Elm Grove Public Works Discusses Placement of Fish Cameras

Two potential fish cameras will be placed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) by the South Park Fields if it is approved by the Board of Trustees.

Michelle Nott, a Physical Scientist for the USGS described how fish spawn in different areas. Some fish commonly found in Lake Michigan include a variety of salmon and trout species.

The USGS wanted to watch the spawn rates for many fish in Lake Michigan and saw changes that concerned them. Elm Grove will not be responsible for the maintenance of the camera; that is the USGS’ jurisdiction. The funding for this project will end in 2025, according to Nott.  

The meeting was on Monday, March 11, 2024, and the Public Works Committee took a vote to bring it forward to the Board of Trustees. There will be a potential hearing about it later, which was not disclosed at the meeting. 

Lake Michigan has a variety of fish, and the USGS wants to understand and learn more about how the fish migrate, and what kinds of fish there are in the lake as well. The camera will be set up is close to the South Park Fields, and will be in a locked cage. On the outside of the cage, solar panels will be attached, allowing the cameras to have a power source. One will be aimed at the river nearby, and one will be attached to the Willow tree as well, Nott informed the Public Works Committee.

The USGS has been working with the Milwaukee Area since 2000 to understand how the surrounding area utilizes water and what the water contains. According to the USGS Midwest Water Science Center site, there are five phases where the USGS will assess multiple different rivers close to, or deposit into Lake Michigan.   

“The USGS will be responsible for every part of this project, from installation to upkeep, and financially supporting the project,” says Nott. “The community will not pay for it since it is a part of a grant from the government.”  

Photo Courtesy of Elm Grove Website: https://elmgrovewi.org/gallery.aspx?PID=2

There will be a new pathway that will be built on Highland Road, and the road will be closed to through traffic while it is built. This will allow for those who live on Highland to still be able to get to and from work or school, also allowing for people in the future to walk down the street without having to worry about cars.  

Alongside Highland Road, there will be a new pathway that will be built during the summer. There is potential work being done to the current pipes, WE Energies will update the planner if they do need to be updated. On top of the added pathway alongside Highland, there will be an added fence alongside the route which will be most likely made from wood.  

The current planner, Ruekert & Mielke, had suggested treated wood.  

“Treated wood is less expensive than any other option in the long run,” a representative said from Ruekert & Mielke, “It is easier to replace as well if someone damages it, or a car runs into it.”  

There will be a detour route utilizing Gebhardt Road, Pilgrim Parkway, and North Avenue, and the projected time that Highland Road will be closed is three months, and will be open again between mid-July and mid-September.  

The final topic for the night was about outdoor lighting and how it affects nature. The community could be invited to learn more about how lights, lawn care, and solar energy will help the area. Solar energy could be used as a potential addition to the overall community, but at the potential loss of unity. There was a discussion on how to improve the power grid. Specifically how to do it properly, making the community less affected by power outages.

“We would love to see the daylighting project get approved, since many of our lamps, especially in the Village Court, are in dire need of getting improved or replaced,” said member Jim Koleski. “We also want to see the Municipal Water project updated and reassess what we can do for the community. The last time we attempted to update was in early 2010, and it was not feasible at that time.”  

Many members agreed that it is of interest to improve in the community. This should help those who run closer tonight and allow for those who would like to stay out by the pond closer at night, and those wishing to go the library as well.  

With regards to the new Highland Road project, one member was concerned about the traffic being rerouted from that street to others since there is a lot of traffic that uses that street to get to North Avenue.  

“We are concerned about the amount of traffic that will be rerouted through different parts of the community, as well as the concern for those who live down the street of Highland.” Thomas Shepherd said, “There will be roadblocks that limit traffic. Also, there will be challenges with how long it will take, we are currently estimating three months, but we understand that it might take longer.”