Hoarding, sorting, and classifying

Last fall I posted about the enterprising and surprisingly methodical individuals who built a looooong deck out over the river by the dam. Being enterprising but much less organized myself, I took pictures of the artistically sorted debris they had pulled from the water and arranged into- what? An apothecary of sorts? A playground?

Shoe trees?

Who did this? Really, who?

This is why I rarely (can't say never) drink out of disposable plastic bottles. Recycling, anyone?

I hope these give you a little taste of summer, if nothing else.

Dam debris photos

On Sunday, Brain and I went canoeing on the Milwaukee River, scraping bottom many times. I got a few photos (some of them are even beautiful, but not these). When I saw this article by Chris Liebenthal on the subject (worth reading), I figured I should probably post them. I don't know if you remember, but earlier this month, there was an offer- by volunteers- (article here) to remove the woody debris, thwarted by the need for an environmental pollutant assessment- which would cost $100,000, and was not in the budget. Huh. There is a lot of debris down by the dam. We were astounded. Look at all the plants growing in it! Did I say plants? I meant noxious weeds.

And, best of all, some enterprising individuals have even built a little cabin with a deck out to the river, using found wood (see below).

Dam vandalism

Apparently, someone cut the wires to the dam- coinciding with the first part of some repair work- and a portion of me is upset, but not for the reasons you might think.

I decided I don't care about dams. I care about people. Re-read some of my last posts, if you do not believe me. One of the wonderful things that has happened through being part of MRPA- and I will mention here that I resigned from my secretarial role on Tuesday- is that I have gotten to know some wonderful, dear people, whom I would never otherwise have gotten the opportunity to meet (as I posted recently, digging through garbage helps you meet your neighbors, metaphorically speaking).

What do I care about? What is important to me? What do I want to spend my time and concern on? Well, I got a new job that started on Wednesday. I didn't have to apply. I was chosen. It's a new role within my current job: a new focus, and one that I care about passionately. (No more money, but most good things start with no more money.) I started a new blog to celebrate, and maybe you will join me over there. It's a little raw. It'll get better. I've had a little practice blogging. Actually, everything I learned as part of this whole dam experience has helped me in ways that will help me help others- I hope you followed that line of reasoning.

Another point I would like to make is that my character was defamed. Mom, DO NOT click the link (my personality traits did not come out of nowhere). I will speak with people, rationalize, philosophize, discuss, what have you, but persons who choose to criticize the core of my character (and not my opinions, which are two completely separate things)- well, if you were my patient, I would still be kind to you.

Brighten your day with new photos and HOPE

Cindy sent me some more photos. I wish I would have looked at them earlier because they are real day-brighteners.

Clark and Cindy

I added several to the parade photostream. Honestly, I don't know everyone's name. So....erm...maybe you can leave a comment on a photo.

Now would probably be a good time to make a shameless plug for Relay for Life. It's a fundraiser through the American Cancer Society.

Full disclosure: I was an oncology nurse for many years. I hung a lot of bags of chemotherapy and took care of all kinds of cancer patients. I worked grueling third shifts- and let me tell you, when something hurts, it hurts a lot worse at 3 am. We all know that cancer- breast cancer, especially- is hugely related to environmental toxins. And I want any readers to understand that even more than anything that has to do with the dam- whether it stays or goes- getting rid of the PCB's and other toxins in the river is much, much more important to me. Human lives are more important than any dam. Cleanup has already been started in Lincoln Park and the $22 million project of cleaning up the KK River is already underway- es muy, muy importante.
So there is hope! Hope for future generations especially- that they can have a cleaner environment than we have for ourselves.
Thanks for showing, Theo!

El rio esta verde hoy! The River is green!

Normally, my favorite color is green. (Normalmente, mi color favorita es verde.) I could look at green all day. But, when something is amiss, worry takes precedence over enjoyment of beauty. It looks like St. Patrick's Day in Chicago!

Algae bloom on Milwaukee River west of I-43. Photo taken July 11th, 2009. The only alteration to the photo was cropping and resizing- no color-correction, brightening, etc were done. El rio esta muy, muy verde, verdad!!!

Algae bloom photo taken July 10. Again, no color change or brightening were done to this photo.

I made sure to take photos at two different times of the day, at two different light levels. I only wish I could also capture the foul odor. Someday, computers may be able to transmit such a thing.


