$16K Grant Will Help Shorewood Restore Atwater Beach Bluff

A local grant awarded to Shorewood this week will supplement budgeted monies allocated toward restoration of the bluff overlooking Atwater Beach.

The grant for $16,100 from the Fund for Lake Michigan, administered by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, will, in part, go toward first ridding the bluff of invasive plant species and installing new plants, followed by continuous maintenance to ensure the invasive species don't return, Village Manager Chris Swartz said. 

The Fund for Lake Michigan seeks projects that focus on habitat preservation and restoration and reducing pollutants in the watersheds of Southeastern Wisconsin. 

The bluff work is the start of a larger, long-term native costal dune/beach, wetland and upland restoration project, aimed at restoring habitat, increasing bio-diversity and improving water quality, according to the village. The project is slated to begin this May. 

The village shelled out nearly $1 million for work over the summer in 2011 to stabilize the bluff after torrential rains caused severe erosion. An access road for service and emergency vehicles and boardwalk were also built during the work. 

Shorewood also launched the Waters Project that summer, aimed at educating residents about the bodies of water bordering the village and how they help keep them clean.