(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. – Kenosha County will receive $700,000 in federal funding to support water quality improvements and habitat restoration along the Pike River, Congressman Bryan Steil announced Friday.
The money, awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will go to the Kenosha County Division of Parks. The grant is intended to help restore more than 3,200 feet of streambank and improve over five acres of riparian and in-stream habitat within Petrifying Springs Park.
“Our state’s natural resources are an important part of what makes Wisconsin a great place to live and work,” Steil said in a statement. “I’d like to thank the Trump Administration for awarding Kenosha County $700,000 to support water restoration along the Pike River, as well as County Executive Samantha Kerkman and Kenosha Parks Director Wyatt Moore for their work spearheading this project. This funding will help ensure that our rivers remain stable and vibrant for future generations to enjoy.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
County Executive Samantha Kerkman called it the largest grant the project has received to date. “This will help us bring it across the finish line this fall,” she said.
Moore, who leads the county’s parks department, said the restoration has made a noticeable impact on both the river and Petrifying Springs Park since it began in 2017.
“The completion of this section of the river marks a major milestone in a restoration effort that has been underway for years,” Moore said.
The $700,000 grant will help restore approximately 3,280 feet of eroded streambank, 12,040 square feet of degraded in-stream habitat, and 5.2 acres of riparian corridor, improving ecological conditions in one of Kenosha County’s most-visited parks.
Steil has supported federal investment in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, including a vote in March 2024 to approve $368 million for the program.
One Response
… Projects like this shouldn’t be paid by Federal government funds. This should be completely in house. In reality all other 49 states are contributing to this. Why ?? As we are contributing to projects in all other 49 states.
Kenosha and Kenosha County benefit greatly from being on Lake Michigan.
We have many lake streams ponds and rivers in our area and the state as a whole.
At what point do we support the things where we choose to live ??
The federal government needs to spend less.
We all need to pay our own way