--- title: Silver Creek Pilot Project | NEW Water description: NEW Water launched the Silver Creek Pilot Project in 2014 to reduce phosphorus and sediment through partnerships with nonpoint sources. --- ![Silver Creek Watershed](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Top%20Hero%20Banners/Silver%20Creek%20Banner.jpg) # Silver Creek Pilot Project ## Reducing Phosphorous and Nutrient Runoff in Northeast Wisconsin With phosphorus and nutrient run-off in the news these days, NEW Water is working on its own phosphorus reduction plan, in order to meet its permit requirements with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). ![GLRI Logo](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Logos/GLRI%20Logo%20SEPT%202015.jpg)In lieu of facility upgrades to further reduce phosphorus discharge, estimated to cost more than $100 million, the DNR is allowing point sources, such as NEW Water, to pursue Adaptive Management (AM), which would allow utilities to work with partners in the watershed to reduce phosphorus. NEW Water considers the issue a community-wide problem needing a community-wide solution. NEW Water undertook the Silver Creek Watershed Pilot Project starting in 2014 to gain firsthand experience in phosphorus and sediment reductions through partnerships with nonpoint sources. [Click here to view the map of Silver Creek.](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Images/silver-creek-pilot-project-map.jpg?hsLang=en-us) ![Erin at Silver Creek Bank](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Images/Erin%20at%20Silver%20Creek%20Bank.jpg) Many stakeholders collaborated on the Silver Creek project, which included: field and stream surveying, inventory of stream bank erosion and in-stream sediment deposition, soil and stream bank sediment sampling plan, stream monitoring, landowner interviews, field walks, installation of best management practices (BMPs), and analysis of data. The Silver Creek team included agronomists, who worked with farmers throughout this 4,800-acre sub-watershed, in attempts to achieve .075 mg/liter phosphorus levels in the stream, per state water quality standards as set out by the Wisconsin State Legislature. A U.S. Geological Survey monitoring station has been set up to take samples, as a variety of BMPs are implemented. Water quality monitoring continues during and after the pilot project. The data set is scientifically demonstrating the impact of the project. ![Screen Grab Water Knows Video-1-1](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Video%20Thumbnail%20Photos/Screen%20Grab%20Water%20Knows%20Video-1-1.png) What if we banded together for water? Watch our new video, "Water Knows No Boundaries," to see what can happen. Thank you to all Silver Creek Project Partners. ![Screen Shot 2020-06-10 at 4.19.21 PM](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202020-06-10%20at%204.19.21%20PM.png) Learn about "A Day in the Watershed". Watershed Specialist Erin Houghton explains different ways of sampling. #### Our Partners Partners on the Silver Creek Project include the [Oneida Nation](https://oneida-nsn.gov/), [US Fish and Wildlife Service](https://www.fws.gov/), [US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/), [US Geological Survey (USGS)](https://www.usgs.gov/), [UW Green Bay](https://www.uwgb.edu/), [Brown County](https://www.browncountywi.gov/departments/land-water-conservation/general-information/) and [Outagamie County](https://www.outagamie.org/government/f-through-m/land-conservation) Land and Water Conservation Departments, [The Nature Conservancy](https://www.nature.org/en-us/), [Ducks Unlimited](https://www.ducks.org/), [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/), and the private agronomists. Jacobs has been retained to facilitate the project. Project funders include [The Fund for Lake Michigan](https://fundforlakemichigan.org/), [NRCS](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/), and [Ducks Unlimited ](https://www.ducks.org/) and NRDA. This project has also received a $1.67 million grant from the [Great Lakes Restoration Initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency](https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes) under an assistance agreement to NEW Water. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document. #### What's New - [2019 Final Silver Creek Stakeholder Meeting](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/2019-Final-Silver-Creek-Stakeholder-Meeting-Lowres.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Stakeholder Meeting 12-2018](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/StakeholderMeeting_12-18-2018-lowres-v2.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Fact Sheet 2019](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/2019_SilverCreek_FactSheet_FINAL.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Conservation Signs Posted 10-2019](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/Signs-Doc.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [GLRI Semi-Annual Report #10 4-2020](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Silver%20Creek%20%2000E01450%20Semi%20%2310%204_30_2020.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Water Quality Review](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/AWRA-poster-2018_FINAL.pdf?hsLang=en-us) #### Additional Information - [Silver Creek Pilot Project Report](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/SilverCreekPilot_FinalReport_FINAL_4.18.2022.pdf?hsLang=en-us) ## Past Updates - [Silver Creek Fact Sheet 2018](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/2018_SilverCreek_Landowner_FactSheet_final.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Adaptive Management Fact Sheet](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/AM-Fact-Sheet-2016.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Kick Off Meeting Presentation](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/silvercreekkickoffmtgppt-8-19-14.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Project Charter](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/silvercreek_charter_v2_9-8-14.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Map: Water Quality Sampling Locations and Land Use](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/silvercreek_charter_v2_9-8-14.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [GLRI Semi-Annual Report #8 3-2019](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/Website%20Files/PDFs/Silver-Creek-Semi-Rpt-8-Oct18-Mar19-Apr-30_2019.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Fact Sheet 2016](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Fact-Sheet-5-2016.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Fact Sheet 2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/2017_SilverCreek_Landowner_FactSheet_FINAL.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Stakeholder Meeting 12-2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/StakeholderMeeting_Final_Compiled_12-19-2017-V2.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Stakeholder Meeting Summary 12-2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/SilverCreekPilot-StakeholderMtg_Notes_12-19-2017-FINAL.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Reflections- Interseeder 12-2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/SilverCreekReflection-Interseeder-FINAL_v2.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [GLRI Semi-Annual Report #5 10-2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Semi-5-Apr-Sep2017-Oct30-.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Reflections- No Cost Critical Area Planting](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/SilverCreekReflection-NoCostCAP_FINAL.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Reflections- Aerial Seeding Cover Crops 2-2017](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Reflection-2-2017.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Water Quality Update 12-2016](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Water-Quality-Update-12-2016pdf.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Stakeholder Meeting 12-2016](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Stakeholder-Meeting-12-2016.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [GLRI Semi-Annual Report #3 10-2016](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/GLRI-Silver-Creek-Report-3-Oct-2016-2.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Silver Creek Project Update 3-2016](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Project-Update-3-2016.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Stakeholder Meeting Summary 9-2015](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Meeting-Summary-10-2015.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Stakeholder Meeting Presentation 9-2015](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Progress-Update-9-2015.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Progress Update 4-2015](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/Silver-Creek-Stakeholder-Meeting-4-2015.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Progress Update 12-2014](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/progress-update-12-2014.pdf?hsLang=en-us) - [Progress Update 11-2014 ](https://www.newwater.us/hubfs/PDFs/Silver%20Creek/Past%20Updates/progress-update-11-2014.pdf?hsLang=en-us)