The work was done by members of Humboldt Park Friends (HPF), which is working with the Milwaukee County Parks Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in a pilot project to restore the four-acre lagoon in the center of the 73-acre park. Four years ago, volunteers cleared cattails and other invasive plants from sections of the lagoon’s north and south shoreline. In spring 2018, they reintroduced native plants to those shoreline areas as part of a pilot project to restore the lagoon. They reintroduced native plant species to control erosion, filter stormwater runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and improve the scenic vista of the lagoon.
Nearly 20 years ago, cattails were introduced to control access to the lagoon by geese. The combination of little cattail maintenance and the arrival of invasive species changed the lagoon from what it had been for more than 100 years. During the past decade, cattails went from a few access points to overtake most of the lagoon shoreline. In some areas, these plants extend 40 feet outward from the shoreline.
The result has been declining water quality and unfavorable conditions for fish survival, excessive nutrients in the stagnant water with a layer of scum on the surface, and blocked vistas of the once picturesque lagoon for park visitors. HPF cleared cattails and other invasive plants from two sections of shoreline in autumn 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
