Rock River Coalition Native Shoreline Restoration Projects
These projects are sponsored by the RRC Wetland and Shoreline Protection Issue Team. Each year they have worked with a variety of groups or municipalities to design or install natural shoreline restorations on public lands such as city or county parks. Funding for the Rock River Basin portion of the projects, primarily design, has come various DNR grant sources. Cost to install restorations, including preparing the land and planting, has been acquired by the partnering organizations usually through state or federal grants. Volunteers are frequently used to plant and maintain the restorations.
2003 RRC Shoreline Restoration Projects
The Rock River Basin Shoreline Restoration Initiative added 5 shoreline restoration/erosion control projects to its list bringing the total, since 2002, to twelve.
 The 2003 Rock River Coalition restorations include the Pheasant Branch Stabilization Project, Stricker Pond Project, and Tiedeman Pond Project (see separate article), as well as the Hustisford and Whitewater Lake Projects. The Middleton and Hustisford Projects were funded through state grants and involved large-scale plantings. The Pheasant Branch Creek, Hustisford, and Whitewater Lake Projects also included biolog or other innovative bioengineering techniques.
More on the Shoreline Restoration in Middleton
 The City of Middleton had a busy 2003! Middleton has a wealth of water resources around the city. It is a growing area, impacted greatly by increased development and consequently, increased stormwater runoff. The flooding of 2000 caused major damage to large areas of oak savannah and wetland vegetation at Stricker and Tiedeman Ponds. The city was granted two $10,000 WDNR Lake Protection Wetland Incentive grants to restore the lost habitat and the buffers that once surrounded the ponds. Due to the possibility for future elevated water levels, the shorelines were restored into three layers; wetland, wet meadow, and upland prairie. The City of Middleton Public Lands crew, the Wisconsin Civilian Conservation Corps, a Department of Corrections crew, and volunteers did the planting.
 In 2003, the City of Middleton also completed stabilization/restoration work on Pheasant Branch Creek. Funded through a WDNR River Grant, the city tackled 600 feet of severely eroded shoreline that was showing repeated undercutting and slumping. The city chose to utilize bioengineering techniques such as root wads, biolog, and wing dams to stabilize the soil. These methods would allow for these natural areas to retain their aesthetic beauty, remain accessible for reptiles and amphibians, as well as provide habitat for a variety of other critters.
2002 RRC Shoreline Restoration Projects
A 2002 grant provided funds for an additional 20 designs for restorations on publicly owned land in the DNR's Southern District.
Delavan Shoreline Restoration
This restoration was installed along Swan Creek with the help of the Biology Class from the Delavan School for the Deaf.
The restoration used coconut fiber logs along the bank to prevent further erosion. Geese, once a major problem here, no longer come up out of the water. The Park Department is considering expanding the native plant restoration in other areas where geese are a problem. They've already begun native plant buffer installation at parks along Comus Lake, and will continue to add shorelines stretches annually. Some have been done with the RRC and others through new partnerships. |
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City of Hartland
This restoration along the banks of the Bark River was installed by the Hartland Parks Department
and the local Senior Center and designed by DNR Shoreline Restoration Specialist, Lisa Rees. The plants were carefully placed to meet their unique habitat needs and to provide year round beauty. This site had a problem with a non-native grass, foxtail, and was replanted in 2002. |
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Shoreline Restoration
Natureland Park
on
Whitewater Lake
This restoration used a more structured design approach. They expect that this will help keep people out of the restoration and provide viewing lanes and fishing areas. This site had tremendous planting success due to the weekly watering and weeding by the Walworth County Highway Department. |
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Projects by Other Groups or Municipalities |
Tivoli Island Park in Watertown
The City of Watertown has begun an extensive multi-year restoration along the Rock River.
In addition to this park site, the Watertown Middle School has been working for several years to restore a two-acre site along the river as a nature classroom. The school's restoration includes prairie, deciduous woods, shoreline and wetland areas. The RRC has funded designs for additional work in Watertown. (See 2004 projects) |
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Bartel's Beach Park in Lake Mills
This restoration, set off with a split rail fence, is on the east side of Rock Lake in the City of Lake Mills. Funding for this project came from a DNR Priority Lake Project through the work of the Jefferson County Land and Water Conservation Department and the City of Lake Mills. A major restoration is occurring on the west side of the lake at the new Korth County Park. For more information about these restorations or how you can help with prairie planting or seed collecting contact Patricia Cicero Jefferson County Land and Water Conservation Department. |
If you have a project in the Rock River Basin you would like listed, send a description and contact information to Suzanne Wade .
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