More than 1.5 million people live and work in the Milwaukee metro area. As the region grows and more houses, pavement and concrete overtake absorbent wetlands, increased rain and snowmelt are flowing downstream with the potential to cause significant flooding, overflow sewer systems and inundate homes with filthy water.

In 2001, The Conservation Fund and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) launched a pioneering flood management program called Greenseams^® to protect important open spaces in and around the city. Greenseams purchases land and conservation easements from willing landowners in areas where major suburban growth is expected to occur within the Milwaukee, Menomonee, Oak Creek and Root River watersheds. Properties are chosen for their proximity to water, water-absorbing soils, floodplain and wetland features, environmental corridor and natural area designations, and connection to public spaces.

Our Accomplishments

Since the program’s inception, we have protected nearly 150 properties, preserving approximately 5,000 acres of flood-prone land in greater Milwaukee. This area includes 28 communities and 1.57 million people.

In 2017, Greenseams protected a 78-acre property that connected already preserved lands as part of the program, providing 270 acres of wetlands, wooded swamps and upland buffer surrounding Lake Twelve for public use. The Lake Twelve complex is part of a larger Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources prioritized project area and includes a 13-acre property with a public boat launch provided by Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.

As identified by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, this natural area provides some of the most significant pre-European settlement open space in southeastern Wisconsin. By permanently protecting the Lake Twelve complex, 270 acres of continuous habitat is available to endangered, threatened and rare plant and animal species in the region. The protected lands along Lake Twelve also provide natural storage for rain and snow melt, safeguarding communities downstream.

A partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the North American Conservation Wetlands Act is also helping restore many of the Greenseams properties to their native wetland, prairie and forest habitats. To date, the partners have planted 113,537 trees and restored more than 760 acres of previously unproductive agricultural lands. Once restored, these properties absorb more rain and snow melt, which slows water flow into the city of Milwaukee. They also act as buffers, filtering out pollutants and improving water quality.

Why This Project Matters

Back-to-back storms in 1997 and 1998 resulted in millions of dollars in property damage throughout the region. The Greenseams program was created to prevent that kind of devastation from happening again. By protecting and restoring wetlands — nature’s sponges — we are creating an area that can hold an estimated 1.3 billion gallons of water (about 1,970 Olympic-size swimming pools). By opening up the Greenseams properties to the public, we are providing residents and visitors with opportunities to be outdoors in natural settings, creating a sense of community and improving public health and happiness.