The South Bay Marina Habitat Enhancement project was one of the past efforts that the Green Bay McDonald NCRF Restoration Project Team reviewed when developing the conceptual design for the Green Bay McDonald site.
The South Bay Marina Habitat Enhancement project sought to enhance the nearshore aquatic habitat at the Lower Fox River’s mouth in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Before restoration, the area was an environmentally degraded urban waterfront with shallow, fine sand substrate that lacked the habitat conditions needed for spawning fish and other wildlife. The project, led by the WDNR in cooperation with Walleyes for Tomorrow (WFT), involved the installation of habitat structures, including two 300-foot headlands, large boulders, and a walleye spawning reef.
The project was completed in 2003 and received $98,000 in Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement funding, with additional matching funds bringing the total budget to $120,000. The restoration created diverse nearshore habitat benefiting fish (walleye and smallmouth bass), shorebirds, and other wildlife, with post-restoration monitoring in 2005 indicating a significant increase in walleye catch rates and evidence of fish spawning on the constructed reef (Stratus Consulting, 2013).
Citation: Stratus Consulting. (2013, February). Restoration Progress Report for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Fox River/Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council.
