Evaluation of Management Actions within the Kinnickinnic Watershed and the River

The Kinnickinnic River, designated as a Class I trout stream and “Outstanding Resource Water” by the Wisconsin Legislature, is now facing several challenges related to land use, population growth, and environmental degradation. In response, a variety of scientific research projects have been initiated in the watershed in an effort to understand these challenges and promote sustainability. However, the projects spanning multiple fields of inquiry and completed by different stakeholder organizations has made it difficult to coordinate research interests, and inform the community about the magnitude of work being completed. Until now, there has not been research on what the public thinks about the opportunities and challenges facing the watershed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the management actions within the Kinnickinnic watershed utilizing qualitative analysis. A household survey was sent to 1,200 residents in the watershed. The survey included topics on the watershed value, perceived conflict or threats, possible opportunities for the communities, and future management actions such as removal of two dams. Dam removal was expected to be a major concern; however, the data showed that invasive species and agricultural runoff were of greater concern to the general public and they valued protected areas and recreational opportunities highly.