UPDATED: Meeting has been rescheduled to February 19 due to weather.
Options for the future of the Mill Pond are coming in clearer focus as part of a planning effort underway by the Milwaukee County Parks Department.
I’m happy to see it, and it’s an overdue next step of the Oak Creek Watershed Restoration Plan, which was completed in 2021. What’s needed next is leadership to bring this plan to life, to take the results of this current process (and years of work before it) and make it real.
County Executive Crowley, Supervisor Shea, Mayor Shelenske, Mayor Bukiewicz, MMSD, all of you, and others: Please lead to clean up and revitalize the Oak Creek Watershed.
The plan was a great start, and I was proud to connect the varied and complex constituencies to put the effort in motion. It delivered something that was desperately missing in the decades of debate about the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Watershed — a science-based, community-informed roadmap for the watershed as a whole, not just the Mill Pond.
Local leaders: We now look to you. Don’t let it sit on a shelf!
Please work together to restore this precious resource and iconic part of our region. If not, little will change, and we will make it the next generation’s problem. Follow the lead of what’s happening on waterways across the region, and don’t let Oak Creek be left behind.
Start with this principle: The watershed is not the county’s problem, not South Milwaukee’s (or any single community’s) problem, not MMSD’s problem. It is our problem, our opportunity.
Let’s get this right, together.
Mill Pond Planning
Details on the planning project here …
The original scope of the project included planning, design, and construction of repairs to the Mill Pond dam and drain structure. Required improvements include re-establishing a functioning drainage structure and piping system to enable draining the Mill Pond impoundment. Other requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) inspection, such as vegetation removal and establishing a survey benchmark have been completed.
In December 2021, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) released its Restoration Plan for the Oak Creek Watershed report. As part of this report, SEWRPC presented several alternatives for the future of Mill Pond and the Mill Pond Dam. To better evaluate these alternatives and prior to any work on the dam structure, an investigation was performed to characterize the sediments within Mill Pond. Results of the sampling indicated that sediments were impacted, and if removed or dredged from Mill Pond would require proper disposal offsite. Permitting would also be required for any dewatering activities. Please see the alternatives that were presented to the County’s Committee on Parks and Culture as part of an informational report. PowerPoint Presentation.
On December 3, 2024 from 4 – 6 pm, a public open house at Wil-o-way Grant was held. Nearly 100 neighbors visited to review the following boards, ask questions of the staff, and leave written comments.
What’s Next
From the Milwaukee County Parks Department …
In December 2021, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) released its Restoration Plan for the Oak Creek Watershed report. As part of this report, SEWRPC presented several alternatives for the future of Mill Pond and the Mill Pond Dam. With public input, Parks has narrowed these alternatives down. The next steps for Parks involve exploring funding opportunities to pursue one of the options for Mill Pond and the dam. Parks invites you to attend a Public Information Meeting to learn more about the proposed alternatives that remain, ask questions and provide feedback. The meeting will be held as an open house, with staff on hand to answer questions and discuss alternatives.
Mill Pond Public Information Meeting
Wednesday, February 19th
4-6 PM Open House
Grant Park Clubhouse, 100 Hawthorne Ave, South Milwaukee, WI 53172
The options follow and are detailed in this JSOnline story.
South Milwaukee Blog 