconsin DNR encourages natural

restoration along Wisconsin’s waterways,

citing numerous benefits including:

• Reduces shoreline erosion caused by wind and

recreational boat traffic

• Acts as an important filter strip to prevent

sediment, lawn fertilizer, pesticides and other

urban runoff from reaching the lake

• Deposits natural debris into water, improving

fish habitat

• Saves money, time and energy needed for

mowing and lawn maintenance

• Creates a biological barrier to deter Canada

geese

• Provides a seasonal array of colors, textures,

aromas and continual wildlife activity

Benefits of Shoreland Restoration 1 of 2

“The Department certainly

supports your efforts to

restore native vegetation

and habitat along the Fox

River and Lake Winnebago.

Thank you for your

continued efforts.”

~ Scott Koehnke,

Water Management Specialist,

Wisconsin DNR

Benefits of Shoreland Restoration 2 of 2

• Serve as an increasingly unique habitat for birds,

helping the city of Oshkosh achieve its

committed goals as a Bird City Wisconsin

community. Native plant life provides seed and

nesting habitat commonly removed by a low-cut

grass or chemically treated shoreland.

• A restoration plot will also serve as host to an

array of butterfly and beneficial insect life,

including the monarch and swallowtail

butterflies, as well as rare and endangered

native species whose historic home has been

along the shore.

• For users of the Menominee Park trail system, the

absence of geese and correlating goose feces is a

welcoming benefit. Due to the slow response

and take off of geese, they will remain in wide-

open, grassy expanses that enable extended

vision. Trails along any shoreland restoration

area will remain fully free from any goose feces.

• Parks Department financial savings – staff time is

not dedicated to mowing or treating.

Native PlantsNative plant root systems are 20-100

times more extensive and deep than the

standard sod cover root systems (sod is

shown on the far left). These root

systems serve as avenues for water

infiltration, which helps prevent

pollutants from entering the lake. The

native plants utilize these nutrients as

food to assist in plant growth and development

Buffer Area

• Per the WDNR, the ideal depth of a

buffer is 30-35 feet, which maximizes

the filtration and absorption impact of

the plants.

• Many of the nutrients, pesticides and

other suspended materials that pollute

the waterway will be captured by the

plant growth, where they will be

broken down and absorbed as food by

the plant roots.

• Dissolved nutrients, such as nitrogen or

phosphorus, are taken up by plants,

thus removing them before they can

enter the lake. For the plants, these

elements are food; for an aquifer, they

are pollution and contribute

significantly to algae and other aquatic

plant growth.

Background Support For Restoration 1 of 3

Onterra Study: The Onterra report recommended a

shoreland restoration project that spanned the frontage

area around Miller’s Bay, citing that the restored

shoreland would improve water quality by filtering

out unwanted pollution and fertilizers.

Vision Oshkosh Report: Respondents overwhelmingly

supported implementing a natural shoreland for the

city’s urban waterfront, prompting the report to

include the following recommendation: "Maintain a

minimum vegetated buffer between all water bodies

and impervious surfaces.”

Drawing: Dale DreVries for the Oshkosh Scene (June 2012 issue)

1. B. Why 5-Year?

- Encompasses planned installations

of both committee and Menominee

South Neighborhood Association

- Commitment to funders

- Demonstrates long-term

commitment to city

- Provides volunteers and partner

organizations with time-line

- Clarity for neighbors regarding

developments and goals

A group comprising dozens of community

organizations with hundreds of members is

committing hundreds of hours and thousands of

dollars to help the Oshkosh Parks Department address

the findings of the Department-sanctioned Onterra

study, which stated:

“Miller’s Bay shoreline is incredibly poor and

provides no aesthetic, habitat, or buffering value to

the bay. Turf maintenance along the bay’s shoreline

leads to increased runoff of nutrients, sediments,

and other pollutants to Lake Winnebago, while

providing appealing loafing grounds to nuisance

levels of Canada geese.”


Oshkosh Sustainability Plan: The plan, which was adopted

in 2012 by both the common council and the city plan

commission, recommends and advocates for restoration of

the city's shoreland area in multiple sections of the plan,

including:

pg 22. restore native vegetative buffers on city shoreland to

protect against polluted run-off, improve aquatic habitat,

discourage geese and decrease algae growth

pg 24. encourage more native plantings on sites to reduce

irrigation, protect shorelines and provide natural

beautification.


Comprehensive Plan: The city’s

comprehensive plan, which outlines

the main goals and objectives of the

city, states the following (Ch 8):

Goal A: Protect and preserve

wetlands, shorelands.

Goal B: Protect aquatic and wildlife

habitat when managing

development in proximity to

environmental corridors, riparian

areas, and woodlands.

“In the community survey

conducted as part of the

preparation of this Plan,

respondents identified our

water resources as the most

important asset to the city.

Protection of both the

quantity and quality of

water is critical for health,

business, and recreational

opportunities.”

~ Oshkosh Comprehensive PlanPg 172

Restoring The Shore – Installation 1 of 4

• September 2011, over 50 volunteers

participated in the Phase 1 restoration

project.

