Land trusts from Minnesota to New York are using their expertise in private, voluntary land conservation and stewardship to restore and enhance Great Lakes water quality. This workshop highlights specific efforts in Milwaukee area watersheds while offering perspective from other states. This presentation was given by Kimberly Gleffe, Executive Director, River Revitalization Foundation.

1.
Milwaukee s
urban
rivers
land
trust
Healing
Our
Waters
September
11,
2013

2. — 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

3. — 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.

4. — The
Riverway
Plan
is
our
guiding
document
(1991)
— Main
objectives:
Create
a
greenway,
Build
trails,
Increase
public
access,
Habitat
restoration.

5. — Land
Protection
Plan
area
–
estuary
(AOC)
upstream
to
County
Line
— Lake
Michigan
Basin
drainage
area
— Land
acquisition
16
acres
protected

6. 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

7. Challenges
We
Face
— Rising
land
values
— Density
— Landowner
non-­‐
attachment
— Limited
resources
— Parcel
size
— Development
threat

12. 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

16. Southbranch
Creek

18. 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