The Village of Caledonia and Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network invites you to learn about the new design plan for the restoration of a section of Turtle Creek.
Two public meetings will be held where residents along Turtle Creek will have the chance to view the restoration designs and provide feedback.
A public in-person meeting will be held on July 27, 2023 at 6pm and an in-person/virtual hybrid meeting will be held on August 1st at 6pm. Both will take place at the Caledonia Village Hall at 5043 Chester Lane. Virtual meeting information can be found at www.rootpikewin.org/calendar on the August 1st date.
European settlement beginning in the 1830s resulted in drastic changes to the fragile ecological communities as most of the old growth forests were cleared and then farmed. The large wetland areas west of Wind Point were also cleared and drained for farmland. Most streams were channelized and ditched to further drain water off the land. Today, this stretch of Turtle Creek, also known as Tributary G - Reach 3 and listed as “critical” in the Wind Point Plan, suffers common problems from more than 100 years of neglect. The lack of wetland, invasive dominated riparian buffers and flashy volume and velocity due to upstream development are common issues. Total suspended solids (TSS) values at the end of Reach 3 are three times higher than the general guidelines and E. coli values are more than seven times the guideline as reported in the EPA/DNR-approved Wind Point Watershed Restoration Plan (2016). The water quality data was gathered, analyzed, and reported by the City of Racine’s Health Department in 2015. With significant stream bank erosion, degradation of the riparian buffer and lack of pre-settlement wetland, the habitat, water quality and flood mitigation elements are of very poor quality. The impacts are a mere half mile from the outlet of Lake Michigan. This design addresses these issues.
The main design goals of the project are to stabilize the streambanks from further erosion, reduce the amount of stormwater pollutant loads to Lake Michigan, and improve the habitat for native species.
The Village of Caledonia and Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network have been working with the engineering firm RES to research, plan, and design for the restoration of Turtle Creek through grants from the Fund for Lake Michigan, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Whether you're curious to learn about Turtle Creek for the first time or have been involved along the way and are looking for an update, this meeting is for you.
If you have questions, feel free to call Tony Bunkelman at 262-835-6416 or email abunkelman@caledonia-wi.gov .