UW-Parkside Receives Over $320,000 for Green Infrastructure Project
Funding will support innovative stormwater management system to protect Pike River watershed and create educational opportunities
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been awarded a $207,426 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Sustain Our Great Lakes 2024 program. This funding, combined with a $26,395 match from the Parkside Foundation and an $89,000 grant awarded by the Fund for Lake Michigan to the community partner Root-Pike WIN, brings the total project funding to $322,821.
The project will implement a regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC) system on the UW-Parkside campus, the first of six initiatives outlined in the university's Green Infrastructure Concept Plan. This system will feature engineered bioswales with native vegetation designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff from campus parking areas before it reaches the Pike River, a direct tributary to Lake Michigan and currently listed on the EPA's impaired waters list.
“We are appreciative of the grant award and very excited to get to work on the first phase of this project,” said John Bruch, UW-Parkside’s Chief Facilities Officer. “This project is part of a larger commitment by the campus to be good stewards of the Pike River watershed.”
The UW-Parkside campus holds ecological significance as one of the region's least-fragmented natural areas and is home to the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, with numerous sightings confirmed in 2023 by the Wisconsin DNR's Bumble Bee Brigade.
The RSC installation will include 16,000 square feet of engineered bioswale and 11,000 square feet of additional native plantings across 0.6 acres. Once complete, the system will be capable of receiving and treating 526,626 gallons of stormwater annually, with a storage capacity of 36,713 gallons per storm event.
Environmental benefits include annual reductions of 154 pounds of sediment, 2.24 pounds of nitrogen, and 0.48 pounds of phosphorus entering the Pike River watershed. The project will also enhance biodiversity and create improved habitat for pollinators, including the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee.
Beyond environmental impacts, the project will support local construction and maintenance jobs and create two student internships focused on monitoring water quality outcomes and habitat use. The initiative will incorporate 200 hours of student and community volunteer time during installation and will be integrated into academic curricula, serving as an outdoor classroom for experiential learning.
With engineering already completed, the project is shovel-ready and will serve as a showcase for effective green infrastructure practices in the region, highlighting how academic institutions can contribute to climate resilience and community service. Construction is expected to commence this summer.
For more information about UW-Parkside's green infrastructure initiatives, please contact university.relations@uwp.edu.
Since its founding in 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been a trusted partner for the region’s higher educational needs, empowering students to thrive, advancing applied knowledge, and developing talent for the future. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and pre-professional programs, designed to foster personal and professional growth through real-world and impactful learning experiences. Located in the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, UW-Parkside offers unmatched access to world-class internships, professional networks, and endless career-building opportunities, placing students at the center of it all.
Media contact:
Derek Fye
Communications Manager
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Fye@uwp.edu | (262) 771-5419