USGS Multimedia Gallery: (Video)--Making Watershed Action Teams Successful

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Paul: It was actually two years ago when we

started meeting and forming this organization

of the exact structure and the people to staff

it had not yet fully worked out, and the

district consultant was just in the process

of putting their plan together and

contributing just tons and tons and tons

of management data that was broken down by watershed.

Faith: And the areas or whatever…

Paul: Right, the areas that, the watersheds

that we're working in now. I think the

biggest step that this group is taking is

that we've acknowledged that the watersheds

don't know any governmental boundaries and so,

we're crossing those boundaries, and

we're taking it as, what is contributing to

the river's pollution, not just from a

community or one arbitrary manmade boundary,

but the natural boundary itself. And that's

what that's been…just monumental to take

that approach. So now we've got people on

the ground, people that live in those areas

and know the areas and can help identify

where pollution has the potential of coming

from or it's definitely coming from and

that's going to help us target these projects

that we're now two years into the process now.

We recognize what the water quality issues

are from the previous study, and now we can

go into those watersheds and identify

what the problem is.

And that targets the public's money. It's

a better use of the government money. So

hoping we get some meaningful and most

important, measurable results out of doing

those projects. I see water quality benefit,

chemistry benefit, habitat benefit, and recreational-use benefit.

Faith: Have you seen with the citizens that

live nearby the river, do they have more of

an ownership as the process is developed,

do you see that kind of growing or awareness

that they have this resource that maybe

they can take advantage of more in terms

of whether is recreation or just tying in more to that?

Paul: It's been an interesting mixed of

folks that have come to these meetings.

Many of them have their own motivations.

The fishing group wants to see habitat

improved. The canoe and kayak group

would like to see access and recreational and…

Faith: It's a big topic on the Menomonee?

Paul: Very big, very well utilized.

And then, there's the local residents

that just want to see improvement in

the overall, what's the right word, I

guess the local residents just want to

see a beautification of that area that

affects their own property values. A lot

of senior citizens have been very active

in helping out and volunteering. It's been a great mix.

Faith: It sounds like you have a great group down there.

Paul: Yes, we do. We do. And some of

the communities are more invested in

the process as well. It's good to see

them get involved. We get a lot of support.

Faith: Do you at GRAEF, are you the

facilitators also for coordination for

activities or how does that work or is

that yet to be developed as you get into the plan more?

Paul: At this point, it's not a paid position.

We're volunteers like everybody else but

the local residents bring their local

anecdotal accounts and knowledge of the

area. We have some technical experts

that can help make that contribution

and the decisions of projects and what

not. It's a mix of everybody helping out.

So far, we're on a voluntary basis. We

support the cause, we support the

organization, and we see good things coming out of it.

Faith: Do you do as far as like the

data that gets collected and stuff,

is that done through counties…keep

track of that, within their systems or,

I was thinking like as, any kind of monitoring data…?

Paul: The MMSD right now has extensive

monitoring in place and more going in

and some of it can be accessed online

in real time which is just tremendous.

But they've been the impetus of giving them

measurable results and the measurable status

where we are right now. And that's the criteria

that'll be used in the future as well. We run

a real wide gamut, I think you just heard in the

meeting that there's parts of the Menomonee

that are, have very sensitive, and developed habitat and ecosystems.

Faith: Yes, protection types.

Paul: Protection type measures and then there's

other ends of it that are just metal

sheet pile wall lined, and totally urbanized.

So it does really come down to this

sub-watershed. Each individual area has

to be judged on kind of its own merits.

It's not a one size fits all.

Faith: And wondering what's happening

in there, in that particular area?

Paul: Right. That's why is so important

to take each section on its own. Get the

people within that area to contribute as

to where the most benefit can come from.

Faith: Yes, and then they also get the

buy-in and can see the benefit side of

it of those benefits. That's neat.

Paul: It's neat. I grew up around the

Menomonee. I grew up in Wauwatosa and

we had quite a bit of discussion tonight

already about areas of Wauwatosa. And so

I got a little bit invested, a little

bit skin in the game, I'm on this one

too; so it's not just where where I work.

Faith: The only other watershed plan,

I've been involved in some forested areas

in the northern part of the state, I know

that everybody's been doing their

watershed plans across the state. Just

the complexity of this one, and all the

entities involved is pretty daunting.

Paul: It is. I think…

Faith: And then all the issues.

Paul: I was going to Wauwatosa West

High School when we had our first, was

it ecology day, which is right along

the Menomonee and Wauwatosa, on Seventh Street.

And now we're reaching out to businesses

and asking them, would you please adopt

part of the river or take on a particular

action and make a contribution, a volunteer

contribution. There are a lot of businesses

that are environmentally minded or want

to make a claim that they're a green company

and that type of thing and contribute. So,

I'm hoping that we're going to get some

good response out of the business community as well.

Faith: That's a good resource.

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