We have been told that a damless river (which it is, in effect, now, since the dam is not holding back any water) would be a healthier river, and not prone to such unpleasant phenomena. But as you can see (and smell) for yourself, this is not the case.

I am not a biologist. I do not know if this is the infamous "blue-green algae" that kills dogs who consume it- but I certainly hope not, as I have been watching two lovely deer on the other bank munching on leaves and presumably drinking water also. Perhaps the Riverkeeper can tell me. I am about to send her an email.

Write to your reps!

Still floating with enthusiasm from the Independence Day parade, and feeling positive about our country and our American political system for a change, I just wanted to remind dam supporters to keep writing to our elected officials--especially Lena Taylor and Annette Polly Williams.

All the info you need is here.

Today (well, technically yesterday) I saw how low the river is just north of Silver Spring and realized that "Milwaukee Creek" is no exaggeration.

MRPA members flashing signs pre-parade.

Write. Write. Write, call, email, write some more.

Guest post from James Brozek

Here's an open letter from James Brozek, one of our MRPA members. (I edited it for punctuation, clarity, and spelling.) It was sent to many public officials and others. He sent the photos, also.

Dear friends,

Last year the Milwaukee Riverkeeper organization stated they believe that removal of the Estabrook Dam would have the greatest positive impacts on water quality, sediment management, fish and aquatic life, terrestrial wildlife, and recreation. Here are my observations this spring of the Milwaukee River in front of my house.

As of June 6, 2009, the water level is four feet lower than its natural and historical level. I've seen a marked absence of Bluegills, Sunfish, Catfish, Bullheads, Northern, Bass, Western and Midland Painted Turtles, Common Snapping Turtle, Green Heron, Night Heron, Egrets, and Coots. But what I have seen is an abundance of hundreds of yards of mosquito-breeding puddles in front of my property. During the spring runoff, the river's currents scoured into the river gravel these wonderful, made-to-order incubators for the cute mosquito larvae wigglers. The abundance of algae covering this gravel is an exceptional food source for this Wisconsin State Insect. Can you say "West Nile Virus?" Ahhhh, did I mention the lovely aroma given off by the thin layers of ooze on the river gravel? No? Well, depending on the warmth of the day and the directness of the sun, this football field-sized area of river bottom rivals our hatched mosquitoes as the gift that keeps on giving. I've not seen anyone fishing. Where are the fishermen, now that the river is running free? Paddlers also have become an extremely rare site. I've seen a pair more drifting then paddling in the narrowed river channel. The Boys and Girls Clubs paddlers are nowhere to be found. Hikers? Nope, the river bottom is just too soggy and smelly. Long live the Lincoln Park Lagoon & Urban Wildlife Place.

Sincerely,

River Bro

Now- River Otter here again- I missed Thursday night's MRPA meeting. It sounded like it was a good one.
I'm wondering, does anyone from the MRPA ever read my blog anymore? I no longer post much about the dam or the group. It just didn't seem like a useful tool for getting out any information, as was my initial hope and inspiration for starting it. I just got lots of nasty comments from anti-dam folks, and verbal comments like "Only our enemies read it, anyway." A few nice emails came in here and there though, and informational ones like this. So, I just post (almost) whatever I feel like now. The Internet is very accommodating that way.

If any MRPA members or sympathizers still read this (or enemies, or frenemies), leave a comment. At this point, I doubt that anything could hurt my feelings any worse than they were already today, so feel free to go at it.

Water privatization

Cheryl Nenn is interim executive director of the Milwaukee Riverkeeper. She and I have had our differences, really just one disagreement- about the Estabrook Dam issue- but I deeply respect her, her education, opinions, and knowledge. Someone called her my "frenemy", but (even though I love neologisms) that is completely inaccurate: she and I are adults who are able to have rational conversations, usually via email, and can agree to disagree.

She wrote this article against the proposal of water privatization for the local daily paper, and I love the title: "Public asset belongs in public hands." Milwaukee has a long, proud Socialist history, and this will- I hope-continue to be yet another part of that history.

"Water is essential for life. Access to clean water is a human right. But in the hands of a for-profit company, water easily can be denied to those without the resources to pay for it.
In many communities that have privatized their water systems, jobs have been lost, salaries and benefits of workers have been cut, and monitoring and services have been reduced or delayed."

