Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust

Watershed Action Team Meeting A combined meeting of the Kinnickinnic River and Menomonee River Watersheds Monday, February 2, 2009 1:30 to 3:30 pm Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Offices 260 West Seeboth Street Milwaukee, WI 53204 Room OJ Noer A and B

Agenda and Minutes/Action Items 1. Welcome and Introductions

Bernadette Berdes welcomed attendees; introductions were made by those in attendance.

2. Continuation of Water Quality 101

Karen Sands presented the second half of the presentation tabled from the 12/8/08 meeting.

3. What is going on in Your Watershed? (5 minute overview of projects and activities by WAT members who volunteered to speak) Had short overviews from
Ben Gramling (Sixteenth Street Community Health Center), Marsha Burzynski (DNR), Ben Sykes (Foley & Lardner), Bruce Keyes (Foley & Lardner), Curt Bolton (City of Greenfield), Cheryl Nenn (Milwaukee Riverkeeper), Kae DonLevy (River Pulse), Gail Epping Overholt (UW-Extension), Gary Casper (Ozaukee/Washington County Land Trust), Chris Clayton (River Alliance of WI), Chris Magruder (MMSD) and Tom Chapman (MMSD). If you are interested in learning more on any of the topics presented at the meeting, please contact me and I will arrange to have a presentation at a future WAT meeting.

4. Nomination/Election of WAT Chairs

Ben Sykes/Foley & Lardner and Ben Gramling/Sixteenth Street Community Health Center were nominated prior to the meeting for chair of the KK River Watershed Action Team. Cheryl Nenn/Milwaukee River Keeper was nominated prior to the meeting and Gail Epping Overholt/UW-Extension was nominated at the meeting to be chair of the Menomonee River Watershed Action Team. There was no need for voting because Ben Sykes and Ben Gramling agreed to be cochairs of the KK River Watershed Action Team. Cheryl Nenn and Gail E. Overholt agreed to be co-chairs of the Menomonee River Watershed Action Team. The co-chair concept was presented to the WAT members, discussed, and the WAT members arrived at a consensus -- agreeing that the co-chair concept was acceptable for both the KK River and Menomonee River Watershed Action Teams for a period of one year.

Nominations closed on February 2, 2009. Voting will remain open until Feb. 10, 2009 at 10:00 am. If you have comments or concerns about the co-chairs concept or the WAT members who were nominated and agreed to be co-chairs, please call or email me.

5. Information Exchange (share up-coming events, workshops, seminars)

Feb. 7, 2009 - Southeast Wisconsin Woodland Owners Conference, Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Waukesha. For more information see: http://basineducation.uwex.edu/woodland/conference/oldpages/se06.htm . February 11, 2009 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - SWWT Executive Steering Council will meet on Wednesday at the Innovation Technology Center on Watertown Plank Road. February 11, 2009 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. - SWWT Science Committees Ad Hoc Modeling Committee will meet on Wednesday at the Great Lakes WATER Institute. February 26, 2009 - Working Lands Initiative Workshop, 2:30 4:30 pm, Town of Saukville Town Hall, 3762 Lakeland Road. For other locations and more information see http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/workinglands/workshops.jsp . March 12, 2009 - June 11, 2009 Milwaukee River Basin Rain Garden Fair sponsored by UW-Extension. For more information see http://milwaukee.uwex.edu/events . April 18, 2009 Milwaukee Riverkeeper Earth Day River Clean Up. For more information see http://www.mkeriverkeeper.org/ . June 13, 2009 Gathering Waters Festival, Lake Shore Park 10 am to 5 pm. See flyer attached to this email.

6. Recruitment
All names given to Karen Sands at the WAT meeting of December 8 will be contacted and invited to join the WATs. Bernadette Berdes is looking for neighborhood groups, church groups or any other group or individual that might be interested in caring for their watersheds. Please always keep recruitment in mind and send possible names to Bernadette by email.

7. Other 8. Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.