Menomonee, Wisconsin, US

B) MenTosa: Hoyt Park to 43rd & Monarch (3.6 miles)

Sampler

Sampler
Photo of various boaters by Mike Croak @ 552 cfs

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
MenTosa Winter Gauge
virtual-50355	2.00 - 5.00 ft	I	03h16m	~ 0.21 ft (rc= -0.8 )
	Too low to bother (and probably totally iced up in winter). Each 1' on virtual gauge roughly equates to river class (EG., 3.0-3.9' = class III).
MENOMONEE RIVER AT WAUWATOSA, WI
usgs-04087120	125 - 1280 cfs	I	23h13m	65 cfs (rc= -0.2 )
	Float trip with (grungy) riffles and rips. Gauge (123 sq.mi. drainage) is midway down listed reach, thus accurately portrays actual flow. River often rises and falls too quickly for on-line updates.

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: Wauwatosa/Milwaukee.
Shuttle Length: 3.5 mile. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Artificial dam/ledges, quarry-rock shoals, and some compression waves in the early going. Bedrock slides and glassy waves (at higher flows) in the lower half.

Put-in is approximately 660' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 597' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 63'.

General Overview
This highly 'city-fied' stretch of river has a primarily bedrock riverbed and fairly confined channel through most of this reach, allowing it's relatively low gradient to build some impressive river-wide waves when water levels push up, as they regularly do after heavy rains.

Be aware that this is an urban watershed. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you are fully aware of water levels (and a realistic assessment of your skills and ability to handle that water level) before running this stretch of river. Water quality (especially at times of high runoff after rainstorms) is often worse than untreated sewage. You do not even want to think about flipping or swimming in this 'city cesspool' of a river. The lower portion of this run (downstream from Jacobus Park/Hawley Road) lies between vertical stone-wall banks, making exit from the river all but impossible at moderate-to-high flows.

DO NOT PUT ON DURING HEAVY RAINFALL OR WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IMMINENT! Water will rise very quickly with heavy rains, easily going from 'too low' to 'too high' (DANGEROUS/DEADLY) in just minutes as water pours off of all the buildings, pavement and other impermiable surfaces. (Wait until the peak of the rain is past before putting on.)

Paddlers are strongly advised not to run with a single craft (just one solo or tandem canoe or kayak). In the event of an 'out of boat experience' (at moderate-to-high flows), you are not likely to reclaim your boat and any loose gear until it reaches the slackwater of the harbor (or at least somewhere downstream of Miller Park). All boaters should be using a Type-1 (wearable) PFD (Personal Floatation Device, that is, a 'life jacket'), fastened securely! Do not rely on seat-cushion or 'throwable' floatation.

NOTE: An old low bridge at Hawley Road has been removed. Large quarried limestone rock-rubble now lines the river-right bank in this area. This makes access and egress quite possible here, but extreme caution is urged. Even fairly decent sized rocks are likely to be quite unstable, shifting suddenly under your weight, making footing very treacherous. A fall here (especially while carrying a boat) could be very painful.

Access Issues

Access virtually anyplace on this stream may be problematic. While many runs of various parts of this river have been done without incident or hassle, we are also aware of groups which have been stopped from putting in.

Milwaukee County code 47.13 provides:

"No person shall, without written permission of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture, place upon the lagoons, rivers, or any of the waters under the control of the department, any float, boat, or other watercraft, nor land or touch with a boat upon any part of the shores not designated as a landing place. Non-motorized and non-trailered floats, boats, or other watercraft may be used on rivers controlled by the parks department without written approval of the park director."

Boiled down, the first part appears to restrict how and where it may be legal to put-in or get out, even to stretch or empty your boat (only with written permission, or at 'designated landing sites'), while the second part re-affirms your right to be on the river, so long as you have otherwise arranged legal put-in and take-out or used a "designated landing place".

The trick is, no public record presently exists as to whether or where any such designated landing places are located on this river! It is illegal to access the river from any of the (county park) golf courses. Similarly, (reportedly) Wauwatosa bans river access from it's city parks (EG, Hart Park), and is quite aggressive at enforcement.

There are some groups working to have the county designate (and make publicly known) a list of legal carry-in boat launches for rivers within the county, and the current Milwaukee County parks director is reportedly quite receptive to doing so. Stay tuned for updates on this, as they become available! At present, the best legal opinion appears to be that the listed put-in is not legal, but we strongly feel it should be on the forthcoming list of designated launch sites.