Please read the rest of her editorial for yourself. She concludes, "Finally, we... will lose control of it through privatization, and we forfeit our responsibility to hold a private corporation accountable (emphasis mine). Throughout the term of a 99-year lease, we will vote generations of elected officials in and out of office but will have no way to 'vote out' or hold a private water company accountable for its performance. [This does sound vaguely similar to how the DNR is run, though, doesn't it.] Other cities, such as Mequon and Felton, Calif., have incurred significant expense to take back water systems from private hands."

And, as Sura Faraj posted on Facebook, "200+ showed up (at Monday's hearing) to protest water privatization. We scared the security guards with our chanting. They threatened to put us in jail, because "This is a place of business." Alders temporarily held the matter. We want a resolution that says privatizing our water will be taken off the table permanently. Until then we will continue to organize. What can you do? Call your Alder 286.2221 and say so." Here's more on the subject.

What do you think? Post a comment-contact our elected officials- contact Cheryl and let her know what you thought of her editorial. Spread the word. Drink tap water. Keep the discussion going.

Root River Parkway

It is interesting how powerful rivers are, and how fickle- they can flood, change course, divide off an oxbow into a separate lake, and often quickly.

Fa Ross has told me about an area of the Root River Parkway in Racine- a wild, natural river area. He has hiked there often over many years and sent these photos of the natural damming provided by trees and debris floating downstream, aided at times by hardworking beavers. He believes that if the Estabrook dam is removed by the DNR, that the natural Milwaukee River state in the affected area would be unstable and unpredictable.

Photo by Fa Ross

He described a time when, during a period of spring flooding, he watched the river change course to the west, over a period of hours, as it found a new way around a pile of debris. He offers this for comparison between the two rivers:

To my knowledge there has never been a dam in this area of the Root River. I think this area is an excellent example of what Lincoln Park will look like in 10 years or so. Yes, this area is very beautiful in its own way, but you will notice the lack of large trees and the many standing dead trees, pools of stagnant water and piles of logs, sticks and garbage. In the last 30 or so years, many homes have been torn down along the Root River due to the massive flooding, compounded by the dams the trees and ice make with much help from the beavers.

Photo by Fa Ross

There is a 7 foot high by @ 15 foot long wall of sticks and logs that has formed sometime in the last two years and is forcing the river to cut a new channel.

The most graphic example of what I am talking about is approximately one mile north of this on County Line Road, but the last time I drove by it had a No Trespassing sign up. (Part of this area is a superfund cleanup site.) If you have Google earth you can see what I think is a giant beaver dam made of garbage, that used to be there, around 42* 50’ 23.97” N 87* 53’ 28.51”- see below, the middle of the screenshot.

Satellite photo of 42* 50’ 23.97” N 87* 53’ 28.51” courtesy of Google Earth

If you are interested in seeing this for yourself, here are Fa's directions: Take I 94 south (aka West) to Seven Mile road in (1st exit in Racine county) head east @ 4miles. Just after the second set of rail road tracks you will cross a bridge over the Root River . On the East side of this bridge you will see a oversized gravel shoulder park there. You can walk on either side of the river to the south for @ 1 mile. The park is only 20 or 30 yards wide and is usually used as a bridal path.

"Fish or cut bait" editorial

I know there are certain people who visit this blog, hoping that "Estabrook Dam" is just a tiny bit bigger in the tag cloud in the sidebar, waiting stealthily to pounce with a comment. Not wanting to disappoint anyone, I'll throw out some bait today.
In a recent editorial, Fish or Cut Bait, the Milwaukee J-S had this to say (and you can click the link for the full editorial; it's not that long)

"But in a recent letter to the county, the DNR said the county cannot close the dam and allow the river to refill the impoundment area upstream unless all outstanding repair work is completed. The DNR is concerned about public safety. So are we.
The county's move skirts the real issue of whether to take on the more extensive repair job, estimated to cost $12 million, or to remove the dam for about $2 million. Environmental groups and others favor dam removal, while nearby residents and others who use the upstream portion of the Milwaukee River for recreation prefer a fix-up of the 1938 dam.
Removing the dam won't restore the river to its "natural" state; work done on the river channel in the 1930s made sure of that. But it would be a cheaper option at a time when the county already faces severe financial difficulties. County supervisors need to consider those finances when they consider the future of the dam - and they need to do that soon to comply with the DNR requirements."

