Green Bay:
The Heart of Lake Michigan
At the heart of Lake Michigan, the warm, shallow waters
of Green Bay have nurtured wildlife and sustained local
economies and human health for centuries. The bay’s enormous
10.6-million-acre watershed encompasses northern forests,
agricultural lands, big cities and small towns, connecting people
from Appleton and Escanaba to its fertile waters through the
Fox, Peshtigo and other rivers that unfurl across the landscape.
One third of all the land that provides water to Lake Michigan
through rivers and streams is located in Green Bay’s watershed.
More than 10 million people get their drinking water from the lake.
Prized by both commercial and sport fishermen for its walleye,
perch and northern pike, Green Bay is also beloved by sailors,
boaters and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Yet, while the bay is still one of the most productive places in the
Great Lakes, its health is impaired. Wetland loss, invasive species
like zebra mussels and carp, urban and agricultural run-off and
shoreland development are all taking a toll.
“One of the reasons I support
The Nature Conservancy
is because they work together
with other organizations.
I think this is a wise way to do things.”
-Billie Kress, Green Bay supporter
Conservancy Taking Action to Restore
a Healthy Green Bay
The Nature Conservancy and its partners are using
science to develop innovative solutions that help restore
the health of Green Bay for people and nature.
Providing safe passage for fish
The Conservancy has identified the improperly constructed
culverts, dams and bridges that stop northern pike and
other fish from migrating from the bay to their spawning
grounds in tributary streams, and we are working with
partners to remove or repair these obstacles.
Protecting and restoring coastal wetlands
We have developed a tool to identify and prioritize
coastal wetlands for protection and restoration.
These wetlands clean polluted water, intercept waste,
protect our shorelines from erosion, provide food and
shelter for migratory birds and serve as nurseries for
fish and other aquatic life.
You Can Help
With support and involvement from people who
care, The Nature Conservancy is advancing
solutions to restore the health and beauty of Green Bay.
Learn more about the Green Bay project and how
you can help restore this Great Lakes treasure.
Wetland on west shore of Green Bay © Emmet Judziewicz/WDNR
Securing stopover habitat for migratory birds
We are ensuring that birds have the food, shelter and
resting places they need during migration by identifying
the most important stopover habitats on Green Bay
and along Lake Michigan, and collaborating with
partners to protect them.
Enjoy
an inspiring slideshow about the Green Bay
project and meet Nicole Van Helden, our Green
Bay conservation director.
nature.org/wisconsingreenbay
Watch our video to see how we’re opening river miles
for spawning northern pike and other aquatic life.
nature.org/greenbay-pike
Tackling invasive species
In Door County and in other parts of the Green Bay
watershed, we work to control invasive species like
Phragmites, a tall invasive grass, at beaches and marshes
where it is displacing native plants and reducing habitat
for wildlife and recreation areas for people.
Door Peninsula and Green Bay Watershed Project
242 Michigan Street, Suite B103
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
tel 920-743-8695 fax 920-743-9068
nature.org/wisconsin
American white pelican © Kent Mason
Cover photos: Green Bay, Door County © Mark Godfrey/TNC;
Billie Kress with Conservancy ecologist Mike Grimm © Kristin Borst/TNC
June, 2015