New brochure takes residents on trip through revitalized Menomonee River Valley
MILWAUKEE – People taking a hike or bike ride through Milwaukee’s revitalized Menomonee River Valley on the Hank Aaron State Trail are passing by sites -- including Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers; Marquette University’s soccer fields; and the Harley Davidson Museum – that highlight successful public-private partnerships to restore brownfields in Wisconsin.
A new “Menomonee River Valley Brownfields Walking Tour" (pdf; 2.7kb) brochure from the Department of Natural Resources highlights seven sites along the trail that sit atop former abandon or underutilized contaminated properties with real or perceived contamination, commonly referred to as brownfields.
“Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley was once a prime example of a big brownfield in need of some serious cleanup,” according to the new brochure produced by the DNR Remediation and Redevelopment Program.
Originally a shallow marsh, the Valley was filled over time with a variety of materials and adapted for industrial use. However, those industrial practices over many years contributed to the impairment of the Valley’s natural resources.
“Today the Menomonee River Valley has become a natural resource and economic gem once again, thanks to the partnership of numerous public and private parties, including the DNR, city of Milwaukee, Menomonee Valley Partners and other area businesses and non-profit organizations,” the brochure notes.
The brochure and walking tour highlight these many successes, starting with Miller Park and ending at the Harley Museum. However, hikers and bikers can continue on the Hank Aaron Trail all the way to Lakeshore Park on the eastern terminus of the trail.