More than 1,800.
That’s how many signatures were on petitions a group of citizens submitted to the City Council and Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik last week asking for the Mill Pond to be dredged – returning the waterway to its past glory.
Former Alderwoman Mary Nelson made the presentation to the council, and she offered a few words in support of the effort to restore the Mill Pond. Her message: The pond is an important part of South Milwaukee’s heritage and needs to be dredged so it can be brought back to its former beauty and use as a recreational attraction (including ice skating).
Mayor Tom Zepecki also spoke briefly, saying the city can play a role in doing so, but the Mill Pond is county property, and the county must lead on any improvements – including what could be a $1 million dredging project that may not last a decade.
Jursik’s message to the council: Addressing the Mill Pond is a complex issue – a “community decision” and a “shared responsibility” involving the county, city and others.
She stressed her role in trying to bring units together in the past couple years to deal with the short- and long-term future of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek watercourse – a future that may or may not involve saving the pond, or dredging it. Jursik noted that the Wisconsin Department Natural Resources has an order to remove the dam, but it’s not being acted on it, and the most recent attempt to dredge in the late 1990s was poorly done and did not last long.
A broader watershed plan is necessary, Jursik said, and that’s where the focus should be, as well as with Oak Creek bank restoration. (Jursik has helped secure $267,000 toward this purpose in the county’s current capital budget.)
So, where do I stand? I strongly support restoring the vitality of Oak Creek and the Mill Pond and making it a community attraction once again. It’s not now. The Mill Pond should be a source of South Milwaukee pride. Now, it’s an eyesore, in desperate need of improvement.
I credit the Friends of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Watercourse for what they’ve done to try and stem the decline and begin restoration efforts. And I thank folks like Mary Nelson and Pat Jursik for driving the dialog here. It’s one we need to have.
But what we need now are facts … a detailed look at options for the Mill Pond and Oak Creek that will help drive decisions around what the solution looks like and who pays for what.
The key question that needs to be answered: What is the collective vision for the Mill Pond and Oak Creek, and how do we get there?
It’s a debate I – and apparently more than 1,800 others — look forward to because something needs to be done. That’s something we can all agree on.
Of course, I’d like to know what you think about this. What role should the city play in making improvements at the Mill Pond? Post your comments below.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Some statements about the Mill Pond and dam need further discussion:
1.The DNR has stated repeatedly that it will NOT move against a dam where there is significant historical significance. The Mill Dam is listed on the national registry of historical places and the Milwaukee County list of historical places. It is part of South Milwaukee’s heritage.
To the best of my knowledge, the DNR has not changed its policy.
2. Prior to the failed attempt to dredge the pond in the late 90’s, the pond was not dredged for about 20 years. Much (if not most) of the silt in the pond today came from a construction project on College avenue. The bare piles of dirt were exposed to the weather for over a year. Tons of soil ran into the creek every time it rained.
3. In spite of much intimidation to the contrary, I know of no reason South Milwaukee should have to pay anything to have the county remove the silt from the County Parks Pond.
Why are our local city people reaching out to outside sources to take care of local issues? Once control has been given to the county or state or Federal Government we (the city and its people) slowly loose our freedom to take care of our own business. Don’t count on the county to make any improvements because the dam is not a “sustainable” meaning there will never be enough money to make the neccessary repairs.
Here is additional info on dams and sustaiability.http://www2.dsi.gov.tr/english/congress2007/chapter_1/23.pdf
While you may have good points, the dam and pond are technically county property to begin with. It makes the most sense to get the county to commit whatever they agree to commit first, then start looking to other parties with a vested interest in preserving the area in order to make up the difference.
According the the South Milwaukee comprehensive plan the Mill Pond is not listed a historic propery. http://smwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CPCh2.pdf How did we develope this comprehensive plan? Why was the Mill pond not part of the historic properties in the comprehensive plan? Who decides which property has historic significance?
I understand Ms. Jursik would like to make this a community dissision, but which community has the voice in what happens to a county park which is located in South Milwaukee? Does the city of Milwaukee, Oak Creek, St Fransis, Cudahy or any other communites outside of South Milwaukee but inside the county have a say? who will it effect most? We all live in the county, but only a few live in South Milwaukee .
I do applaude The Friends of the Mill pond for taking on the efforts to help restore and preserve the Mill pond.
The dam is listed as a Milwaukee County Historic Site as a result of efforts of the South Milwaukee Historical Society.
The watercourse is listed on the National Registry of Historic Sites.
South Milwaukee does not own the pond. As stated before it is a County Park in which the taxpayers of Milwaukee County have a say into how their tax money is spent. This is a County issue that they need to address. Dredging the pond is not the answer. Work upstream needs to also happen so that it does not fill in again. The pond has been dredged once before and filled in. The DNR has ordered the County to fix the gate on the dam. I am sure that the County will not want to stick the money into rebuilding the dam and the DNR will order the dam be removed as they have done on the Milwaukee River at North Avenue. Removal will eliminate the silt buildup and allow fish to swim further upstream. Fishermen applaud the removal of the dam. Stay tune for the order as I believe the DNR has given the County till September to report on the condition of the Dam.
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how can i get a sign save the bond email me at bonnielabucki@att.net thanks