More Milestones for Lamparek Creek Restoration

The amount of time and resources it takes to restore an unhealthy stream is massive. Fortunately for Lamparek Creek, its redesign is nearly complete, and its impaired days are numbered.

As Microsoft‘s Mount Pleasant datacenter work progresses, so does their restoration design for the Lamparek Creek environmental corridor. We are excited to share some new updates and design details…

Lamparek Creek is getting this much needed attention because it is one of the most impaired and degraded streams in the Pike River watershed. The DNR/EPA-approved Pike River Watershed Restoration Plan (2013) has documented many issues with Lamparek Creek. The water quality surveys and habitat assessments concluded:

• High turbidity
• Poor stream width to depth ratio
• Exceeded total suspended solids criteria 50% of the time
• Exceeded dissolved oxygen exceeded criteria 29 out of 85 times
• Exceeded E. coli criteria 70 out of 85 times
• Poor macroinvertebrate community rating
• Fair habitat rating and channel condition ratings
• Very poor Fish and Macroinvertebrate (MI) community assessments

Transforming this dirty ditch to a clean creek became a joint initiative of Root-Pike WIN, the Village of Mount Pleasant, and Racine County in 2019. The partnership seeks an improved stream corridor, better water quality, and a greater sense of place within the development area. Microsoft joined this collaborative effort in 2023 to fund the entire restoration. The restoration will complete many of the site-specific recommendations from the Pike River Plan.

The Lamparek Creek stream corridor in the Village of Mount Pleasant is being restored by Microsoft.

Today, the design phase work by Stantec is nearly complete, and the “no-rise” model has been submitted for agency review. No-rise approval is essential in stream restoration because it ensures that the changes to the stream will not increase the flood levels of the surrounding area. The removal of non-native trees and brush is also taking place this spring. A forestry mower will be used to reclaim the stream buffer overrun with buckthorn, honeysuckle, and other aggressive brush species. This work is in preparation of the regrading and revegetation of the wetland and prairie areas needed for a healthy stream corridor. Having diverse and native plants along the stream corridor creates essential ecosystem services in an area that is rapidly developing.

Creative Reuse of Non-native Trees for Fish Habitat Non-native pine trees were cut in March and will be reused to stabilize the stream banks and create fish habitat. Root balls from cut trees play a crucial role in stream restoration by providing stable and natural structures within the waterway.

The design team is creatively reusing cut trees from the site. When strategically placed, these root balls create complex habitats for aquatic species, offering shelter, spawning areas, and protection from predators. They also help to stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion, and improve water flow dynamics, mimicking the natural ecosystem processes. This approach enhances biodiversity while supporting the ecological balance of the restored stream.

Reversing the Ditching, Straightening, and Berming is the Main Focus

Lamparek Creek was ditched, straightened, and bermed for agricultural purposes. Wetlands were drained. This project undoes these practices by re-meandering the channel and reconnecting the wetlands once again.

The new stream channel is designed to interact with secondary wetland channels, which provide critical spawning habitat for Northern Pike.

During dry periods, wetland scrapes like the one above can release stored water gradually, maintaining a more consistent flow in the stream channel. Building this features back into the Lamparek Creek will support aquatic habitats and reduce the risk of streambed drying. The connection between wetlands and secondary channels also creates diverse habitats for plants, animals, and aquatic species, further contributing to ecosystem health.

Creating and Connecting Secondary Channels to New Wetlands The new stream corridor design is almost complete. Here you can see how the stream’s course will be altered before it goes under the CP rail line, and how it will exit. Note the new secondary wetland channel on the left. This aerial of the existing single stream channel shows the lack of connection to historical wetlands.

Wetland scrapes attached to secondary stream channels act as natural storage areas for excess water during heavy rainfall or snowmelt. By temporarily holding this water, they slow down the flow into the main stream channel, reducing the intensity of peak flows (flashy conditions). This helps prevent erosion and downstream flooding. As water flows through these wetlands, sediments, nutrients, and pollutants are filtered out. Wetland vegetation and soil absorb and break down contaminants, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can otherwise lead to issues like algal blooms in downstream water bodies.

Re-meandering the Stream Channel in the Headwaters The design re-meanders, or “wiggles”, the straightened ditch and creates more headwater wetlands east of CTH H. Here is an aerial of the same section where you can see the straightened channel and the riparian buffer dominated by invasive reed canary grass.

Other enhancements to the stream corridor include floodplain re-grading to create more natural rises and falls of stormwater moving through the stream. Northern Pike spawning areas and in-stream habitat enhancements will also encourage more natural reproduction of a range of aquatic species.

Floodplain reconnection is crucial for a healthy Lamparek Creek ecosystem The cross-section view of the new spawning areas for Northern Pike.

The goal to reestablish Northern Pike spawning in the Pike River is ambitious, and the goal of bringing Brook Trout back to this area is even more challenging. However, this initiative is an important first step to improving stream habitat conditions for all native aquatic life. Other major factors that contribute to a healthy ecosystem includes water temperatures, consistent flows, and water quality. Therefore, flows from neighboring stormwater ponds and properties will need to be monitored and potentially adjusted.

Looking ahead, major restoration work is planned to begin in the second half of 2025, paving the way for a six-to-seven-month effort to rejuvenate the creek’s ecosystem. The effort to design and restore this one mile stretch of the Lamparek Creek will cost millions of dollars. Bravo again to Microsoft for being a strong community partner – striving to turn one of the worst streams in the Pike River watershed into one of the best!