kratzsch property description
Post on 19-Jun-2015
203 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust
Mission:
To protect and preserve the natural areas, open spaces and rural character of Ozaukee and Washington Counties.
141 N. Main Street, PO Box 917, West Bend, WI 53095 Phone: 262‐338‐1794 Website: www.owlt.org
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust is a non‐profit conservation organization dedicated to preserving and restoring natural areas and wildlife habitat.
OWLT has protected over 4,100 acres in Ozaukee and Washington Counties including 15 owned properties and over 35 easements. Most of OWLT’s owned properties are open to the public for passive nature based recreation.
Kratzsch Property
Protecting the Milwaukee River in Washington County
Introduction The Kratzsch Property is located at the western edge of the Village of Newburg, approximately 5 miles east of West Bend in Washington County. Located within the Milwaukee River Watershed, a priority project area for the Land Trust, the property consists of 72.5 acres of farmland, wetlands and woodlands with approximately 2500 feet of frontage along the north bank of the Milwaukee River. The surface features of the property are characteristic of glacially formed landscapes, which include rolling topography and kettle depressions. The property contains a variety of habitat types, including 10 acres of wetlands, 24 acres of forests and 38 acres of grass and hay fields. Preserving this property will ensure the continued availability of high quality aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat in this area and add to the protected buffer around the nearby Riveredge Nature Center. Residential development in the surrounding areas is rapidly encroaching upon the Nature Center and the Milwaukee River. Preserving this area is important for restoring and maintaining the habitat associated with the river as well as the entire watershed. Properties such as this also improve water quality by providing a storage
buffer for flood waters and by filtering the water flowing into and through the river. Property Significance The river, wetlands and uplands associated with this property provide high quality wildlife habitat that deserves protection. Waterfowl use the river and marsh areas and songbirds use the lowland shrubs, wooded uplands and wetlands. In addition, this particular stretch of the Milwaukee River provides critical aquatic habitat that supports rare, endangered or threatened species, or species of “special concern” in the state.
The primary and very real threat to the natural values on this property is the increasing pressure for residential development. The 35 acre parcel to the north of the property was recently sold to a developer who is pursuing a zoning change to allow residential development. Also, the land to the west contains several homes constructed within the last 15 years. In addition, the Village of Newburg is looking to expand residential development to the west.
Acquisition and subsequent restoration of this property will increase the amount of protected habitat within this river corridor as well as facilitate wildlife access to isolated wetland and woodland areas on the adjacent uplands. The resulting mosaic of habitat types will enhance the availability of food and shelter resources of the wetlands, river, and uplands. Plant and animal life will have access to longer stretches of undisturbed waterways that include the associated floodplains and uplands. Preserving this property also furthers the goal of creating a protected corridor that will directly improve the water quality of the Milwaukee River through proper management of the wetlands and uplands adjacent to the river.
As a nature preserve, the site will provide low‐impact recreational, scientific research and educational opportunities for the general public. Special efforts will also be made to provide unique wildlife viewing opportunities. Hiking, walking, picnicking, skiing, canoeing, swimming, nature study, bird watching, service learning, and environmental education and research are all activities that the Land Trust plans to facilitate.
top related