Valley Park

Project Update

MMSD will host an open house about upcoming work for the Valley Park Levee on November 20th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Marquette University High School cafeteria located at 3401 W. Wisconsin Ave.

The open house will include a brief presentation about how the levee reduces the risk of flooding for over 130 properties in the Valley Park neighborhood and needed work to protect this critically important infrastructure so it can continue to provide these benefits for the community.

In addition to the brief presentation, there will be an informal Q&A session following the presentation and an opportunity for neighborhood input and feedback regarding tree planting on MMSD property near Valley Park.

Project Overview

Completed in 2001, the $12 million Valley Park Flood Management Project created a levee and floodwall to help protect 133 homes that were ravaged by floods in 1997 and 1998. The project is part of a group of projects that work together to reduce the risk of flooding on the Menomonee River.

The Valley Park levee uses a hybrid levee and floodwall approach to protect residents. There is a seven-foot-high and 800-foot-long earthen embankment levee and a five-foot-high, 750-foot-long reinforced concrete floodwall.

To construct the levee and floodwall, MMSD acquired 18 homes. Some of the homes acquired by MMSD were replaced within the neighborhood, but outside of the floodplain. MMSD staff worked closely with neighborhood residents to develop a relocation plan. Residents were involved in selecting an architect and working closely with the contractor on home designs and met frequently with District staff.

The construction of the Valley Park Levee along the Menomonee River expanded the original Valley Park area managed by Milwaukee County Parks from 1.5 acres to 3 acres. A new 10-foot-wide access drive was built atop the levee for maintenance and security. The Valley Park Levee system includes a one million gallon underground storage tank at the south end of Valley Park to collect storm water from the neighborhood. An underground pump station sends the storm water collected in the underground storage tank to the Menomonee River.

Project Map

Project Benefits

Reduce the risk of flooding in the Valley Park neighborhood.

Project Timeline

Construction – Completed in 2001
Levee Maintenance – on-going

Partners

City of Milwaukee DPW

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Project Resources

Valley Park Levee Tree Survey Map
- Blue dots indicate vegetation and trees that are not in the levee maintenance area and will remain; yellow dots indicate vegetation and trees being evaluated further to see f they can remain or if they need to be removed to protect the levee.
Valley Park Levee Tree Survey - Park Focused
- Blue dots indicate trees and vegetation that will remain; yellow dots indicate trees and vegetation being evaluated further to see f they can remain or if they need to be removed to protect the levee.
Valley Park and Neighborhood
- Before and after the construction of the Valley Park Levee.

Views of the levee from the riverbank.
Views of the levee from the riverbank.

MMSD surveying team marked a line along the border of the levee maintenance area with white paint. The trees to the riverside of the painted line are being evaluated for the levee standards; the trees streetside of the line are not within the maintenance area and will remain.
MMSD surveying team marked a line along the border of the levee maintenance area with white paint. The trees to the riverside of the painted line are being evaluated for the levee standards; the trees streetside of the line are not within the maintenance area and will remain.
MMSD surveying team marked a line along the border of the levee maintenance area with white paint. The trees to the riverside of the painted line are being evaluated for the levee standards; the trees streetside of the line are not within the maintenance area and will remain.