Village, county agreement on watershed opens door to funding

Fredonia village trustees and the Ozaukee County Board have approved a Milwaukee River watershed agreement that would make federal funds available to improve water quality and wildlife habitat, preserve farmland and reduce runoff.

Known as the Fredonia-Newburg Area Watershed-Based Plan, the agreement recommends improvement projects in Ozaukee County parks and open spaces, farmland and local streams, including several in the Town of Fredonia.

The 276-page plan was developed to meet requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was spearheaded by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

It was approved by the Fredonia Village Board in January and the Ozaukee County Board this month.

By adopting the plan, neither the village nor the county are obligated to apply for grant funds or perform work on any of the recommended projects, according to a report submitted to the County Board.

At last week’s county Natural Resources Committee meeting, county Land and Water  Management Director Andy Holschbach said he hopes to continue working with an advisory committee to implement the plan.

“I’ve been around long enough to see these plans developed but nothing ever comes of them,” he said.

Holschbach said there are 10 “high-priority” sites in the watershed, many of them in the Town of Fredonia.

“Some of the needs identified for those sites are  nutrient management planning, vegetated filter strips along streams and tributaries, rotational grazing, waste management systems, no-till, cover crops and livestock fencing,” he said. 

The plan is the first of several that will cover the Milwaukee River watershed in Ozaukee  and Sheboygan counties.

Another plan already submitted to the EPA and state Department of Natural Resources but not yet approved potential improvements to the watershed of Cedar, Mole and Pigeon creeks, Holschbach said.

Future plans will include Sauk Creek, Sucker Brook and the Onion River, he said.