Lake Michigan Shoreland Alliance
The watershed of Lake Michigan extends through
all or part of more than thirty counties in Wisconsin. From Chiwaukee
Prairie near the Illinois border to Washington Island off the tip
of the Door Peninsula, the coastal resources of eastern Wisconsin
represent some of the most scenic and ecologically valuable lands
in the state. These coastal sites are only as healthy as their
watershed, and planning for future conservation requires a strategic
regional perspective for the entire Lake Michigan Basin of Wisconsin.
Ecological Significance:
The Lake Michigan Basin
supports a unique and impressive array of biological diversity,
including many species that occur nowhere else in the world. The
sand dunes, coastal marshes, tall grass prairies, savannas, forests,
and fens all provide important habitat for this diversity of species.
The waters of the Lake Michigan Basin are also crucial, both for
wildlife and as resources for human use. Thousands of miles of
streams and rivers drain to the lake, creating valuable and vulnerable
riparian corridors. Lake Michigan itself, as the second largest
Great Lake, supports a large commercial and sport fishery and provides
drinking water and recreation to many communities.
Potential Threats: This watershed is developing rapidly as the urban areas in southeastern
Wisconsin spread northward and recreational pressure grows in areas
such as Door County. Poorly planned development could permanently
alter the watershed, destroying vital habitat and damaging the
water quality of Lake Michigan and the streams and rivers that
feed it. Another pressing threat is the spread of a variety of
invasive species, from gypsy moths to purple loosestrife, which
degrade natural habitat and harm native species.
Current Activities: The Lake
Michigan Shorelands Alliance (LMSA) is a collaborative group of
land trusts and conservation organizations working to protect land
and water resources in the Lake Michigan Basin. The Alliance was
formed in 2003, and has undertaken strategic conservation planning
for the Lake Michigan Basin watershed region. The Alliance has
identified eighteen Priority Conservation Sites, which
will be the focus of further conservation work.
The Great Lake Gatherings: Gathering
Waters and LMSA,
with support from the Joyce Foundation, will host a series of open
and collaborative forums in the Fall of 2008 called the Great
Lake Gatherings. The Gatherings will take place in four
priority communities along Lake Michigan where local initiatives
are beginning to shape conservation action and preserve these
unique shoreland and water
resources for future generations. For more information about the
Gatherings, visit www.greatlakegatherings.org.
For more information about the Lake Michigan Shorelands
Alliance, please contact:
Liz Walsh, Gathering Waters' Operations & Program
Coordinator, at (608) 251-9131 or liz [at] gatheringwaters.org
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