Milwaukee is situated on one of the largest fresh water bodies in the world - Lake Michigan and the rivers that feed into it. This amenity provides many opportunities for recreation and commerce. Protecting our lakes is critical for the city and for the region. Citizens, business, and government must take individual and community responsibility for keeping our lake and rivers clean.
Green Infrastructure Plan
In June 2019, the Common Council adopted Milwaukee's Green Infrastructure Plan. Under the Plan, all large developments and redevelopments are required to capture the first 1/2 inch of rainfall usign green infrastructure. It also prioritizes additional funding for green streets, schoolyards, and parking lots. The Plan was the product of over one year of stakeholder meetings with environmental groups, developers, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, various City departments, the UWM-School of Freshwater Sciences, and Marquette University Water Law and Policy Initiative. One of the most exciting elements of the Plan is the City's collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools to transform green school yards. Check out the 2020 progress and plan for these schools!
Residential Rainwater Harvesting Guidebook
ECO partnered with UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences graduate student Eric Bunke to develop this Rainwater Harvesting Guidebook. This guide will walk you through the steps of safely harvesting, storing and using rainwater. The guidebook defines terms, identifies local, city and state codes and ordinances related to residential rainwater harvesting, gives 'pro tips' for harvesting and resuing rainwater and lists local resources for more information. Download your own copy of the Rainwater Collection Guidelines For Milwaukee Residents.
Green Infrastructure Baseline Inventory
The ReFresh Milwaukee plan's Water Chapter establishes a goal to "Reduce stormwater runoff and clear water from entering sewer system". Targets toward achieving this goal include
- establishing baseline measures of impervious surface and green infrastructure,
- creating a City green infrastructure policy plan, and
- increasing the volume of stormwater runoff captured through green infrastructure by 10% annually.
The Environmental Collaboration Office, with financial support from the Fund for Lake Michigan, recently completed a Green Infrastructure Baseline Inventory to satisfy the first target above. This report documents existing green infrastructure with 14 million gallons of stormwater capture capacity in the City of Milwaukee. It also identifies impervious surfaces at 45.5% of city area and 163.4 miles of shorelines within city limits. The report serves as the foundation for the City's forthcoming Green Infrastructure Policy Plan.
Green Streets
The City of Milwaukee is designing city streets to reduce flooding risks, improve the quality of our lakes and rivers, and help the City adapt to a changing climate. Through guidance outlined in the City's Green Streets Stormwater Management Plan, as streets are scheduled to be repaired or replaced, the City is systematically evaluating opportunities to install new green infrastructure assets, such as bioretention basins in street medians and tree trenches near sidewalks. The Green Street Stormwater Management Plan was funded by the WI Coastal Management Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Green Infrastructure Map
The City of Milwaukee's Green Infrastructure GIS Tool is publicly available. Through open data sharing, the goal is to facilitate the advancement of green infrastructure planning in the City of Milwaukee, and ultimately, make the City more sustainable and resilient.
Note: The Green Infrastructure tool is listed under Map Applications and operates best with Internet Explorer.
BaseTern
The City of Milwaukee is exploring cost effective and innovative approaches for managing stormwater to help neighborhoods be more resilient to extreme storm events. One approach that is being studied is the BaseTern, an underground stormwater management or rainwater harvesting structure created from the former basement of an abandoned home that has been slated for demolition. By using this existing basement cavity, the City saves on demolition costs of the old structure and the construction of the new one. The structure would be underground and covered with turf to fit safely within the neighborhood. The preliminary prototypes can hold as much water as 600 hundred rain barrels! Learn more by checking out the Feasibility Study and BaseTern FAQs.
Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Evaluation Report
The 2014 Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Evaluation Report (SPER) of Milwaukee has been developed for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) in the context of the Sustainable Municipal Water Management (SMWM) declaration. This report is based on six axes: Water Conservation and Efficiency, Shared Water Stewardship, Shoreline and Waterways Restoration, Water Pollution Prevention, Water Protection Planning and Water Preparedness for Climate Change. Download the report here.