Project Background and Overview:

This page provides details on the Milwaukee River Greenway Wildlife Enhancements Project, focusing on improvements for native wildlife species and restoration of upland natural areas in the Greenway. For information on the adjacent Milwaukee River Floodplains Sediment Cleanup Project visit Parks and the Milwaukee River Cleanup.

The Milwaukee River Greenway (MRG) is one of the most beloved and popular recreational areas in the County. Serving a multitude of communities along it’s 7-mile stretch, people love hiking along trails, fishing in the river, and enjoying the wooded oasis found in the heart of the city.

The Greenway contains approximately 628 acres of parkland, encompassing 12 parks and 28 miles of recreational trails. It spans either side of the Milwaukee River from the former North Avenue dam in the south to Silver Spring Drive in the north. But this site is more than a linked system of parks and trails – it is home to communities of plants, animals, and natural features that have become rare throughout the County. As with many of our other AOC project areas, the Greenway retains some beech-maple forest in the upland and floodplain forests, which boast a suite of plant species that enjoy having their feet wet. Common trees found in the floodplain stretch include silver maple, green ash, river birch, and swamp white oak. These special natural communities have made the Greenway the focus of partner restoration and protection efforts for decades.

While the Greenway of today retains some of the habitats and plant communities of the mid-1800s, the size of natural areas has been greatly reduced. This habitat loss, coupled with increased urbanization, the introduction of invasive plant species, impacts of Emerald Ash Borer, and poor condition of remaining natural areas has negatively impacted native wildlife. The purpose of the MRG Wildlife Enhancement Project is to restore these unique natural communities to benefit targeted native wildlife, or Focal Species. These are priority species within the AOC - the basis for measuring the project area’s overall improvement as it relates to the AOC. With careful planning and a little TLC, the Greenway can once again support healthy populations of native wildlife.

Wildlife Enhancement projects are very similar to Habitat projects – in both cases ecological restoration work, including invasive plant species management and reintroduction of native plant species, are the primary activities taking place. Both types of projects are carefully designed to benefit plant and wildlife populations with minimal impacts on native species; work is appropriately timed to avoid impacts on breeding, nesting, and foraging activities. The key difference is that an additional level of tracking and planning is added for wildlife to ensure the least impact specifically for Focal Species.

Great Lakes Legacy Act Project Coordination:

Adding some complexity to the MRG Wildlife Enhancements Project is the adjacent Milwaukee River Floodplains Sediment Cleanup Project. This Great Lakes Legacy Act Project, led by USEPA, will be addressing contamination that remains in the Greenway from our industrial past. Within the lower portions of the MRG, there are floodplains that were historically under water when the North Avenue dam was still in place. When the dam was removed in 1997, river levels lowered, exposing the current contaminated floodplain areas. Some of the floodplain project areas are found within MRG Wildlife Enhancements Project parks. Visit Parks and the Milwaukee River Cleanup for more information.

Regular coordination with EPA is required through all phases of both projects. While we work in the upland area outside of the floodplains, EPA will manage sediment, eventually restoring the floodplains following guidance outlined under the MRG Wildlife Enhancements project.