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The Evolution of Ulao Creek
Partnership |
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Past |
Present |
Future
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Past
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 1995 - Formation of the
Ulao Creek
Partnership.
July 1996 - Ulao Creek Assessment completed by Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources staff.
March 1997 - Village of Grafton stormwater management plan
completed.
April 1997 - Established
goals for Ulao Creek Partnership.
April 1997 - Adopted Land Registry Program with
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.
May 1997 - Ulao Swamp elevation survey conducted.
August 1997 - Ground broken for Wetland Restoration
Project on Wisconsin Electric Property.
November 1997 - Developed a plan for a Demonstration Project
(vegetation, water levels, & peat depth) in Swamp.
March 1998 - Received $3,000 grant from Riveredge Nature
Center to initiate creek water quality monitoring program.
April 1998 - Held Tour of Ulao Creek Watershed.
May 1998 - Town of Grafton adopts
Stormwater Management Plan
for Ulao Creek Watershed.
May 1998 - Hold Public Information meeting regarding Ulao
Creek Watershed.
December 1998 - Initiate development of long range Management
Plan for Ulao Creek Watershed.
December 1998 - Ulao Creek Partnership incorporated.
April 1999 - Implement Tamarack
Reforestation Project.
May 1999 - Held Citizen-Training Workshop on water quality
monitoring for Ulao Creek.
May 1999 - Began Ulao Creek Monitoring Program at five
sampling stations.
July 1999 - Started
Purple Loosestrife Eradication Project
utilizing beetles.
August 1999 - Consideration given to pursuing State Project
Area status.
October 1999 - Town of Grafton committee formed to research
Purchasing Development Rights.
April 2000 - Awarded River Protection Grant to do study the
watershed and catalog its flora and fauna. |
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Present
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Work on the River Protection Grant is now in progress. This grant
will allow us to collect baseline
vegetation
and water level
information to understand the hydrology and plant life of the Ulao
Swamp at the headwaters of Ulao Creek. We are initiating small
tree-restoration demonstration areas (such as with tamarack) that
will be monitored by our community volunteers with guidance from
the Ulao Creek Partnership. We are also gathering wildlife species
information relative to habitat conditions. The partnership would
like to identify a specific list of species, including those rare,
threatened, or endangered animals that occur, or could be present,
in the watershed. |
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Helping the Ozaukee
Washington Land Trust in cooperation with the
DNR to purchase conservation easements for the protection of the
Ulao Swamp and riparian corridors of Ulao Creek |
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Landowners participating in the Milwaukee River Priority Watershed
Program have installed grassed waterways, conservation tillage,
agricultural sediment basins, small wetland restoration projects and
stream bank fencing to prevent cattle from entering Ulao Creek. |
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The Ulao Creek Partnership received a $3,000 grant from Wisconsin
Electric through Riveredge Nature Center for a Water Quality
Monitoring
Program with landowner involvement. The monitoring program was
initiated in the Spring of 1999. One flume was installed at the
headwaters of Ulao Creek in the Ulao Swamp in cooperation with
Northern Environmental Technologies. Three more flumes have also been
installed at various reaches of Ulao Creek to measure base flow.
Citizens continue to do monthly monitoring of the watershed at
various locations. |
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Future
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Continue to grow our Restoration Program so we can initiate
several small-scale, Demonstration Projects. The Partnership
is committed to re-establishing diverse native woody plant
communities in the swamp. Several landowners in the Ulao Swamp
have already begun to reintroduce native woody species to areas
(0.5 to 2.0 acres) which span a wide range of the hydrologic
conditions and existing vegetation of the wetland. These areas
will be evaluated to assess various planting techniques and species
compositions. |
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The Ulao Creek Partnership supports Purchasing Development Rights
Programs and public education outreach efforts of the Town of Grafton
and City of Mequon. The Partnership has a strong interest in
promoting a successful PDR Program. |
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Involvement - Our active projects allow us to continue to train
Partnership members, volunteers and landowners to record and provide
valuable scientific data regarding restoration plantings and
management methods. They will be assisting to monitor the success of
the introductions. |
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Involvement of landowners, local school groups, and the community
in the creation and monitoring of the restoration and inventory
projects will provide the community with a keen interest in, and
ownership of, the long-term project. |
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