Map of the Menominee River Watershed and surrounding Lake Michigan Watersheds. - FWS graphic

The Menominee River has long been considered a valuable resource by Native Americans, timber companies and present day resource professionals.   It forms a portion of the boundary between Wisconsin and upper Michigan and is one of the largest watersheds within the Lake Michigan drainage basin. 

The Menominee River and its tributaries, have a combined drainage area of over 4,000 square miles and contain three U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic unit codes (HUC).  Six tributaries are classified as Michigan Blue Ribbon Trout Streams, comprising over 75 miles of high quality trout habitat. 

Overall, the watershed is relatively non-developed having 86.3 percent of the basin forested, while only 7.3 percent is designated as agricultural land.  The Green Bay Fishery Resources Office has been working to address environmental concerns and conservation priorities within the Menominee River Watershed. 

The demands on the watershed are complex and involve a variety of resources and user groups.  Similar to watersheds across the country, the Menominee faces ongoing concerns such as runoff, municipal use, hydropower, and exotic species to name a few.  One emerging area of concern is the development of remote areas for recreational land use. 

In the near future, large tracts of land including lake, reservoir and stream frontage will be developed within the watershed.  How this land is developed will affect the entire watershed. Additionally, past logging practices continue to plague current stream function and contribute tons of sediment to streams annually. 

During the past decade, fishery managers have become concerned about the upstream migration of higher water temperatures and the potential loss or degrading of cold water habitat.  Even though it is located in a remote area, the Menominee River Watershed has a real need for a coordinated approach towards conservation and restoration.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has representation in the watershed with projects such as sturgeon research, fish passage and activities related to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and hydroelectric dams.  Several watershed groups exist on a few small streams, but there is no broad support for the entire basin. 

The Green Bay Fishery Resources Office took the lead in organizing a meeting with the goal of identifying conservation professionals working in the Menominee River Watershed and determining the best way to partner within the watershed. 

The meeting was well attended by a wide array of agencies including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Conservationists, County Conservation Districts, River Alliance of Wisconsin, The Forestland Group, Plum Creek Timber Company, Iron River Watershed Council, Trout Unlimited and the Fish and Wildlife Service. 

There was broad support among attendees to develop an advocacy group for the entire watershed.  A steering committee was nominated to proceed with two immediate goals:  1) dissemination of information, and 2) development of a framework with clear objectives for the watershed group. 

The Green Bay Fishery Resources Office will be involved with this process and assist partners as needed.  The benefits of a watershed group are already being realized with several agencies exchanging data.