TELL YOUR COUNTY SUPERVISOR TO SUPPORT FISH PASSAGE IN KLETZSCH PARK!

The Kletzsch Park Dam Fish Passage Project is on the Parks, Energy, and Environment Committee Agenda for next Tuesday January 28, 2020.  The action item requests County Board authorization to pursue detailed design and construction of the final Kletzsch Park fish passage concept in accordance with community feedback and the concept development process that has taken place. There would still be opportunity to make design tweaks to address community concerns (the plans are at 30% completion), while allowing the project to move forward.

This project would improve passage for native fish that can’t get past Kletzsch Falls (during most flow conditions) so that they can access upstream spawning habitats, and is a critical project toward restoring fish and wildlife populations in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. The project also improves stream access and safety for paddlers that need to portage the Dam.

Please contact the Supervisors on the Parks, Energy, and Environment Committee by Tuesday, as well as your County Supervisor. Contact information for the County Board can be found here.

We believe a FISHABLE future for the Milwaukee River Basin is possible. To ensure we have healthy, flourishing native fish populations we need to address barriers to fish passage. One such hurdle for some of our native fish is the Kletzsch Park Dam. This type of river restoration opportunity does not present itself often, and it is rare that scientists, elected officials, government agencies, community groups, AND funding sources all come together around a project.

While providing a fish passage around the dam would not fully restore the natural ecology to the river, it would allow us to retain the “Kletzsch Falls” that many in the community love, while still achieving our vision of FISHABLE rivers for everyone.

Read our letter to the County Board HERE, signed on by:

• Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Ozaukee County Planning & Parks Ozaukee County Fish Passage Program
• Riveredge Nature Center
• Urban Ecology Center
• Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Foundation-Milwaukee
• Wisconsin Federation of Great Lakes Sport Fishing Clubs
• Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Club – Ozaukee
• Wisconsin Trout Unlimited
• MIlwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

This project is a priority habitat project for the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.  You can learn more about restoration and remediation work happening to improve water quality in the Milwaukee River Basin here.