Milwaukee's lakefront prepares for climate change

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We're in for showers and possibly a thunderstorm today, mostly after 4 p.m. So far, this has been Milwaukee's third-rainiest spring on record . Warmer temperatures are coming for the weekend, and small chances for more rain.

Milwaukee's lakefront prepares for climate change

As climate change brings rising levels for Lake Michigan , operators of Milwaukee lakefront attractions such as the Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World and Summerfest are working to protect those properties, Tom Daykin reports .

That includes a new flood mitigation project at the War Memorial Center that's costing Milwaukee County taxpayers more than $600,000. The county is also studying the effects of increased coastal erosion − another climate change consequence − at more than a dozen lakefront parks.

Summerfest operators completed flood mitigation projects in response to record high water levels in 2019, for example. Discovery World installed flood panels "that effectively protected our lowest point from water intrusion" after high lake levels in 2018, said Carl Schoettel, chief operations officer.

"If need be, we can increase the effective coverage of the area due to future storms or rising lake levels," Schoettel said. "For us, it’s all about following the science."

Criticisms, clarifications of UWM's deal with protesters

The tents have come down at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. But Kelly Meyerhofer and Sophie Carson continue to follow the story .

UW System President Jay Rothman issued an unusually critical statement earlier this week, saying he was "disappointed by the course taken by UW-Milwaukee" and was reviewing the decision-making behind the deal.

Rothman's response came after local Jewish groups criticized the deal , arguing UWM Chancellor Mark Mone caved to student protesters' demands and failed to support Jewish students. They also called on the UW Board of Regents to negate the deal.

And on Tuesday, the Water Council, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit referenced in the UWM agreement, said the university had mischaracterized the council's actions in the deal. The nonprofit clarified it hadn't engaged with two Israeli-government-owned water companies since 2019 and it "has no formal ties, ongoing projects or financial interests with any company or organization in Israel."

Don't miss these

• Republicans continue to push for changes to the RNC protest area, but the U.S. Secret Service looks unlikely to alter its plans .
• Alec Johnson has a roundup of Milwaukee-area high school graduations , including dates, times and locations.
• Here are four new businesses opening in Glendale and Fox Point , including an indoor sports facility and a buy-sell-trade store for LEGOs.
• Froedtert plans to open a new primary care clinic on Milwaukee's east side early next year. Another is set to open in Shorewood next month.
• You can catch nearly 50 free performances of Shakespeare's plays around Milwaukee and in state parks this summer.
• By the time you're reading this, the Green Bay Packers' 2024 schedule will be announced. Here's our live coverage recap .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's lakefront prepares for climate change