Natural flood management emphasizes strategic hydrologic restoration practices within a catchment (i.e., drainage) area to mitigate erosion hazards and restore the landscape’s natural ability to capture, store, infiltrate, and slowly release runoff. In this presentation, Kyle will provide an overview of a natural flood management initiative in the Lake Superior Basin aiming to reduce flood risks and create climate-resilient infrastructure. He will share results from a Phase 1 natural flood management assessment that explored vulnerabilities driven by erosion hazards and degraded hydrology in the Marengo River Watershed. Additionally, the presentation will highlight progress and lessons learned from the design phases of a catchment-scale natural flood management demonstration project funded by the Wisconsin State Legislature (2019 WI Act 157).

Kyle Magyera, Wisconsin Wetlands Association

Recorded March 10th, 2023

Kyle Magyera is WWA’s Local Government Outreach Specialist. He provides technical assistance to professional staff, local officials, citizens, and other groups with interest in or questions and concerns regarding wetland protection, restoration, and management. He has Master’s degrees in both Urban and Regional Planning and Water Resources Management from UW-Madison and more than ten years of experience working on wetland conservation and water policy issues with WWA and the Wisconsin DNR.

To view the Hazard Mitigation Plan Addendum – A Strategy for Natural Flood Management and Climate Resilient Infrastructure, visit https://co.ashland.wi.us and search “Hazard Mitigation Plan.”

Related content