Washington County wins grant to study Menomonee River headwaters; consultant work planned

Paul Backus, Washington County conservationist, briefed the committee on a pre‑disaster resiliency grant awarded to the county to study the Menomonee River headwaters that affect Germantown and nearby communities. "We're trying to find some areas where we can hold more water further up in the landscape," Backus said, describing the county’s approach to hydraulic connectivity and headwater storage as a way to slow runoff and reduce downstream erosion and flood peaks.

Backus said the county will compile high‑density lidar, produce flow‑line data and perform a Great Lakes stream crossing inventory (a culvert/structure condition inventory). The county plans to issue an RFP for a consultant, give the consultant roughly six months to study the watershed, and produce prioritized, implementable projects and a cost‑benefit analysis. Backus said the larger grant program allows later application for implementation grants with a per‑project cap around $250,000; the study timeline anticipates final products by the end of 2027, with construction grants and implementation actions possible into 2028.

Committee members and residents asked whether interim findings could guide near‑term planning and development reviews; Backus said the study will generate a ranked list of projects and that some smaller actions on private land could be eligible for implementation funding, but large‑scale results will take time and require landowner cooperation.