Grafton dam referendum (squee!)

Well, it looks like the citizens of Grafton want to keep the Bridge Street Dam where it is. The binding referendum passed April 5th. "Should the village preserve the Bridge Street Dam until at least 2019, a state imposed deadline for demolishing, upgrading or replacing the structure."
1,685 people, or 75%, voted "Yes!" No votes came in at 573, or 25%.

The Riverkeeper is disappointed. “These dams are very expensive to maintain,” she said. “They’re not necessarily providing a lot of benefit other than recreational or aesthetic," noting that stimulus money could provide funds to replant the mud flats, to create a riverside green space with trails. I'll just note here that a year after the Estabrook Dam's been not damming the river by us, the riverside green and brown space is a swath of unstimulussed mud, weeds, and plastic bags.

Look here for some aesthetic possibilities.

Good for you, Grafton.

Birds on a wire

Birds suspended high over the Milwaukee River.

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.

Gloomy day

Ah, there's nothing like a chilly, gloomy day in August, eh?

I took these awhile ago and never put them up. They seemed kind of depressing, but I'll say "meditative" today.
Just a little something to think about- the juxtaposition of nature and our urban environment.
Plus, bridges just look awesome.

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).

More graffiti- much more.

I have no idea why I love graffiti as much as I do, but I do.

Graffiti adorns every bridge section on this train trestle.

I love the way color is layered upon layer here.

"Stop going over our (stuff) and we will stop going over yours."

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.

MRPA float

The Milwaukee River Preservation Association had a float in the Glendale Days Independence Day parade. "Fun was had by all!" The pontoon boat float came out beautifully. Most people were very receptive to us. Check out the photostream on Flickr! If you have more photos, send them via email at suzanney300 (at) yahoo.com and I can add them if you like- extra fun!!

Our float from the rear. I fell behind but got an ok shot out of it.

This kid had a blast tubing behind the float.

I wore my Statue of Liberty costume (with a "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirt underneath- since, after all, she is the first thing American that my Irish ancestors saw opon their arrival. Plus, it is green.)

I was immensely proud to be able to wear this costume, despite crown malfunction. I cropped it this way because of the Lincoln Park sign- I love that sort of juxtaposition.

I hope you enjoy the Flickr photostream for all the photos I got at the parade today. Sorry if I missed getting a shot of you, or didn't know your name to label you properly- I reassure you, it was unintentional! There are also some other shots from the parade so if you had to miss it, you can get some of the flavor, I hope.

Special thanks to Tammy for coming up with this fantastic idea and making it happen. Hopefully, our float will help us garner some support so that we can float again soon on the Milwaukee River.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free." And yes, I was tired after walking almost the whole parade route- but it was worth it.

Civil disobedience in action!!

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.

Back from the headwaters

Two goose families on Mauthe Lake.

Brain and I returned late last night from four days of camping by the headwaters of the Milwaukee River, in the Kettle Moraine. It was refreshing. We were blessed with fantastic weather. I slept better than I have in weeks. My camera is full of pictures of birds (though none of otters), and my imagination is full of possibilities.

"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

Photo by Allan Haas

Allen Haas took this photo of the river today. (Click on it twice to enlarge it- it really is quite evocative.) And to think, I was cursing the rain and fog today, instead of seeing beauty.

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.

River cleanup adventures

My general philosophy is that the best things in life just happen. So today, when the garden project that I showed up for (tools in hand) simply was not happening, I found myself signing up instead for a river cleanup (which was actually the original plan, but that's a whole other story) and getting into a canoe to paddle away with a man I had never met before. He not only turned out to not be a rapist/strangler, but was a pleasant and interesting companion who didn't mind stopping several times for photos, and from the same city (in a different hemisphere, no less) than a good friend of mine whom I meet weekly for - German alert!- kaffeeklatch. Between the two of us, we collected several bags worth of garbage. There were countless citizen volunteers out from KMGB, UEC, COA, and the Riverkeeper, enjoying the sunshine and just making the river, streets, and park a heck of a lot nicer looking.

Here's an "after" picture taken just south of the curve in North Avenue. The "before" picture would have been strewn with our detritus of human living. I am sure you can imagine it.

Regarding confluences

The word confluence, from the Latin words for "flow together," is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as "the flowing together of two or more streams." (It's a big dictionary. I won it a couple of years ago in a spelling bee, and feel obligated to use it sometimes.)
Here's a pic I took of DH in 2007 in Wyalusing State Park, overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. It kind of looks like I Photoshopped him in, which I wish I had so I could take him out for illustrative purposes, but alas. As you can see, there is a wetland there, a common occurance at confluences. It is a grand vista. You can also see the new Wal-Mart from the campground, lit up like the sun all freaking night, which is especially sad since it mars the stargazing (pun!); seriously, though, there is an observatory there, and an active astronomy club . (But that is a different topic entirely.) Instead, I wanted to point out some history of the confluence of the Milwaukee River and Lincoln Creek, in what is at this point in time Lincoln Park. There used to be an S-curve in the River and a similar marshy situation, though on a smaller scale. Back in the 1930's, the CCC undertook the project of straightening the river's curvacious natural path, scooping and shaping the marsh into islands. I tried to get a good shot to illustrate the way the soil has been scooped out. This is the southwest part of the area, looking northwest, near Green Bay Road in Lincoln Park.
The map at right, from
MIT libraries, shows Milwaukee in 1906. The circled area indicates what is now Lincoln Park. You can see the lack of development in that area; the map indicates it is marshy.


To reiterate what I said at the public hearing on the 24th of March, if a person wants to go live on a natural river, untouched by human hands, one could do so- perhaps in a remote part of Alaska or Canada, in a tent. One could peacefully fish there, view otters, and eat berries, unfettered by technology or society. I will not try to talk you out of doing so.

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

Public art, part III

This particular graffito always makes me smile. It's on the south side of the river on a defunct train trestle, just below the Estabrook Dam. Got the pic in January of 2008.

Cleaner waters bring more otters!

I found this article from the Boston Globe not only cute but very encouraging!


From the article:
"The day before New Year's Eve, Maury Eldridge was kayaking on the Charles River in Needham near the Dover line when he spotted a pair of slender brown animals sitting on a chunk of ice.

As he paddled closer, the pair of North American river otters dived into the water. A few moments later, they reappeared through a hole in the ice and stared right at Eldridge, who quickly grabbed his camera...

Eldridge was not the only one excited by the sighting. The Charles River Watershed Association hailed the documented presence of otters so close to Boston as a mark of important progress. "It is a sign of the health of the river," said Rebecca Scibek Wickham, outreach coordinator for the local environmental group. "From our perspective, this shows that the river is becoming cleaner, and it is able to support more wildlife."

Parks and Recreation

This photo below is by Eddee Daniel, author of the wonderful book Urban Wilderness: Exploring a Metropolitan Watershed. I bought an autographed copy last year, because I knew I would turn to it again and again. The photo was taken in Lincoln Park between the islands, on the impoundment, with the Estabrook Dam closed.
I believe strongly in the power of recreation, to create self-esteem, to build skills, to build a community. To learn about nature. (I worked for the Milwaukee County Special Rec department for a few years.) I believe that denied the opportunity for constructive recreation, people are more likely to turn their energies to what I will politely describe as more destructive pursuits. I also note that the Urban Ecology Center has publicly declined to take a stand on the dam position; they utilize the impoundment often, every summer.


Forget, for a moment, about the flood control; forget about the hydropower. Forget about the history and the all hard work that all the men from the CCC did during the last Depression.
We have something beautiful, people. Let's not let it slip away.