Lakeshore Golf Course, Photo: www.insightonbusiness.com

What was once Oshkosh’s Lakeshore Golf Course is undergoing some big changes. Oshkosh Corporation is currently building their new headquarters on the former golf course, and the remaining 70 acres will be developed into Lakeshore Park.

Lakeshore Park will be nested along the Fox River and Lake Butte des Morts, and will offer visitors an opportunity to connect with the Winnebago System.

What do YOU want that connection to look like? Would you like to see fishing piers, shoreline restored to native vegetation, boat access, waterside trails, and/or a swimming area?

The Oshkosh Advisory Park Board is working with a consulting firm, SmithGroup, to create the park’s master plan. The park board will hold a public meeting June 10. This is your opportunity to weigh in to ensure that the park is developed in a water-friendly way. Here are some things you can advocate for:

  • Vegetated shorelines. More specifically, shorelines that have a natural land to water transition and include a diversity of native plants. Vegetated buffers work to slow down and absorb runoff, filter out pollutants, and prevent shoreline erosion. They also provide habitat for wildlife.
  • Pervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces create runoff because they do not absorb water. Parking lots, sidewalks, and trails can be made of pervious concrete, which allows water to soak through instead of run-off.
  • Rain gardens. Rain gardens are native plantings built in areas that naturally collect water. These serve to collect and filter run-off, as well as create wildlife habitat.
  • Rock infiltration or diversion areas. In areas where impervious surfaces are necessary, run-off can be directed to areas where it does have a chance to soak into the ground.

City leaders anticipate having a final plan done by October to present to the Oshkosh Common Council. The Lakeshore Park project could cost between three and four million dollars depending on the final plan. This new development will be a great addition to Oshkosh and is a fresh opportunity to improve water quality.

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

This post was written by Austin Pethan for the Winnebago Waterways Program. Questions or comments? Contact Austin at austin@fwwa.org or (920) 920-851-4295.