Once again, the $12 million figure thrown out there. My arguments tend toward the philosophical and aesthetic. For awesome, cold hard facts, I turn to Vicky Ross, who wrote this rebuttal (it's long, but whatever. This is the infinite internet). Take it away, Vicky:

Dear Editorial Page Editors:
I was outraged by your editorial yesterday, “Fish or cut bait”!
I first must point out that your opening sentence contains an obvious error. The county board needs to either ‘repair or find funds to repair’? I gather from the context in the rest of the editorial that you intended to say: ‘remove or find funds to repair’.

Sloppy, very sloppy.
If your preference would truly normally be for full repair, as you state, what have you done to follow through on your inclination and fully explore the repair option?

-Did you happen to notice, or bother to report, that the county workgroup’s report was so rife with misleading information that the typically routine process of accepting the report and placing it on file passed by only the narrowest of margins on March 19th with 10 supervisors voting to accept the report and 9 voting no.?

-Did you think it to be at all odd that the Dam Removal scenario included no cost estimates for obvious related work that would stretch on for years: like cutting a channel to restore navigability, encapsulating contaminated sediments, replanting mudflats and modifying storm sewer outflows? [Details from the North Avenue dam removal process and problems experienced there shouldn’t be that hard to recall or locate.]

-Did you think it would be worth investigating how a repair estimate of $756,000 in 2006 could possibly balloon to the oft quoted $12 million in 2009?

I think not.

-Did your reporters find any of the county taxpayer comments made at the Public Hearing on March 24th interesting or compelling enough that they asked citizens follow up questions or for copies of their documents in order to learn more than their two minute time limit may have allowed?

-Did your reporters request and review any of the written comments that were submitted to the Parks, Energy and Environment Committee following the Public Hearing which provided a way for citizens to offer positions and supporting documents without being subject to a terribly limiting constraint?

-Did you give any thought to how Lincoln Park would be impacted by dam removal and advise your readers that they would no longer have water and islands as its focal point feature but instead would be greeted with unsightly mudflats riddled with invader species (weeds) and mosquito farms of stranded, stagnant water?

I think not.

-Did you consider that there might be a creative solution available given more time? Did you find it at all interesting that there are several entities actively exploring the prospect of a hydroelectric purpose for the dam?

-Did Lee Bergquist, Steve Schultze or anyone else on your staff research other Wisconsin DNR dam removal efforts and detect that their approach here is S.O.P. regardless of the specific dam, impoundment, parks, community, unique adverse impacts or the will of the people or institutions involved? [The DNR has a rich and well documented history of applying pressure on dam owners to remove them by exerting undue influence on the process – ensuring that repair cost estimates are trumped up exponentially and that removal estimates are grossly understated.]

-Did your research uncover the documents that reveal the DNR’s true agenda for the Milwaukee River and advise your readers that if the DNR is successful in having the Estabrook Dam removed that the upstream dams will quickly become their next targets: Kletzsch Park Falls, Thiensville Dam, likely even Cedarburg’s historic falls?

I think not.

-Did you question the motives that might lie behind a DNR letter delivered to the County Board of Supervisors the very morning of their April 23rd meeting as did Supervisor Rice? Didn’t you find that timing to be even a little suspicious?

-Did you question why the DNR would issue a letter saying they could issue a second Order for Dam Repair instead of just issuing another order?

-Did you find it at all compelling in the face of such opposition, that the county board of supervisors voted overwhelmingly in favor (16 to 3) of the $5,000 repair which will correct the problems cited in the DNR Order issued on September 26, 2008?

I think not.

Did you find value in the fact that the County is finally taking action to respond to the September, 2008 DNR order? Or even more significant, did you find it odd that the DNR would issue a threatening letter to the county because it was contemplating complying with the demands of an order they issued?

-Did your reporters happen to hear Supervisor Lipscomb explain that the resolution that was just passed was deliberately designed to begin the process of completing work that is necessary whether the dam is removed OR repaired and that more time is needed for study in order to responsibly decide the fate of the dam?

-Did you think it might be important to include in your editorial that the reason Supervisor Lipscomb is “rightfully” concerned about health risks associated with leaving the river low is because there are PCB hotspots in Lincoln Park that will be even more exposed to animals and people, especially children, over the summer months if the impoundment is not filled this season?