• The following groups participated in the

project:

~ Oshkosh North High School

~ UW Oshkosh Students

~ Winnebago Audubon

~ Wild Ones

~ The Mayor & Oshkosh Common Council

~ The Oshkosh Sustainability Board

~ Menominee Park neighbors

~ Growing

~ Winnebago County Land & Water

Conservation Department.

Restoring The Shore Installation 2 of 4

• Extensive seeding of native perennial

shoreland and prairie species was

completed, along with about 200 2-

inch plugs scattered throughout.

• The total installation area was

approximately 10,000 square feet.

• Erosion control matting was placed

over the plantings, and wood chips

paths were installed for fishing and

other recreational use in the park.

• The total cost of the initial installation

was approximately $9500.00, which

was funded through non-municipal

sources.

Restoring The Shore Installation 3 of 4

Before

Collaboration Award Recipient

The Oshkosh Parks Department and

Justin Mitchell, on behalf of the

Friends of Menominee Park

Shoreland, were presented with a

community excellence award for

impact collaboration from Dorry

Wilner and the the Winnebago

Collaboration Working Group

(WCWG).

WCWG is comprised of over thirty

organizations from the community

including the United Way, the

Oshkosh Police, Winnebago County,

ADVOCAP, UW Extension, Habitat for

Humanity, and many other community

service groups.

Community Education

• Installed educational sign

providing information on

native plants and shoreland

buffers (image on right).

• Students from Oshkosh

North High School and UW

Oshkosh have participated

in installation and

maintenance days.

• A neighborhood

pre/elementary school

group participated in

plantings.

• UW Oshkosh and Oshkosh

North High School

Communities Program

partnership

Maintaining and Enhancing 1 of 3 (2012)

The 2012 season was the first growing

season of the shoreline.

Year 1 entails the establishment of a

plant canopy to prevent erosion and to

eliminate competition from unwanted

“weed” seeds that are present in the

soil.

Because many native plants are slow

growing, an annual cover crop of grasses

was incorporated into the planting.

Year 1 maintenance entailed a spring

and fall weeding by volunteers, with

ragweed largely eliminated from the

bed.


The 2013 season saw an excellent

establishment of yellow black-eyed

Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), as well as

the beginnings of many other native

plant species.

Two additional maintenance days

were conducted, with work including

the installation of mulched trails,

the planting of several hundred

perennial plugs (small, 2 inch potted

native plants), and installation of an

educational sign funded by the

Wisconsin Audubon Society.


2014 has been a terrific season for the shoreland

site, with an impressive diversity of life present.

Native monarda, milkweeds, vervain, and

rattlesnake master have become established,

joining over 25 other plant species. An array of

butterflies and birds can also be found on site.

In early summer, a maintenance day was

completed to remove canada thistle and an

undesirable vine from the shore.

In addition, the cup plant, which is a vigorous

native that can exceed 8 feet in height, was cut

back to the ground to remain consistent with the

goal of growing low and medium height plants. A

goal for 2015 is to dig up the cup plants by May

and transplant them to another area of the park

where height is not a concern.

50 additional new native plugs were installed in

areas along the shore.

Addressing Concerns 1 of 5: Geese / Animals

Geese stay away from the

plantings and prefer open grass

areas. The trail along the

restoration is clear and free of

goose waste.

In addition, there have been

no sightings of raccoons or

other urban pests, as

suggested.

In early summer 2014, one

duck was seen nesting. In

addition, the nests of several

small bird species was

identified by Oshkosh Bird

Festival Committee members.

Addressing Concerns 2 of 5: Location

The current site of the

restoration is in an area of the

park that is often filled with

parked cars. This area has the

park’s only north end driveway

and parking area. Across the

driveway is a field with trees,

followed by Menominee Drive.

This area was selected by city

parks staff due to the minimal

impact it would have on lake

view disruption.

All proposed expansions in

the 5 year plan would take

place in areas that have no

residential neighbors,

including areas like Webster

Stanley Elementary and the

Water Treatment Facility.

Addressing Concerns 3 of 5: Height of Plants

Restorations typically include trees

and tall shrubbery, in addition to

native perennials.

The Menominee Park Shoreland

Restoration site at the base of Ames

Point does not include any newly

planted trees or shrubs (park trees

were present prior to any

restoration work).

In addition, species that are

present that are tall growing are

being removed, as seen in the

photo.

Addressing Concerns 4 of 5: Other

Claim: There won’t be

access for fishing.

Response: The several

hundred feet of restoration

does not have an impact on

fishing accessibility in

Menominee Park, which

boasts over 13,000 feet of

shoreline frontage.

However, in recognition of

the positive benefits a

restoration site can have

for fishing, a mulched trail

was installed near the

shore, allowing access for

fishing, hiking, bird

watching, and other

recreational park uses.

Claim: It will turn into

an unusable wetland.

Response: Unlike much of

the park strip running

along Menominee Drive,

the restoration site will

not have standing water

and will not be wet,

unless the lake rises

significantly.

