Planning for Lake Superior Coastal Communities

Douglas County, Wisconsin

The wetlands of Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Basin play a critical role in the overall health of the lake’s ecosystem and provide habitat for important species of fish and wildlife. Unfortunately, the streams that feed these wetlands are under pressure from development, logging, and agricultural activities, and many of the local communities lack the tools required to manage the development pressure and land cover change. This is compounded by their need to comply with Wisconsin’s Smart Growth legislation, which mandates communities to develop and adopt comprehensive plans by 2010.

With a grant from CICEET, a project team from the University of Wisconsin is working with land use decision makers in coastal Douglas County to evaluate the current and potential impacts of land cover change and development on natural resources as the first step in developing comprehensive plans. Team members are compiling and generating data on indicators of watershed health and the impacts of changes to impervious cover, forest cover, and hydrology. This information will enable planners to identify, prioritize, and manage areas critical to maintaining the health and quality of coastal resources.

The Lake Superior NEMO Program will conduct training sessions for the Douglas County comprehensive planning board, the GIS and zoning staff, the land conservation department and the county forestry staff. All maps, data and tools generated will be made available via the University of Wisconsin Extension Service website. Project results will be disseminated as part of an established on-the-water program to educate coastal community government officials, developers, and the public on the connection between land use and water quality.