I think not.

I should tell you that I am apparently one of the few remaining daily subscribers to your paper. Needless to say I am sorely disappointed with your superficial coverage on this issue. You have failed to recognize it for the rich investigative story opportunity that it is.

With two editorials in as many weeks supporting the removal of dams (referring also to “Let the river run” - 4/22/09), it is clear to me that you have swallowed the bait whole. I congratulate you for your aplomb in falling for the DNR’s carefully crafted positions – hook, line and sinker.
Fortunately, you are not the only media outlet in this city, or this state for that matter. Perhaps I can find one who is willing to dig a little deeper and be just a touch more objective.

Yours very truly,
Vicky Ross

Yesterday's County Board meeting

At yesterday's Milwaukee County Board meeting, the vote on the Estabrook Dam was, like Gaul, divided into three parts: Dam Repair (the $5000 to repair the stop logs, as ordered by the DNR in autumn 2008), Debris Removal, and whether the idea of the many-headed Hydro Power should be studied. Results:
Repairs passed- split 16-3. Debris removal passed unanimously. Hydro** passed unanimously.
I'll patiently stop for you to either yell an early cautious "Wahoo," or start cussing.


Now, here's something that I hope you will be excited about too: the new Friends of Lincoln Park group. DH and I joined already. It's a subset of the Park People, who have a long history of being a Lorax-like voice for the Milwaukee County Parks. Many of the parks have had longstanding active Friends groups, but not Lincoln Park, my neighborhood park, which would particularly be devastated by the dam's removal. The lagoons would no longer exist. In fact it is possible that canoe rentals might even be started up again, which would be wonderful.

In fact, our real message is not “Save the Estabrook Dam” (a hunk of graffiti-covered concrete) but instead, “Save the Lincoln Park Lagoons." What would Lincoln Park would be without the impoundment of water? See for yourself. (PDF alert)

**Murray Sim of Titus Energy Management Services will be conducting the preliminary hydro study.

WUWM Morning Edition interview with Jon Apple

Photo is from the WUWM Flickr set- I could not find a photo credit. It depicts Jon Apple fishing at the Kletzsch Park Falls.
When two of my co-workers mentioned to me separately that they heard about the dam on NPR, I just assumed (incorrectly) that it was negative spin. Here is the link to the online article by Susan Bence.
From the article/radio show:
"I spot someone fishing a stone’s throw downstream, hip-deep in the river. Jon Apple is fully equipped with waders and a waterproof jacket, topped off with a camouflage cap. He’s also caught up in the sheer pleasure of the moment... Apple grew up watching this river change with every season...
'We pick it up and flip it in back of us and then cast it out and then the fly drifts along through the water,' Apple says. With an elegant flick of the wrist, his long graphite rod sends the line sailing downstream. If and when the fish bites, Apple says he might have a 20 minute tussle on his hands. He seems to be taking in everything around him. As Apple makes his way back to shore, he reels in his line and glances down at the fly attached to the end, bouncing along in the shallow water.'Did you ever see anything better than that? Look at that, dancing in the water like that,' Apple says. Apple admits there’s a bit of nostalgia mixed in with his love of the river. He grew up nearby, in Shorewood. 'And I can remember going over to Lincoln Park when we used to be able to rent rowboats there and fish for little sunfish, or whatever they were, I don’t know, it’s been a few years I guess,' Apple says. It’s those childhood memories that drive his feelings about the future of the water in Lincoln Park. Apple says he understands if the Estabrook Dam is removed and the Milwaukee River runs free, it might be cleaner. But he’s concerned about how that move will affect Lincoln Park. Without the dam, water won’t pool and the park’s waterways might dry up. 'You would think as a hardcore fisherman I would be for removing the dam. I’m very much against removing the dam, and this is going to choke me up a little. That dam serves Lincoln Park and Lincoln Park is part of our county park system and it will absolutely gut Lincoln Park and the people that have Lincoln Park will not have that type of water available to them,' Apple says."


I have met Mr. Apple. He is a kindly, thoughtful man, just the sort of person one would expect to hear on NPR.

