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HomeMy WebLinkAboutshoreland restoration Millers BayW RAW11 1/21/2009 Shoreland Restoration in Miller's Bay Winnebago County shoreland restoration on Lake Winnebago, Neenah. Planting in year two. (Source: Chad Casper) I. PROPOSAL The Oshkosh Parks Department is proposing a shoreland restoration project between the trail and the lake in Miller's Bay. The project consists of two components: a demonstration area at the base of Ames Point, and, as funding becomes available, extension of the restoration area along the entire Bay. The Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) supports this restoration project and has suggested expanding the project to include a natural area of approximately 2 to 3 acres where Menominee Drive and Hazel Street merge. Demonstration Area The demonstration area will be located in Miller's Bay between the trail and the lake beginning at the base of Ames Point and extending west and then southwest along the shore approximately 420 feet. Miller's Bay. Red bar represents initial restoration area. Arrow indicates future expansion. Proposed is a native vegetative buffer about 35 feet in width. Terrestrial plants will be planted on the shore and aquatic plants at the water's edge. Bill Sturm, Oshkosh Parks Department, is working with staff from the Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department on the project. The buffer will be planted in spring 2010 with plugs at a cost of approximately $1 a square foot. The county is providing technical assistance in addition to 70 percent of the cost through its shoreland restoration program. Expansion Project Depending on the success of the demonstration project, the Parks Department anticipates eventually extending the buffer between the trail and the lake along the entire length of the Bay to the moorings in Menominee Park. Within this larger project will be openings to allow access to the lake. The demonstration site will serve as a nursery for the expansion project. The timetable and size of the expansion will depend on available non - municipal funding from grants and private sources Natural Area As part of this project, discussions by members of the SAB with Bill Sturm helped identify a 2 to 3 acre parcel where Hazel Street and Menominee Drive merge for a larger natural area. This size parcel can offer more plant variety than a 35 -foot strip, interesting walking paths, and educational signage about aquatic plants and animals and storm water issues. It can also provide an alternative experience in an urban park and demonstrate how local residents can use native plants on their own property. Additionally it would provide ample opportunity for schools and community groups to become involved in shoreland restoration and creation of a natural area. The site is already screened from the street by six large pine trees and numerous deciduous trees, thereby reducing or eliminating the issue of diminished lake views for nearby home owners. The site also is not conducive to recreational use. It is often extremely wet with standing water and highly used by gulls and geese, resulting in the regular presence of bird feces. Recent municipal storm water management initiatives have identified this area as a potential site for the Melvin Street pumping station. This large facility would serve as a pump and processing facility for area storm water diversion. Proposed plans indicate building the facility by June 2010. If this initiative were to occur, the facility could easily be incorporated into the nature area plans, and could add further incentive for the development of this area as a native shoreland plot. A possible option would be to incorporate a retention pond on the site to reduce the size of the pumping station. If this were not feasible, a small demonstration pond to show how retention ponds can attractively fit into a landscape would be an option. Natural areas of this type are becoming increasingly common in large urban parks. Winnebago County has incorporated multiple prairies into its Community Park, which can serve as a model for this proposed project. Other nearby natural areas /restored prairies are located at Paine Gardens, Sheldon Nature Area and Sullivan's Woods —all somewhat less accessible than Menominee Park. Sustainability Advisory Board for a natural area Miller's Bay proposed large natural area. A portion of the parcel at Menominee Drive and Hazel Street proposed by the II. BACKGROUND Millers Bay is a 140 acre shallow bay on the west shore of Lake Winnebago surrounded by Menominee Park. In recent years it has been plagued by nuisance levels of aquatic plants hampering navigation. With funding from the DNR, in 2008 the city contracted with Onterra Ltd. to conduct an aquatic plant study and recommend a plant management plan. Onterra found the Bay to support a dense, low diversity plant community indicative of the disturbed area in which it exists. Disturbances were attributed to intensive use of motor craft and the surrounding urban environment—mostly maintained as a manicured lawn, with the remainder paved parking lots and trails. Onterra looked at