Milwaukee’s    urban  rivers  land  trust    

Healing  Our  Waters  September  11,  2013  

�  Founded  in  1994  as  a  nonprofit  conservation  organization  to  implement  the  Riverway  Plan  

�  Kiwanis,  Rotary  Club  and  community  board  members  

�  Focused  on  the  Milwaukee  River  basin  within  Milwaukee  County  

 �  Photo  credit:  Mark  Williams            Milwaukee  River  in  Glendale  WI  

� Our  mission  is  to  establish  an  urban  parkway  for  public  access,  walkways,  recreation  and  education,  bordering  the  Milwaukee,  Menomonee  and  Kinnickinnic  Rivers;  to  use  the  rivers  to  revitalize  surrounding  neighborhoods;  and  to  improve  water  quality.  

� The  Riverway  Plan  is  our  guiding  document  (1991)  

� Main  objectives:  Create  a  greenway,  Build  trails,        Increase  public  access,                                          Habitat  restoration.  

� Land  Protection  Plan  area  –  estuary  (AOC)  upstream    to  County  Line  

� Lake  Michigan  Basin  drainage  area  

� Land  acquisition  16  acres  protected  

Milwaukee  River  Greenway  � Overlay  approach  to  conservation  

� Allows  for  sweeping  protections  of  entire  river  corridor  

� Zoning  ordinance  passed  May  25,  2010  

�  800  acres  protected  within  city  limits  

Challenges  We  Face  � Rising  land  values  � Density  �  Landowner  non-­‐attachment  

�  Limited  resources  � Parcel  size  � Development  threat  

Wheelhouse    �  $1,400,000  for  2.8  acres  �  Funding:  $700,000  (50%)  from  DNR  stewardship  program;  $400,000  from  MMSD  Greenseams  program;  Fund  for  Lake  Michigan  –  shoreline  restoration  $248,000  

� Blighted  site  restored  to  riverfront  park  

Southbranch  Creek  

Granville  County  Park-­‐Planning,  Outreach,  and  Feasibility  for    Streambank  and  Habitat  Restoration  

ü 26-acre off leash dog park on the upper Menomonee River; ü  950 feet river frontage ü Severe erosion, total loss of top soil