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Approximate demarcation
of Mid-Lake Plateau West
and Mid-Lake Plateau East.
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
habitat and species protection and restoration strategies.
The Mid-Lake Plateau West is the area in the central portion of Lake
Michigan. This area borders portions of Manitowoc County, all of
Sheboygan and Ozaukee Counties, and the northern portion of
Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Located offshore, directly east of
Milwaukee, is a broad, flat, relatively shallow submerged feature called
the Mid-Lake Plateau that is of limestone origin. The plateau is believed
to have served as a spawning reef that supported lake trout production.
The shoreline is a mixture of sand beaches and steep bluffs. Land use in
this basin is mainly agricultural, with moderately sized urban areas along
the shoreline, and scattered natural areas. Larger natural areas within the
Mid-Lake Plateau West are limited to public lands, such as state parks.
Privately owned forest and wetlands are present within the basin.
Numerous tributaries provide spawning habitat for salmonid and other
native fish species. There is also a diverse and abundant wildlife
population. The Barr Creek Habitat Preserve in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin,
is a major banding and observation area for raptor migration and research.
Collaboration among partners in the Mid-Lake Plateau West region is
needed to implement key actions that will maintain and increase the
viability of biodiversity and abate identified threats to biodiversity.
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 Mid-Lake Plateau West region
include aquatic invasive species; climate change; housing and urban development; cultivation of non-timber crops; and dams and
other barriers. Invasive species can alter ecosystem attributes, such as water clarity and nutrient levels, and present serious threats to
native species. Legacy contamination in sediment degrades habitat and lowers native species health. Large groundwater withdrawals
for industrial, commercial, and residential use can lead to negative impacts on the hydrology of streams and wetlands.
Table 1. Viability Assessment Summary for Mid-Lake Plateau
TARGET CATEGORY
ASSESSMENT
THREAT STATUS
Nearshore Zone
Fair
High
Aerial Migrants
Fair
Medium
Coastal Terrestrial Systems
Fair
Very High
Coastal Wetlands
Fair
High
Islands
Good
Medium
Native Migratory Fish
Fair
High
Offshore Zone
Fair
Medium
Source: Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, 2013.
Longnose Sucker, Sucker Brook, Ozaukee Co., Wl
Photo: John Masterson, WDNR
Lake Michigan Mid-Lake Plateau West Biodiversity
Revised September 2014

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Strategies Needed to Conserve Biodiversity
A number of actions can be taken by agencies, tribes, municipalities, planning commissions, and other partners concerned with
biodiversity in the Mid-Lake Plateau West area. The following strategies are recommended. For additional details, see Chapter 6 of
the Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.
•	Align projects among Lake Michigan states to implement common policies, risk assessments, and funding that will minimize
invasive species.
•	Support the continual development of early detection and rapid response plans for invasive species.
•	Protect coastal dunes, wetland, and other habitat from increasing development and alteration.
•	Continue efforts to restore and protect biodiversity at designated Areas of Concern (AOCs) and other impacted areas:
o Remediate contaminated sediments in the Milwaukee River AOC, as well as prevent eutrophication control
nonpoint source pollution improve beach water quality, enhance fish and wildlife populations, and restore habitat,
o Continue efforts needed in the Sheboygan River AOC to improve fish and wildlife populations, remove invasive
species, and restore stream and terrestrial habitat.
¦ Emphasize green marina practices to minimize future sediment contamination.
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 Mid-Lake Plateau West.
Key Next Steps
•	Support efforts to remove Beneficial Use Impairments
within the Sheboygan River AOC and Milwaukee River
AOC.
•	Continue sanitary surveys and restoration efforts of
public beaches.
•	Support Ozaukee County's Fish Passage and Dam
Removal Program.
•	Implement Ozaukee County's Lake Michigan Bluff
Erosion Control Ordinance and share the results with
other bluff communities.
•	Support public land acquisition of private property along
Lake Michigan for conservation efforts.
•	Implement recommendations in the Milwaukee River
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
•	Continue to monitor any changes from the annual fish
assessments and partner with the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission to implement adaptive management
recommendations.
•	Support protection and enhancement of natural areas and
land that connects or expands existing areas as outlined in
the Wisconsin Land Legacy Report
(dnr.wi. gov/files/pdf/pubs/lf/lf0043 .pdf) and Southeastern
Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
(www.sewrpc.org) reports.
•	Continue and expand efforts to train and certify green
practices for marinas and ports
(www, misea grant .umich. edu/greemnarina).
outlined in TMDLs and Wisconsin's phosphorus
regulations.
•	Continue and expand streamside rearing of Lake
Sturgeon, for example in the Milwaukee River.
•	Support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mass marking
initiative and Lake Trout and Cisco restoration efforts.
•	Promote widespread adoption of The Urban
Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds and continual
implementation of the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan in light of the added stress of climate
change on species and habitats.
•	Determine roles and responsibilities in the Mid-Lake
Plateau West area in the education surveillance and
standardization of procedures to aid in meeting the
GLWQA Annex 6 Aquatic Invasive Species Goal of
development and implementation of an early detection
and rapid response initiative by 2015.
•	To preserve and restore wetlands from the dangers of the
invasive common reed Phragmites, it is important to
consult the current maps and management efforts at
www.greatlakespliragmites.net for an interactive forum
for stakeholders working on control of this wetland
problem.
For More Information
www.epa.gov/greatlakes/lake-michigan
LAMP Partners
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
The Nature Conservancy /
dnr.wi.gov
www.nature.org
U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office
Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy
Lake Michigan Manager
Phone: (312) 353-4891
hinchey.elizabeth@epa.gov
Lake Michigan Mid-Lake Plateau West Biodiversity
Revised September 2014

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