Watershed Planning

Greater Milwaukee Watersheds as Part of a Comprehensive Planning Effort

This map shows generalized planned land uses to demonstrate population and density growth through the year 2020 as part of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s 2020 Facilities Planning Study. The dataset inventory is made up of six watersheds totaling approximately 1,100 square miles.

The plan is the result of a comprehensive planning effort identifying wastewater conveyance, storage, and treatment and storm water runoff to accommodate regional growth and protect water resources through the year 2020 and beyond. The plan also identifies which facilities, policies, operational improvements, and programs are required to achieve the water resource goals inspired by the public.

The land-use dataset was the foundation for a number of different analyses that included estimating future population and household densities at a watershed and regional level to locating storm water runoff concentrations and locations. One such analysis used the land-use inventory, along with hydrologic soil types and watershed subbasin datasets, to model future water quality conditions for each of the watersheds. Another analysis addressed changes in total area of commercial and industrial land uses over time to determine future conveyance system needs.