Nov. 6, 2023 2p
From Root-Pike WIN:
Root-Pike WIN and Racine County are thrilled to announce that the creation of the new open-water wetlands in Cliffside Park will begin this week. (Click here for the video.)
The wetlands are being improved to support habitat for migratory birds along the Lake Michigan River fly way.
Funding for the wetland work is being generously provided through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Support for the project developer - Root-Pike WIN - is also being provided by the Fund for Lake Michigan and Microsoft.
Site preparation began on June 7, 2023 and continued over the summer with work to completed by the end of August. The project includes brush mowing, invasive species treatments, and site excavation for new wetland habitat.
Migratory birds rely on these open-water wetland “stopovers” for food, rest, and mating. Without their basic needs at these stopovers, imperiled birds and waterfowl are further stressed and strained, which perpetuates their decline.
Open-water wetlands and diverse native vegetation will recreate the ideal habitat in Cliffside Park for threatened and endangered bird species like the Red Knot (Calidris canutus), Piping Plover, (Charadrius melodus), and Whooping Crane (Grus americana).
The Cliffside Park wetland and upland restoration project addresses the need to open five acres of “highly critical” wetlands, known as “#ID22” in the EPA/DNR-approved Nine-Key Element Wind Point Watershed Restoration Plan (2017).
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