Honey Creek, Wisconsin, US

Honey Creek Pkwy. to Menomonee R. (1.5 miles) ** ACCESS ISSUES **

City Cesspool Creeking

City Cesspool Creeking
Photo taken 04/26/11 @ 290 cfs

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
HONEY CREEK AT WAUWATOSA, WI
usgs-04087119	100 - 400 cfs	I(II)	23d02h42m	1.3 cfs (rc= -1.0 )
	Too low. Gauge (10.3 sq.mi. drainage) is on reach, so should be highly accurate. However, flow changes rapidly (<1 hour) with rain, defying the online-posting time-lag.

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: Wauwatosa (Milwaukee, WI).
Shuttle Length: 1.3 miles. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Half cement ditch, half citified-'natural' channel, this 'city cesspool creek' (water quality is horrendous!) trips down pourover 'ledges' through parkway before merging into the Menomonee River.

Put-in is approximately 680' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 635' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 45'.

General Overview

This reach might most properly be called an "Urban Bandit" run, since the legality of boating it is highly debatable. To our knowledge, there is no legal put-in due to a Milwaukee Ordinance which prohibits access from county parkland at any location other than designated launch/landing sites (unless one has the express written permission of the County Parks Director). County parkland flanks this entire reach, and no launch sites are designated hereupon. Additionally, some have questioned whether it qualifies as a 'navigable stream', since Wisconsin navigability laws do not apply to any 'artificial ditch'. However, since this was undeniably historically a 'river' (creek), it should not matter that it has been turned into a 'artificial ditch' (the first half-plus of the listed run is a completely cemented ditch, the other half-minus is somewhat more 'natural/channelized' stream). Court cases have determined that "an artificial channel connected to a natural and navigable body of water is public because it cannot exist on its own." Thus, even water in the cement ditch portion of the run must be recognized as 'public'.

Water quality is best characterized as urban sewer. While there are no known (permitted) MMSD sewer outfalls into the creek, the runoff from streets, parking lots, driveways, and yards is likely to contain such a high contaminant level as to be as bad as untreated sewage. Levels of E.Coli run almost a minimum of 1000 MPN/ 100 mL, which is the level at which beaches are closed. ('Advisories' are issued from 235 to 1000 MPN/100mL), and often run 10,000 to 100,000 and more!  (This is especially true during and immediately after state fair in early to mid August.) Additionally, this creek is most likely to hit 'runnable' flows most often at times of heavy rains which are likely to mean Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) will affect the Menomonee River (where you are likely to continue your run, down to it's normal take-out). It is therefore mostly recommended as a hike/scout to consider the possibilities, if it had been left in a more pristine state.

IF (in spite of all these warnings) you choose to do it, we would recommend a 'commando style' put-in -- be fully geared-up (with boats inside your vehicle, if possible), ready to grab-and-go with a minimum of time spent in plain sight. However, do NOT put in while it is on the rise (while it is still raining). Urban runoff means flow can easily rise by 100 cfs or more in just fifteen minutes! We also would have to recommend no flips, swims, or even face splashes, as well as wearing a dry-top/drysuit as a 'full-body condom' to avoid contact with the water. A shower/bath and clear-water rinse of all gear will be in order as soon as possible after the run. (And while medical experts would probably advise that it is of no real advantage, I always advise a little 'internal medicinal alcohol' be 'applied' to kill whatever river germs you may have inadvertently ingested!)

Run Detail

Four cement ledge 'pourovers' precede a section of (semi-) natural riverbed with mini-canyons and one more ('semi-natural') ledge drop. Most bridges span or immediately precede drops. Some drops could get very sticky at certain levels.

It is highly recommended to scout as much of the run as you can before putting on, or proceed downstream very cautiously, as almost any branches or trees in the river will be difficult (or impossible) to avoid or to get out and around! Almost the entire reach is either cement ditch or rock-wall and gabion reinforced banks, making exit from the river nearly impossible. Most of the reach is tree lined (and reasonably 'hidden' from the road and parkway), and is highly subject to deadfall and eroded banks dropping whole trees across the river. Thus, while the actual difficulty generally does not exceed class II+ to III, THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR BEGINNERS, GENERAL CANOEISTS, OR 'RECREATIONAL KAYAK' PADDLERS! The requisite paddling ability should be more in the class III+ to IV territory! NO SWIMS ALLOWED! If you can't catch an eddy (or don't know what that means!), and if you can't roll your boat, you should not even consider getting on this stream! If you flip (or swamp your canoe or kayak) and cannot 'self-rescue' (roll), expect to lose your paddle, and possibly your boat!

Anyone doing this (again, most likely illegal) run will probably continue downstream to enjoy the final 2 miles (and the best gradient) of the 'MenTosa' run, utilizing it's take-out.