alternatives to address control of aquatic plants in the navigation channel and recommended purchasing a weed harvester. They also suggested addressing the urban environment through a shoreland restoration project. Onterra did not present details, but rather advised that this area would benefit from such a project. Similarly, the city's newly drafted Vision Plan recommends native vegetative buffers between all waterways and impervious surfaces outside the downtown area. In addition, the Oshkosh Comprehensive Plan states that the city will work with local units of government and agencies to protect local natural and environmentally sensitive resources such as our water and shoreland (Natural Resource Vision in Comprehensive Plan, p. 172). III. SHORELAND RESTORATION What is a shoreland restoration project? Shoreland restoration is generally described as creating a natural area to replace manicured lawn to the shoreline. It is a buffer zone between land and water, serving as a home to a large diversity of plants and animals and protecting water quality. Scientific studies have shown numerous benefits of shoreland restoration: • Reduces shoreline erosion caused by wind and recreational boat traffic • Acts as a filter strip to prevent sediment, lawn fertilizer, pesticides and other urban runoff from reaching the lake • Deposits natural debris into water, improving fish habitat • Saves money, time and energy needed for mowing and lawn maintenance • Creates a biological barrier to deter Canada geese • Provides a seasonal array of colors, textures, aromas and continual wildlife activity Native plants are recommended for restoration sites. They have extremely deep root systems effective for stabilizing lake banks and absorbing rain runoff during storms. They are well adapted to our climate, requiring no herbicides or pesticides. Once established, native plants require little maintenance. Recommended buffers are a minimum of 35 feet. Shoreland restorations are used in a variety of settings. In a park, they generally employ trees, low growing bushes, grasses and forbs, with winding paths. On the water's edge they employ low - growing native terrestrial and aquatic plants. UW- Extension recommends five tasks that need to be accomplished before breaking ground: review shoreland regulations, examine existing conditions, prepare a site plan, determine site type and choose plant species. IV. GRANTS In our area, two grant programs, one offering a maximum of $20,000 and the other $100,000, offer the most potential for funding this project. Each requires a local share. Technical assistance is also available. Opportunities for other grants will be explored. A. Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department. Bill Sturm has already sought assistance from this program. For vegetative buffers, Winnebago County LWCD provides cost sharing of up to 70 % for eligible projects. Maximum amount is $20,000. County conservation staff also provide technical assistance in planning, design and supervision of project installation. The program is ongoing. The county has used this program to work with a number of landowners on successful shoreland restoration projects for the Winnebago Pool lakes. These projects are available for viewing by appointment. B. Wisconsin DNR. This might be the chief funding source for the larger project. The Wisconsin DNR offers grants for shoreline habitat restoration. Maximum grant amount is $100,000. Grants are based on 75% of the total eligible project costs not to exceed the maximum grant amount. Next grant cycle is due May, 2010. Eligible project costs include: • Development of plans, specifications and environmental assessment, including pre- and post- engineering and design costs. • Construction, earth moving, or structure removal costs. • Native plant stock or seeds for re- establishing vegetation. • Public meetings and education and promotional materials, mailing and similar costs related to the distribution of information about restoration. • Necessary monitoring in order to measure success in achieving the ecologic function of restoration activities. • Labor costs required to carry out activities identified in the grant agreement. • Other costs determined by the DNR necessary to carry out a successful shoreline habitat restoration. • Water regulatory permits required for the project. Restoration sites must meet minimum dimensional standards and other requirements as specified in s. NR 191.24(3) for cost - sharing restoration work (35 foot buffer minimum). Cost sharing for technical assistance and design assistance is eligible for any site. Costs not eligible include the costs of environmental clean up, stairs, walkways, or piers. It is not possible to request an advance payment in this project category. However, it is possible to submit partial payment reimbursement requests accompanied by a progress report during the project. (The DNR also offers small scale planning grants of $3000 for which this project might be eligible) V. ISSUES Area residents are accustomed to manicured lawns in parks and to the waters edge. They have limited knowledge of natural shorelines, including the