Milwaukee River Greenway

The Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition was originally a grass roots effort when it started in 2006.  The idea behind the coalition was to protect six miles of urban river from environmentally insensitive development right here in Milwaukee.  The Greenway is 878 acres of greenspace that spreads from North Avenue to Silver Spring Drive.  What makes this Greenway unique is the fact that it includes a dozen public parks as well as privately owned land.  The Coalition first received shoreline protection from the Village of Shorewood in 2006, and then the City of Milwaukee also granted protections in 2010.  With the backing of Shorewood and Milwaukee, the Coalition established the Milwaukee River Greenway Master Plan: A Vision for Recreation and Restoration in 2010.  This master plan laid out the details for a restored urban wilderness and shared recreational opportunities covering three municipalities right here in our own backyards.  The plan included the development of a 13 mile trail for non-motorized recreational use.  Throughout this trail, trail-heads are marked with recycled locally produced signs to promote a sense of community.  Another important aspect of the master plan is that it includes provisions to re-route trails where they damage wildlife habitat, trespass, or traverse the floodplain.  Habitat studies have also been completed for a more comprehensive restoration and preservation effort of the natural resources throughout the Greenway.  Some specific aspects of the master plan’s projects include:

Rotary Centennial Arboretum

·         Regions first Arboretum that was created by the Rotary Club, Urban Ecology Center, River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee Urban Rivers Foundation, and private landowners. 

·         Opened in September 2013 and features 1200 trees of 70 different native species

Cambridge Woods Nature Preserve

·         Most biodiverse area in the Greenway

·         Focuses on invasive species removal and native plantings

Wheelhouse Gateway

·         Turned a former industrial site into a canoe and kayak launch

PCB Removal

·         DNR, EPA, Milwaukee County, and MMSD worked together to remove PCB’s from the Lincoln Park lagoon and channel

·         Key in improving river recreation and overall river health

The Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition is a great example of how network governance can be very effective in the protection and revitalization of waterways.  Private landowners, state organizations, and NGO’s all working together to establish and maintain this great Milwaukee greenspace.  A current list of coalition members and allies include: Urban Ecology Center, River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee Riverkeeper (my original blog post), Milwaukee Environmental Consortium, Village of Shorewood, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Friends of Estabrook Park, Milwaukee Friends Meeting (Quakers), and Cambridge Woods Neighborhood Association.  The River Revitalization Foundation took over the Coalition in 2013 and projects continue today.  This Greenway is a great model for river/environment revitalization taking place in an urban setting.  The following link is a video that further explains the River Revitalization Foundation

          https://vimeo.com/ivanlabianca/riverrevitalizationfoundation

This Greenway is especially important to me because I frequently mountain bike on this trail in the summer.  It’s a great workout and allows a unique opportunity to escape from the city while actually still being quite close to my house.  I’ve personally seen the development of the trails and the increased focus of removing invasive species and reintroducing native species.  This Greenway is a great asset to our community, and I highly recommend checking out the trails.  Even if hiking or biking doesn’t interest you, the Estabrook Beer Garden is located right above this Greenway so after enjoying a beer go and check out the beautiful waterfall directly below. 

 

Sources:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/Zoning-Topics/Milwaukee-River-Greenway.htm#.VkunN3arS71

http://riverrevitalizationfoundation.org/greenway/