Lake Michigan Green Bay Approximate demarcation of Southern Basin West and Southern Basin East. Aurora • l NaperviJle lollet Southern Basin West is the area in the southwest portion of Lake Michigan, which corresponds to the South Chippewa basins. The area is comprised of Illinois, including the metropolitan Chicago area, and parts of Wisconsin north to Milwaukee. Southern Basin West has a high level of urbanization with a heavily developed shoreline and very high road and housing density. Most of the shoreline has some sort of hardening; however, 78% of the remaining natural elements are considered high quality. This region contains open dunes, coastal bluffs and ravines, prairie, interdunal wetlands, and southern mesic and dry-mesic forest. Many priority rare plant and animal species are found here, and it is an important area for migrating songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl. Waters of Southern Basin West support a diverse and unique aquatic community, such as glacial relic cold water species of invertebrates and fish. Illinois' nearshore waters contain numerous rocky shoals and are important spawning habitat for native and non-native species, such as Yellow Perch and Alewife. Important offshore habitat includes Julian's Reef, an important deep water reef located about 12 miles off the coast of Fort Sheridan, that is utilized by Lake Trout for spawning. The Lake Michigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) is a collaborative, adaptive management program where federal, state, tribal and local governments along with other partners work together to protect and restore Lake Michigan. The LAMP shares responsibility for implementing many aspects of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), which seeks to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Waters of the Great Lakes." One commitment under the GLWQA is to develop and implement lakewide liabitat and species protection and restoration strategies. Collaboration among partners in the Southern Basin West area is needed to implement key actions that will maintain and increase the viability of biodiversity and abate identified threats to biodiversity. For simplicity, the Southern Basin was divided into East and West at the Illinois/Indiana state line, but the ecosystem is not as neatly organized, and partners will need to work together across the East- West boundary. Threats to Biodiversity In an assessment of threats to biodiversity, numerous experts rated the current viability status of an array of targets using recognized Key Ecological Attributes and indicators of viability (Table 1). Critical threats to biodiversity in the Southern Basin West area include alterations to the shoreline; offshore development; runoff from developed urban areas; aquatic and terrestrial invasive species; industrial and municipal pollution; climate change; and housing and urban development. Invasive species can alter ecosystem attributes, such as water clarity, nutrient levels and energy flow, and present serious threats to native species. Invasive mussels and fish, as well as non- point pollution, are already placing stress on the nearshore ecosystem. Many Great Lakes fish utilize coastal wetlands for part of their life cycle. Physical alteration of the shoreline from urban development lias a critical impact on the nearshore zone, that supports diverse fish and invertebrate communities, and on coastal terrestrial habitats, including barrier beaches, cliff/bluff shorelines and dunes. Non- point source pollution carries sediments, nutrients and pollutants into surface waters, disrupting aquatic ecosystems. Legacy pollution in the sediment, at Areas of Concern (AOCs) and in other harbors and rivers within and adjacent to the watershed, continues to represent a long-term threat to biodiversity. Table 1. Viability Assessment Summary for Southern Basin TARGET CATEGORY ASSESSMENT THREAT STATUS Nearshore Zone Fair Very High Aerial Migrants Fair High Coastal Terrestrial Systems Fair Very High Coastal Wetlands Fair Very High Islands Good High Native Migratory Fish Poor High Offshore Zone Fair High Source: Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, 2013. DuSable Harbor, Chicago. Photo: Steve Robiiliard Lake Michigan Southern Basin West Biodiversity Revised September 2014 ------- Strategies Needed to Conserve Biodiversity A number of actions can be taken by organizations concerned with biodiversity in the Southern Basin West area. The following strategies are recommended. For additional details, see Chapter 6 of the Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (www.glri.us/) has supported habitat and species protection and restoration efforts and will continue to serve as an important mechanism for implementing biodiversity conservation strategies in the Southern Basin West area. Protect priority areas, large sites with some remnant communities, and land that connects or expands existing natural areas, as outlined in the Lake Michigan Biodiversity Strategy, Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision. Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resource's Wisconsin Land Legacy Report, and Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission reports (www.sewrpc.org). Support activities to remove Beneficial Use Impairments within the Milwaukee River and Waukcgan I-Iarbor AOCs. Continue and expand green practices training and certification for marinas and ports (www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greemnarina). Support the development and implementation of an early detection and rapid response initiative for invasive species. Identify areas of critical habitat in nearshore and offshore zones, protect habitat from degradation and development, and explore habitat enhancement projects. • Support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mass marking initiative and Lake Trout and Cisco restoration efforts. • Continue annual fish assessments to monitor population changes and partner with the State fisheries agencies and the Great Lakes Fishery- Commission to implement adaptive management recommendations. • Continue and expand streamside rearing of Lake Sturgeon for example in the Milwaukee River. • Continue sanitary surveys and restoration efforts of public beaches. Consider new modeling efforts for beach monitoring. • Support public land acquisition of private property along Lake Michigan for conservation efforts and increased public access. • Implement recommendations in the Milwaukee River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the Illinois Enviromnental Protection Agency's TMDLs for Illinois beaches. • Support biodiversity education and outreach efforts of the Lake Michigan Stakeholders group. • Continue efforts to reduce tributary phosphorus loading to Lake Michigan to reduce nuisance algae blooms. • Create and enhance urban natural areas to include bird-friendly landscaping and habitat for migratory birds. • Encourage stakeholders to consult with www.greatlakesphragmites.net and share information on Phragmites control. Key Next Steps Chiwaukee Prairie, Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Credit: The Nature Conservancy LAMP Partners For More Information www.epa.aov/areatlakes/lake-michiaan Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources // The Nature Conservancy www.dnr.illinois.gov dnr.wi.gov www.nature.org U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy Lake Michigan Manager Phone: (312) 886-3451 hinchey.elizabeth@epa.gov Align projects among states bordering Lake Michigan to implement common policies, risk assessments and funding that will minimize invasive species impacts , i and advance development of early detection and rapid response plans. Improve land use and harbor/marina practices to minimize detrimental impacts: o Develop/implement collaborative land-use planning efforts that integrate green infrastructure principles into planning and any shoreline alterations, working with Lake Michigan Watershed Academy Network of regional planning commissions, o Promote and encourage area harbors and marinas to participate in the Illinois Clean Marina Initiative to promote environmentally sound operating and maintenance procedures. Cultivate a partnership to monitor and develop a shared database on changes and movements of sand and bluff formations. Support habitat protection restoration/enhancement, and rehabilitation/recovery of nearshore/offshore fish communities and fisheries: o Continue rehabilitation of native Lake Trout by supporting mass marking, sea lamprey control and continued stocking of yearling Trout at Julian's Reef, and continue fish passage projects and Sturgeon restoration efforts in the Milwaukee River. Continue efforts to remediate and delist the Milwaukee, WI, and Waukegan, IL, Areas of Concern (AOCs): o Efforts are needed to control nonpoint source pollution to improve beach water quality and enhance habitat. Lake Michigan Southern Basin West Biodiversity Revised September 2014 ------- |