Healthy and Resilient Beaches in Racine
A tour of beach restoration projects in Racine, Wisconsin
Beach Health in Racine
Lake Michigan beaches are an important community asset in Racine. The city of Racine invests in beach management and public health testing to protect and enhance this resource. As a result, North Beach received the first "Blue Wave" designation in Wisconsin by the National Clean Beaches Coalition. Learn about Blue Wave ethics here. During this quest you'll learn how Racine works hard to keep the beaches safe and clean. What is your favorite thing to do at the beach?
Each section of this quest includes a link with a question about Racine beaches. To complete this quest, you must correctly answer these questions. Correct answers will give you clues. The clues will be the letters next to the correct answer. Collect them all to spell out the name of a plant that helps maintain healthy and resilient beaches in Racine.
North Beach Park - English Street Constructed Wetland
A small wetland just north of the beach was constructed in 2000 to provide storm-water storage and remove pollutants from the water. " Vorceptors " remove solid waste and oils from a 400-acre drainage area and help improve water quality in Lake Michigan.
Think about all the waste that gets washed into the storm drains. Do you ever think about where it goes? It usually does not go to sewage treatment plants, but goes directly into lakes and streams. Watch a video demonstrating how wetlands protect water quality.
Cleaner Water Using Plants
Creating greener cities is a great investment. Can you think of some ways that plants make life in the city better for everyone?
Urban runoff often carries pollutants with it. Toxic hydrocarbons and heavy metals are found in gasoline and other fluids in cars that can leak onto the road. Industrial processes might also produce some of these pollutants. Pesticides and fertilizers from lawns wash into the storm drains when it rains.
Many wetland plants such as willows, prairie cord grass and speckled alder can remove pollutants from run-off before it enters the lake and combat erosion. This process of removing pollutants from run off is called phytoremediation . It is being used in constructed wetlands to clean urban runoff and sites that have been polluted by toxic waste. Learn more about these special plants here.
North Beach Park - Beach Grooming Best Practices
For a long time North Beach was groomed by a machine for the main purpose of raking litter and debris out of the sand. The front of the machine rakes up the litter and then the back end smooths it out. New research shows deeper grooming without smoothing over the beach sand promotes rapid drying of sand and increases sunlight exposure. In addition to other beach management actions, this technique can help reduce E. coli, the bacteria used to monitor recreational water quality in Wisconsin. The result has been fewer beach closings. The study done at North Beach in Racine has influenced other communities to adopt this technique as well.
Scroll through the pictures at the top of this slide to watch a Racine resident talk about how this practice has changed the beach-going community in her city.
North Beach Park - Dune Restoration
Dunes were constructed at North Beach in 2007-08. Dune vegetation captures sand and helps infiltrate storm water. Boardwalks traverse the dunes, guiding people away from the fragile dune vegetation. What do you think might happen if there were no trails or boardwalks?
Dune habitats are very beneficial because the plants prevent the sand from eroding away. The dune and swale system captures runoff from the parking lot and road to reduce the impact of pollutants on the nearshore water of Lake Michigan.
The dune habitat is also an incredibly important migratory bird fly way. In addition, the dunes at North Beach also provide coastal resiliency, protecting the shoreline from damage during storms.
What are some things you can do when you visit the beach to help keep it nice for everyone?
Samuel Myers Park Restoration
On August 2013 the city of Racine published an 11-phase plan to restore Samuel Myers Park . The plan included removal of invasive Phragmites and green infrastructure practices such as constructed wetlands, dunes, dry prairie and upland habitats. All of these different habitats create a more diverse and stable wildlife community.
Think about the food chain in a natural system. Why would it be good to have many different types of plants and animals as opposed to just a few? How might people benefit from healthier ecosystems?
Quest completed!
The clues from the questions spell out the name of a special plant that can be found in the North Beach wetlands. There are many members of this genus of plants. They can absorb excess water and remove heavy metals from runoff before it flows into the water table. Learn more about the species found in North Beach Park here.
Acknowledgements
This story map guided tour was developed by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute . The Great Lakes Quests are part of the Wisconsin Coastal Guide , an interactive map that supports heritage tourism along the Great Lakes coasts of Wisconsin. The guided tours promote placed-based learning about coastal issues in the state. Enhancement of the Wisconsin Coastal Guide is funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office for Coastal Management through the Coastal Zone Management Act.