Also, there are those who suggest that (within Milwaukee County and elsewhere) it is legal to launch within a few feet of any of the 'state highway' streets, such as Capitol Drive (WI-190), Mayfair Road (WI-100), or 76th Street (WI-181). The logic is that the right-of-way (for the highway and its shoulders/ditches/culverts) at such locations is technically under state (not city or county) jurisdiction, and the state's charter assures you the right to freely pass from one transportation corridor (the road) to another (the river). Some sources go further to suggest that any public street crossing or public transportation bridge will suffice for carry-in launch, again citing the right to pass from one 'public transportation corridor' to another. However, I'm not certain that you would be successful using this argument with any official who chose to take issue with your presence. In general, boaters are advised (if and when confronted by any authority) to cooperate fully, move along, and try a different spot, a different time, or move on to a different run.

It is highly recommended (regardless where you put-in) to use 'Commando-style' put-in: be as 'invisible' as you can, if possible shuttle boats inside a vechicle (so you don't 'advertise' your presence, and have to spend time untieing them), be already dressed and ready to hit the river, spend as little time as possible on shore before putting in.

 Alternatively, boaters may put in in a village park in the village of Butler (Waukesha County), which adds nearly six miles of lower gradient paddling, with a few additional riffles and rips, as well as a couple possible minor surf waves at certain (low-to-moderate) water levels. Expect to contend with some deadfall, and there may be some golf course bridges on this upper reach which may be problematic at moderate-to-high flows.

Any boaters who do opt to put-in upstream of Hoyt Park (or North Avenue) are advised that immediately after the confluence of Underwood Creek and the Menomonee River (just downstream from North Avenue), one encounters a drive-thru in a golf course. At extreme high flows, you can boat over it. At lower flows, this will be problematic. Further upriver, at the upstream edge of Currie Park, another very low bridge precludes safe passage even down to fairly low water levels.

Run Detail

Early in the run (at low-to-moderate flows) one encounters a number of riverwide waves in a generally uniform width, unobstructed channel. (At higher flows, these tend to wash out and become swiftwater choppy waves.) As you approach a railroad track and a lefthand bend, you'll encounter a nice series of riffles (or standing waves at higher flows), leading into 'downtown' 'Tosa. (A footbridge here may accumulate wood -- it would be wise to check this out before making your run.) Passing through Hart Park and under a footbridge, you may encounter additional wave-train leading to the confluence with Honey Creek. Flatwater, minor swifts and shoals will bring you to the trestles of a defunct bridge at Jacobus Park. Approach these with caution, as they often accumulate strainers. Long branches regularly block the entire right and center channel, and may not be readily apparent until it is difficult to avoid them. It may be a good idea to stop along the parkway road while setting shuttle to scout this area before putting on.

From this point the gradient increases, and the sloping bedrock (and a few random large rocks) create more interesting waves and holes. At certain levels, some will be regainable, though more often they tend to be 'surf-on-the-fly'.

Take-out is at an area of channelization just downstream of 45th Street, before the river re-enters a cement ditch. Large rock rubble lines the channel, making footing treacherous. At higher boatable waterlevels, most of the rock will be covered, allowing you to float over them to take out on the paved approach to the river. However, be aware of foot entrapment concerns if out of your boat but still in the water in this area. These rocks will make exit from the river awkward when the water level is lower, and you will have to carry out across those rocks. Watch your footing!

CAUTION: It is most strongly recommended not to proceed beyond recommended takeout without full knowledge and scouting of what lies below. The river becomes a walled-in cement ditch, caroming off RR bridge piers and having no eddies for the next mile until reaching the parking lots at Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers' baseball stadium). While there may be a couple playable waves (or potentially interesting features, notably under both railroad trestle/crossings), in general it is just a featureless flush and (again, being a cement ditch which has caused flush-drownings of kids from time to time) is likely to be viewed as off-limits by any law enforcement officials who may see you. Additionally, virtually right at the listed take-out is one of the sites for CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) dumping into the river, and high water means strong likelihood of CSO affecting the river downstream.

At times of heavy rains, CSO may affect this reach below Honey Creek / 70th Street. MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District) updates their website (supposedly every five minutes!) with information regarding the deep tunnel and various processing sites, as well as with information regarding any CSO which happens in the system. Check it out at: MMSD Storm Update. It should be noted, however, that water quality suffers heavy fecal coliform loads even absent a CSO. Best explanations seem to be contamination from Underwood Creek (and the Milwaukee Zoo), as well as pet wastes (dog feces).

Additional useful information may be found in the "Flow Info" tab.