Open letter from Glendale Alderman Richard W. Wiese

This is part of a letter that Glendale's 4th District Alderman Richard Wiese wrote to County Supervisor Theodore Lipscomb. Alderman Wiese is graciously allowing me to quote from it.
"I am a life long resident of Milwaukee’s North Shore. In my early years, I fondly remember renting a row boat and rowing around the Lincoln Park lagoon and Milwaukee River with my Grandfather and Father, plus fishing in the river along numerous points in Lincoln Park, catching many large fish.
You will also note a photo that I have included with this letter that was taken by an ancestor of mine(F. Bischoff) in 1893. He took photos throughout Milwaukee County, particularly in the emerging parks. One of the photos he took clearly shows Estabrook Park and the Milwaukee River, and is identified as Estabrook Park in his own hand note at the top of the page, which based on the date precedes the establishment of the Milwaukee County Park system, and is therefore potentially a City of Milwaukee park, with the Board of Park Commissioners established in 1889. This photo shows 5 men in a row boat and several fishermen clearly in the background. Further in the background is the railroad trestle, the supports of which still stand, and was the line going into what is now the Glendale Technology Park.
A close inspection of the photo shows the top edge of the natural dam beneath the trestle, which created the wide still water lake (now referred to as the impoundment) that the people in the photo are clearly enjoying. As this photo was taken before any governmental intervention in the river, this was clearly the natural flow of the river. Oddly enough, it seems that fish were making it into this section of the river without any assistance from special interest groups. Taking a walk along the river today, accessed by the stairs that are to the south of Picnic Area 5, you can still see the original banks of the river along the western side of the river, which are a substantial distance from the current river pathway.


The natural condition of the river in 1893 resulted in an area of natural beauty and wide quiet waters. From other photos in this collection, I believe that the boat in the photo is a rental item, which indicates that this section of the river was an active recreational area. Many of the people speaking at last night's meeting [March 24th] continued to emphasize the need to “return the river to its natural condition”. I believe that this photo shows that the levels of the river today when the dam is closed closely match those of the original river. It does not appear that the river was the narrow fast moving channel that many of the presenters alluded to...
The waters above the Estabrook Dam have provided beauty and recreational opportunities for generations of Milwaukee County residents. If the dam were to be removed, it would be a tragic loss to the citizens of Milwaukee County, the City of Milwaukee, and the citizens of Glendale."


Respectfully,
Richard W. Wiese
4th District Alderman
City of Glendale

In otter words...

I love the English language. Words, their shape and sound: their proper and improper usage, whether in Standard English, AAVE, "Milwaukee Sous'ide" talk, or the way new learners of English sound when first becoming confident; words on a printed page or on a computer screen; letters masterfully arranged on a Scrabble board; words carefully chosen and artfully spoken. I love it all.


Here are some of my favorite quotes from the Estabrook Park Dam Public Hearing on the 24th.


"...the most freshest body of water in the world!" -The Harbormaster, speaking of The Great Lakes


"...the trees and debris and the flooding upstream" -neighbor/dam supporter (I want to note that she pronounced it "dabreeze" which added to its poetry- try saying it aloud.)


"Urban rivers must be considered in the context of the city which they run through." -Riverkeeper


Ah, yes- me gusta mucho el ingles.

Bradley Center bailout

So...now Governor Doyle is seeking $5 million in state bonding support to upgrade the Bradley Center.
In a statement, Ulice Payne Jr., the chairman of the Bradley Center board of directors, said, "the time has come for the state and the people of Wisconsin to invest in its successful future."


"In the meantime, the building is in need of an upgrade and maintenance, according to a fact sheet distributed by the Bradley Center. The lengthy list includes: outdated mechanical and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment; an outdated scoreboard; a deteriorating roof and exterior façade; an obsolete hockey rink system; outdated event production technology; aging and inefficient lighting; and a significant number of seats that need to be replaced or refurbished."
So, as a taxpayer, I should pay for the future of the Bradley Center- which I don't use, but about which I distinctly remember the 'hundreds of dollars for Hannah Montana tickets' phenomenon from January 2008- but not repairs for the Estabrook Dam, which I do use?

