The Milwaukee River Basin
The Milwaukee River Basin encompasses 6 watersheds,
900 square miles, and is home to nearly 1 million people.
The Basin lies in portions of 7 counties,
including
30 townships, 24 villages and 12 cities.
The Basin contains approximately 410 miles of perennial
streams,
and 85 lakes and ponds greater than 5 acres in size.
Milwaukee River North Watershed
Land cover is primarily rural, with agriculture dominant (57%). Wetlands cover over 14 percent of the land area while grasslands (12%) and forests (11%) represent the other major rural uses. Urban lands cover less than one half of one percent of the land area. The Villages of Adell, Cascade and Random Lake are the only incorporated municipalities.
The quality of rivers and streams in the North Branch Watershed ranges from severely degraded to nearly pristine. Eighty-five miles of perennial streams (86%) partially meet their potential biological uses, and 12 miles (12%) do not meet their potential biological uses (Appendix A, Table 1). An unnamed tributary to the Milwaukee River North Branch (Adell tributary) is listed on the state’s impaired waters (303(d) list.
Milwaukee River East-West Watershed
Rural uses cover most of the land area in this watershed. Agriculture is dominant, covering about 47 percent of the land area, followed by wetlands (19%), grasslands (16%) and forests (12%). Urban uses cover about three percent of the land area. The City of West Bend and the Villages of Campbellsport, Kewaskum and Newburg are the only incorporated areas in the watershed.
The Milwaukee River East-West Watershed contains about 196 miles of perennial streams. Nearly all the stream miles in this watershed (98%) are partially meeting their biological uses, while two percent of the streams have not been evaluated. Even though general evaluations have been conducted on many of the streams in the watershed, thorough assessments have been conducted on just five percent of total stream miles within the last five years. No streams in this watershed are listed as impaired waters on the state’s 303(d) list. Portions of two rivers (Auburn Lake Creek and East Branch
Milwaukee River) totaling six miles in length are considered exceptional resource waters.
Milwaukee River South Watershed
Land cover in the watershed is a mix of rural and urban uses. Overall, the watershed is about 33 percent urban, with agriculture (25%), grasslands (21%), forests (12%) and wetlands (6%) making up the rest of the major land cover types. Fourteen citites and villages are found in this watershed.
As with the other watersheds in the basin, the streams in the Milwaukee River South watershed exhibit a wide range of quality. Over 35 stream miles within the Milwaukee South Watershed are listed on the 303(d) list (Table 1, page 4), including the Milwaukee Estuary, a Great Lakes Area of Concern. The Milwaukee Estuary area of concern encompasses the Milwaukee Harbor, the Milwaukee River downstream from the abandoned North Avenue Dam, the Menomonee River downstream from 25 th street and the Kinnickinnic River downstream from Chase Avenue. The international Joint Commission (IJC) and U.S. EPA designated the Milwaukee Estuary in 1987 through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. These areas are usually industrial in nature, with a history of pollution. In the Milwaukee Estuary, sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals are linked to degraded water quality, impaired fish and wildlife populations, and restrictions on dredging. A remedial action plan defining the problems with the estuary was published in 1989 by WDNR. A follow up plan further refining impairments and outlining a plan for restoring the estuary was published by WDNR in 1995. For more information about Great Lakes Areas of Concern, please visit the U.S. EPA web site at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/aoc/.
Cedar Creek Watershed
Land cover in the Cedar Creek Watershed is primarily rural, with agriculture dominant (49%). Other rural uses include wetlands (16%), grasslands (15%) and forest (11%). Two major wetland complexes, the Jackson Marsh State Wildlife Area and Cedarburg Bob State Natural Area, are located within the Cedar Creek Watershed, providing important habitat for fish and wildlife. Urban areas comprise about 3.5 percent of land cover in the watershed. Portions of the Villages of Germantown and Slinger, the City of Cedarburg, and the entire Village of Jackson are the incorporated municipalities in the watershed.
Menomonee River Watershed
Nearly all of the land area in this watershed is within incorporated municipalities. Forty-two percent of the land is covered by urban uses. Grasslands (22%), agriculture (17%) forests (8%) and wetlands (7%) make up most of the remaining land uses.
Stream and wetland modification, urban and rural runoff, construction site erosion and industrial point sources of pollution are the major contributors to degraded water and habitat quality within this watershed. Over eight miles of stream are listed on the 303(d) list as impaired. Many streams in this watershed have been concrete-lined, or straightened to convey floodwaters off the land faster. Flooding continues to be a major concern in this watershed. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is implementing several flood control projects in this watershed. Over five miles of the Little Menomonee River has been designated as the Moss American Superfund Site. Creosote contaminated sediments within the river have caused extensive environmental damage, and negotiations are underway with U.S. EPA and the responsible party for implementing a clean up remedy. For more information about the Moss American Superfund Site, please see the following: http://www.epa.gov/region5superfund/npl/wisconsin/WID039052626.htm.
Kinnickinnic River Watershed
Land cover in this watershed is mostly urban (78%), with grasslands (16%) and forests (4%) creating open spaces. Remaining wetlands comprise only 0.3 percent of the land area. Portions of the cities of Milwaukee, Cudahy, West Milwaukee, West Allis and South Milwaukee, as well as the entire City of St. Francis are the major municipal areas represented within the Kinnickinnic River Watershed.
Most of the streams within this watershed have been extensively modified through straightening, enclosure or concrete lining. This watershed drains the General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) lands, which has a history of discharging airplane deicing fluid (glycol), associated metals and other contaminants through snowmelt and rainwater to a tributary to the Kinnickinnic River (Wilson Park Creek). The GMIA has implemented management measures over the last few years to reduce the amount of glycol reaching the storm sewers and the tributary draining over 2000 acres of airport lands. A monitoring effort with the U.S. Geological Survey is currently underway to document the changes in water quality in Wilson Park Creek as a result of glycol management practices in place at the airport.
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Milwaukee River Basin Partnership
1845 N. Farwell Avenue, Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414)763-6170