GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary could get major restoration work soon. The city-run park has served as a wildlife rehabilitation and educational facility for 90 years.
“We’re going to be doing a very large scale over 550 acres of habitat restoration, including forest, grassland, wetlands and water quality,” said Green Bay Conservation Corps Coordinator, Maria Otto.
60% of the project is designed right now.
GEI Consultants shared these renderings of designed shoreline and wetland improvements.
The city and the DNR received Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant funding for construction plans. Once construction begins, Otto says it would take three years to complete.
“So, starting with invasive species removal, improving the culvert access and water flow for water quality, and then putting in native plants and seeding,” said Otto.
The planned restoration work includes:
- Planting native trees, shrubs, and other young plants to improve biodiversity
- Improving shoreline naturalization along a portion of the sanctuary’s lagoon system
- Converting portions of low-quality emergent marsh, hardwood swamp, and inland open water habitats into high-quality emergent marsh, wet meadow, and shrub carr
- Repairing existing culverts to improve water flow between lagoons
- Invasive species management to improve habitat diversity
Otto says the project will bring back native communities invasive species pushed out. She added that volunteers can help restore the park.
“Some of the native planting and seeding will actually be large community volunteer days to invite the community to come out and really engage and kind of get their hands dirty in helping protect this park for everyone,” said Otto.
Jim Hutchison says he loves the restoration plan. Though he’s Green Bay’s District 2 Alderperson, he spoke to us as a parent and grandparent who wants to share more memories with his family at the park.
“I brought my kids here when they were small and they’re now 35 to 45. They’re going to bring their kids here when they visit, hopefully, and it’ll be back to where it was way back when,” said Hutchison.
Hutchison expects a major transformation.
“In the next year or two when this thing takes place, you’ll see a difference. Come see it now and then come see it in a couple of years and you’ll go, ‘Whoa’,” said Hutchison.
Otto says she expects a full cost estimate by the end of this calendar year and for construction to begin in early 2028.
The EPA lists Green Bay as an “Area of Concern.” That’s because the area has “beneficial use impairments” such as fishing and swimming restrictions. The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary project is one of 12 “Area of Concern” projects in Green Bay.