Underwood Creek

One thing I have pointed out more than once is that the Estabrook Dam impoundment does not alter any watershed, in the sense that the water from this part of the Milwaukee River basin gets to exactly where it is supposed to go- Lake Michigan. It's detained for awhile, but I'm late for just about everything too, so I'm not really in a position to judge here.
On the other hand (according to this March 22, 2009 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article), being considered at this very moment is a project to divert Lake Michigan water into a neighboring watershed (Waukesha), using it for swimming pools, lawn-watering, and golf courses (as well as household and business use), and then "pouring all the city's treated wastewater into a small stream in Wauwatosa." Underwood Creek, already prone to flooding, which leads into the Menomonee River, also prone to flooding, would bear the burden of handling Waukesha's used and treated water. (Picture is from an online MMSD brochure- section of Menomonee River in Hart Park, which flooded heavily in the late 90's.)
I found these statements from Biebel, the SEWRPC engineer,particularly interesting- "If the discharge is 10 million gallons a day, that is not a significant flow. That would add just a few inches in depth and not much in velocity." He then went on to explain- the article quoted him indirectly here- "Waukesha could avoid adding to extreme flows in the creek during heavy rain storms, and filling the basin more quickly than planned, by shutting off the discharge. The city could pour its treated wastewater into the Fox River at those times."

"Though the Fox River is outside the Great Lakes basin, Waukesha likely could discharge to it several days a year without violating the requirement for returning as much water to Lake Michigan as it withdraws, Biebel said". The discharge pipe would most likely be located just north of Bluemound Road, by 124th street, just inside the Great Lakes Basin again. Have I mentioned that the project is likely to cost $60-70 million? Does that put the dam repair money into perspective?


A project like this requires the consent of each of the eight Great Lakes states. This is a regional issue.

Poli Sci 102

It was an honor to be able to speak at the Parks, Energy, and Environment Committee's public hearing re: the dam last night. As I like to remind people, "It's not enough just to vote- be a part of the political process." Elected officials represent their constituents- let them know how you feel about issues that are important to you.


I had the opportunity to talk to Supervisor Broderick on a more casual level after the hearing and was impressed with his intelligence and his willingness to listen to and consider all sides of an issue before coming to a conclusion, and his respect for people's differing opinions.


I thought there would be more media and fewer cops last night, though. Also, I worried that it would be more out of hand. So despite a few outbursts from the "pro-dam crowd," it still went more smoothly than I had dared to hope. The whole thing was even kind of fun!

Hooray- votes are in!

Well, the poll closed- votes are in. Results: Yes (remove the Estabrook Dam)- 2 votes, or 14%; No (leave the dam in), 13 votes, or 86%. So the dam stays- hooray!


Haha, just kidding- it was a completely biased poll of readers of this blog, the subset of those people that noticed the poll, and the subset of those who chose to vote. Oh, well. See you tonight for "politics in action" including TV crews, County Board Supervisors, and all manner of interested parties! The excitement builds...


Tonight, Tuesday March 24th, at 6:00 pm
Public Hearing on Estabrook Dam of the Parks, Energy and Environment Committee
Harbor Lights Room, Downtown Transit Center, 909 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI (just off Lake Drive)

Clean hydro power, revisited

Here is a portion of the original permit for the Estabrook Dam from 1937. I have seen this misquoted elsewhere (in fact Mr Helm misquoted it as a comment on this blog), so I thought I would set the record straight. The permit has no exact definition of what the hydro capabilities would be, but note that it is indeed noted to be more than 50 theoretical horse power for 50% of the time.

The dam would have been capable of creating clean hydro power from the get-go, but would have been subject to additional regulations, as in the Wisconsin statute below:

"31.09 Proposals to accompany applications. Each applicant for a permit to construct, operate and maintain a dam for the purpose of developing power or for the purpose of aiding in the development of power by other dams through the creation of reservoirs or otherwise, and each applicant for a permit to construct, operate and maintain a dam for any other purpose whatsoever, which is capable of developing 50 theoretical horsepower or more available for 50% of the time throughout the year, shall file with an application for a permit, in addition to the requirements of s. 31.05 or s. 31.07, as the case may be, the following proposals..."

Red-tail hawk

I took advantage of the beautiful weather today and got out my kayak, going up Lincoln Creek to just past the abandoned St. Michael's Hospital building. This hawk let me get within 20 feet, occasionally pausing his dinner to glance in my direction.


The water was just deep enough to get through the northwestern part of the river in Lincoln Park to the confluence, but I scraped bottom in more than a few places. Without the dam, such a trip would be impossible during any of the summer months. These birds of prey have been around for at least the past two summers; they do live on the river when the water is high, as do the herons that seem to be more abundant every year, catching fish in the park.