benefits and appearance of native, restored shorelines. Mention of a shoreland project during a SAB meeting generated an irate call from a Menominee Drive resident. Discussion with one Council member indicated a lack of knowledge about the value or need for a shoreland restoration project. Among concerns are: • The perception that all portions of land adjacent to Miller's Bay are used frequently by area residents for recreational purposes; • The perception that change has bad effects. Menominee Park area residents objected to increased use of the Bay area as soccer fields and conducted a long fight in opposition to the recently installed fishing pier. Previous mention of natural areas along the shoreline generated multiple phone calls to the Parks Department. • The perception that buffers are unkempt and messy. • The perception that buffers interfere with views of the lake and thereby reduce property values. • The perception that nothing can improve water quality because it is caused by waterfowl droppings. • The feeling that public funds should be spent on more urgent needs. These issues are generally addressed through education, demonstration projects, and use of grants and donations to cover costs. The proposed demonstration project near Ames Point is in a section of the Bay highly used by pedestrians, so it should have good visibility. Also, numerous trees have already been planted in the vicinity, so no view will be blocked. With appropriate signage and maintenance, it is anticipated this site will not stir up much controversy. The site will serve as a nursery for the larger project that will progress along the Bay as non - municipal funding becomes available. Successful projects often promote the ability of a buffer to thwart geese, provide educational aspects for a conservation curriculum, and offer numerous opportunities for the community to become involved. With two public schools nearby, a University already looking at restoring its shoreline, a community with the largest number of conservation groups in the state, and a city planning for increased sustainability, it is anticipated this project will be able to overcome many of the negative perceptions. VI. PROPOSED ACTION PLAN In September 2009 the SAB's Water Working Group met with Bill Sturm, Oshkosh Parks Director, at the Miller's Bay site to discuss the scope of the restoration project and determine what role the SAB could play. It was generally agreed the Parks Department would address the technical components; the Water Working Group would assist with educational, political and funding components. It was also agreed that Bill would present the shoreland restoration proposal to the SAB sometime in early winter. In January 2010 Bill presented the proposal to the SAB and, at its February 2010 meeting, the SAB approved the Proposed Action Plan. It also recommended forwarding this paper to the Parks Board and various city staff for their consideration. Estimated Time Line Winter 2010 — The Parks Department expands Onterra's work by developing a vegetation management plan for Miller's Bay to include the shoreline restoration project and aquatic plant control. At the same time they work with county staff to complete a preliminary site design for the demonstration site between the trail and Lake Winnebago from Ames Point 420 feet south. The Water Working Group assists the Parks Department in planning for the educational, political and funding component of the larger project. If the Melvin Street pump station is to be built in summer 2010, planning would also begin for the 2 to 3 acre natural area. • Spring, Summer 2010 - The Parks Department, with technical and funding assistance from Winnebago LWCD, installs the demonstration project. The Water Working Group will monitor progress and begins implementation of the education plan. • Summer 2010 - The Parks Department staff and the Water Working Group meet with DNR to review grant potential for larger project, including the 2 to3 acre Menominee/Hazel parcel. • Summer 2010 through Fall 2011 - The Water Working Group works with the Parks Department on community education campaign as needed. This may include a Council workshop, project brochure, neighborhood /public meetings, media coverage, tours of demonstration area, outreach to community and University groups, etc. • Winter 2011 - The Parks Department works on a DNR grant application and matching funds for May 1, 2011 submission. The Water Working Group solicits commitments for match, labor and other help from service, conservation, garden and school groups and continues with education program.. • Spring/Summer 2011 — Depending on funding availability, the Parks Department initiates installation of the larger project, including the 2 to 3 acre Menominee/Hazel parcel. VII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The following sites provide detailed information concerning shoreland restoration, including the benefits, the recommended procedures, and existing funding sources. www.uwex.edu/ces/shoreland www.wclwed.org/wgip.htrn http: / /dnr.wi. og v/org/ water /wm /dsfm /shore /restoration.htm Photographs of shoreline restoration projects: