Funding: Woolpert Inc. in support of the NOAA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Partner: Wisconsin Wetlands Association.
Committee Overlap: Natural & Beneficial Functions.
The Wisconsin Wetland Association (WWA) has witnessed that not all wetlands are created equal. There is direct and indirect loss of wetland storage across Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Basin in northern Wisconsin. Wetlands and floodplains in the region have become degraded losing their filtration properties and/or storage capabilities due to development, agricultural drainage and/or erosion-induced incised channels resulting in disconnected wetlands and floodplains.
The overall goals of this project are 1) identify and prioritize degraded wetlands and floodplains for restoration and mitigation activities aimed at reducing flood losses while protecting or restoring the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands and floodplains; and 2) develop a transferrable and replicable process and strategy that can benefit other impaired watersheds around the Great Lakes region.
The project will follow a scenario-based approach utilizing a range of models and assessments including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, functional assessments, risk and vulnerability assessments and benefit-cost analysis looking at current and future conditions in the watershed.