Ulao Creek

The Ulao Creek fish and wildlife habitat enhancement and restoration project in the Town and Village of Grafton is a large-scale habitat restoration project that is restoring multiple stream reaches through channel re-meandering, floodplain reconnection, wetland creation or enhancement, invasive plant removal, native plant restoration, and installation of fish and wildlife habitat structures. Work covers an area of stream corridor approximately 2.5 linear miles long between Ulao Parkway and just south of STH 60, along the east side of I-43.

The Ulao Creek Watershed contains approximately 28% of the riparian wetlands potentially suitable for northern pike (project target species) spawning in the Milwaukee River Watershed. The creek has multiple ephemeral and intermittent tributaries and provides fish refuge from drought and low-flow conditions in the form of pools and deep runs. Historic manipulation has left over 90% of the channel dredged and straightened  and separated from adjacent floodplains and wetlands. Improved habitat promotes the long-term restoration of naturally-reproducing, native fish, wildlife and migratory bird species to the lower Milwaukee River and nearshore Lake Michigan.

Additional Documents

  1. Ulao Creek Partnership Newsletter.pdf
The project will improve aquatic and riparian habitats available to resident and migratory fish and wildlife species. Project activities include:

1. Restoration of a manipulated stream reach through a combination of re-meandering, improvement of lateral connectivity, wetland creation or enhancement, invasive plant removal and management, native plant restoration, installation of fish and wildlife habitat structures.
2. To the extent practical given project timelines, monitoring of fish and wildlife communities before and after construction. Fisheries monitoring will include larval trapping to detect natural reproduction and, where applicable, wildlife monitoring will replicate and bolster previously completed occurrence surveys in the watershed, including frog call surveys, reptile and amphibian trapping, bird point count and breeding bird surveys.

 Additional project goals include:
  •  Retain/restore sustainable populations of several threatened and endangered species
  •  Enhance sustainable populations and genetic diversity of potadromous top predator gamefish in the lower Milwaukee River, the AOC, and nearshore areas of Lake Michigan
  •  Increase the quantity and quality of in-stream, wetland and floodplain habitat and native vegetation available to native fish, wildlife and bird species
  •  Capitalize on recent aquatic linear connectivity projects in the County portion of the Milwaukee River Watershed by improving the biological function of formerly isolated habitat 
  •  Help supplant the need for artificial stocking, habitat manipulation, and creation of artificial habitat in areas without access to certain habitat types
  •  Capitalize on existing research, data and projects in the Ulao Creek Watershed and Ulao Swamp
  •  Leverage the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust’s existing USEPA/GLRI grant to control aquatic invasive species and increase native vegetative diversity
  •  Refine strategies and techniques that may assist similar projects throughout the country
  •  Control and limit invasive plant species and promote reintroduction of native vegetation.

Phases I through III

Phases I and II were completed in Summer of 2014. Phase III was completed in 2015.
UlaoCreekSignageMap_12.28.16FINAL

Larval Fish Trapping Results

Pre-Habitat Restoration:

2014 - One fish species was identified and 1 individual was captured at the Ulao Creek (Gateway) site. The species identified was a Fathead Minnow. 

Post-Habitat Restoration:

2015 - Eight fish species were identified and 1720 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek (Gateway) site. The species identified were: Brook Stickleback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, and Northern Pike. All 9 of the Northern Pike caught at this site were YOY.

2016 - 11 fish species were identified and 2323 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Brook Stickleback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Northern Pike, Wester Blacknose Dace, and White Sucker. All 72 of the 73 Northern Pike captured were YOY.

2017 - Nine fish species were identified and 419 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Black Bullhead, Brook Stickleback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Green Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, and Northern Pike. All Northern Pike captured were YOY.

2018 - 7 fish species were identified and 3238 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Black Bullhead, Brook Stickleback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Green Sunfish, White Sucker, and Northern Pike. All Northern Pike captured were YOY.

2019 - 11 fish species were identified and 1112 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Brook Stickelback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish, Johnny Darter, Pumpkinseed, Western Longnose Dace, Golden Shiner, and Northern Pike. All Northern Pike captured were YOY.

2020 - 8 fish species were identified and 1521 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Brook Stickelback, Central Mudminnow, Common Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Green Sunfish, and Pumpkinseed.

2021 - 8 fish species were identified and 473 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Black Bullhead, Brook Stickelback, Central Mudminnow, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish, Johnny Darter, and Golden Shiner.

2022 - 8 fish species were identified and 232 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Brook Stickelback, Bluegill, Central Mudminnow,  Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish, Johnny Darter, Iowa Darter, and Northern Pike. All Northern Pike captured were YOY.

2023 - 10 fish species were identified and 772 individuals were captured at the Ulao Creek-Gateway site. The species identified were: Brook Stickelback, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Central Mudminnow, Creek Chub, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, and Northern Pike. All Northern Pike captured were YOY.

Founders and Partners 
Ulao founders and partners