The ground was not dug

out or lowered during

installation. The root

systems help water

infiltrate, while the

plants absorb water

quickly.

Claim: The site will not

be well cared for.

Response: All gardens

require care, including a

natural native shoreland

planting. And the

Oshkosh community has

responded very positively

with the restoration

project. Since 2011, over

120 volunteers have

together dedicated over

300 hours caring for the

restoration site.

This dedication and

commitment to improving

our city’s parks and water

system is highly

commendable.

Addressing Concerns 5 of 5: Response

The committee has, from the

beginning, completed everything that

the parks staff has requested,

including maintenance, improvements,

planning, and more.

The committee has gone farther,

sponsoring a full-park shoreland

cleanup which included 40 UW Oshkosh

students who picked up trash and

completed maintenance throughout

the zoo.

The committee has been responsive,

transparent, dedicated to improving

the shoreland habitat as recommended

throughout city policy.

Partners & Support – UW Oshkosh, WLC, Rep Hintz

Partners & Support – Growing Oshkosh, Bird Fest, Garden Club

Partners & Support – Audubon, CNRA, Wild Ones Fox Valley

Partners & Support – Oshkosh SAB, Oshkosh Storm Water Utility

Board, League of Women Voters

6. Partners & Support – Winnebago County, Menominee South

Neighborhood Association

Partners & Support – Tim Hoyman, Onterra

October 2014

“Since the Miller’s Bay plan was finalized, the USEPA has released

the results of the 2012 National Lakes Assessment. Natural

shoreland destruction was found to be the greatest factor

degrading our lakes within the State of Wisconsin and

nation. Restoring shorelands to a more natural condition works

to reverse that impact.

I was pleased to see that the City had moved in the right

direction by allowing the restoration to occur. The City set an

excellent example for area residents, Winnebago shoreline

property owners, and area municipalities by moving forward with

the restoration. By removing the restoration, the City would set

an incredibly poor example and take a step backwards in its

management of Miller’s Bay and Lake Winnebago.”

~ Tim Hoyman, CLM, Aquatic Ecologist, Onterra, LLC

Partners & Support – Key Expert Support Comments

The Menominee Park Shoreland Restoration Project is “currently a healthy, diverse and well-

established native shoreland restoration. We see this as an opportunity to create an educational

and environmentally positive restoration project in an urbanized setting and simultaneously

improve water quality.”

~ Thomas Davies, Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department

Director

“The Winnebago Lakes Council fully supports the efforts to improve this waterfront resource and

we are pleased to see the project has fulfilled every expectation.

~ Winnebago Lakes Council

“The Storm Water Utility Board supports the Menominee Park Shoreland Restoration 5-Year Plan

as a valuable step in improving the city’s shoreland management and in helping the city comply

with the public education / outreach, public involvement / participation and erosion / runoff

control requirements of the DNR storm water discharge permit. The current installation has

demonstrated great success in establishing a strong density and diversity of native plant life,

which together maximizes the installation’s benefits. The additional proposed installations will

further the capacity to protect and improve our local water.”

~ Oshkosh Storm Water Utility Board

The experts with knowledge of water

resource management and shoreland

management best practices unanimously

agree:

1. Menominee Park setting is an excellent

location for restoration

2. Restoration will improve water quality

and the local environment.

3. The existing installation is a healthy

success

Next Steps

Native Plant Sale – all funds raised will support restoration efforts in Oshkosh

• May 2, 2015: Native Plant Sale at the Oshkosh Farmers Market

• May 3, 2015: Native Plant Sale at First Congregational Church

• Choose from 15 different native species

Despite having previously been approved, the parks advisory board

voted to remove authorization to restore this area at the base of

Ames Point, preventing restoration.

Next Steps

Expansion: The Committee proposed a 5-year management plan for shoreland

restoration. The parks board voted this plan down, while authorizing an

expansion plot near the Menominee Park Stormwater Pump Station.

A massive

restoration

project

work say is

scheduled

for

Saturday,

May 9, 2015

Stormwater Pump Station

• Across from Webster Stanley School lies the Menominee Park

stormwater pump station, which moves untreated stormwater

runoff into the lake to prevent residential flooding.

• The area surrounding the outlet pipe is an excellent restoration

location, including a proposed 100 feet on the south side of the

pump outlet sign and 60 feet on the north side, spanning a depth

of about 20 feet (the area on the north is smaller to avoid

blocking any neighbor views).

• No trails will be incorporated in this area to align with the city’s

interest in not encouraging individuals to utilize this area.

• Supported by city of Oshkosh public works staff and Stormwater

Utility Board.

How you can help

• Send a note of support for the restoration project to the

committee: [email protected] OR to the Parks

Department.

• Provide a donation to the restoration project. Donations can be

sent to the city parks department (attention shoreland

restoration).

• Purchase plants at our annual plant sale.

• Join us for a planting day.

mailto:[email protected]

Shoreland Restoration Presentation jan2015

Environment

Transcript of Shoreland Restoration Presentation jan2015