Sheridan Park bluff collapse is an emergency with broad implications!
June 15, 2026 | Topics: Issues, Spotlight
By Eddee Daniel and Pat Jursik
The County’s cherished Oak Leaf Trail is mere yards away from the cliff edge. And it is closer than ever after the latest catastrophic bluff collapse. Temporary plastic fencing has been erected to keep the curious away from the dangerous precipice. April’s record-breaking rainfall, along with a unique storm that brought exceptionally severe easterly winds off the lake caused the top of the bluff to slump towards the lake at the very spot where the Oak Leaf Trail comes particularly close to the edge (see aerial photo below). South Sheridan Drive and the houses that line it are next in line if the erosion continues to eat away at the bluff—which it inexorably will if funding is not quickly obtained to implement essential erosion controls.
It is clearly an emergency and it has gotten everyone’s attention, from the neighbors most impacted to park and trail users, to elected officials at many levels of government. But it is an emergency that has long been foreseen and might have been mitigated. Milwaukee County officials and parks staff have known about the problem for years. Since 2008 there have been three previous Federal Storm Disaster Declarations that cited bluff damage in Milwaukee County. Unfortunately, claims for federal disaster funding were denied.1
Erosion is a natural process, of course. The very presence of lake bluffs is the result of millenniums of erosion in the wake of the glaciers that carved out lake Michigan. But human intervention has at times exacerbated the problems; and at times has alleviated them. One attempt to reduce erosion at Sheridan Park was the installation of a row of jetties or groins, known collectively as a “groin field.” Despite being in poor condition the center stretch of the park’s shoreline is still protected by the groins that remain in place. That section of the bluff is thickly vegetated and secure. But the groin field has the unfortunate unintended consequence of causing more erosion to occur at either end.
The current emergency involves the collapse at the north end of the groin field. The erosion at the south end of the park is arguably worse. However, there is a somewhat greater buffer there between the cliff edge and the road and Oak Leaf Trail. Still, it’s only a matter of time before the current emergency recurs in that location. Possible solutions that have been studied include extending the groin field and building revetments at the base of the cliffs. Revetments are basically barricades that buttress the base of a cliff to prevent the movement of lake water from wearing away the bluff.2
The problem at Sheridan Park, therefore, isn’t one of inattention; nor is it one of absence of potential solutions. The problem is a lack of funding. Which is a much larger problem than this single instance of a failure to proactively prevent an impending calamity, as significant as it is.
Preserve Our Parks is committed to doing everything we can to address both the current emergency and the long-term, systemic issue of inadequate funding for parks. Here is our message to County Executive David Crowley:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Preserve Our Parks, I am writing to express our deep concern regarding the rapidly deteriorating bluff at Sheridan Park and to urge immediate action to protect this treasured public asset.
Recent storms, heavy rainfall, and high winds have dramatically accelerated bluff erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline. What was once a long-term challenge has now become an urgent threat to the Oak Leaf Trail, public safety, critical infrastructure, and one of Milwaukee County’s most beloved parks. Residents, park users, local elected officials, and Milwaukee County Parks staff have all recognized the seriousness of the situation. The condition of the bluff can no longer be viewed as a future problem—it is a present crisis.
Sheridan Park is more than a neighborhood park. It is a regional destination that serves walkers, runners, cyclists, families, and visitors from throughout Milwaukee County and beyond. The Oak Leaf Trail is one of the crown jewels of our park system, connecting communities and providing recreation, transportation, and access to the Lake Michigan shoreline. The potential loss of this resource would have consequences far beyond the boundaries of Cudahy.
Preserve Our Parks strongly supports Milwaukee County’s efforts to pursue FEMA assistance and any other available state or federal funding sources to address this emergency. We encourage your administration to make stabilization of the Sheridan Park bluff a top priority and to work collaboratively with municipal, county, state, and federal partners to secure the resources necessary to protect the shoreline before further damage occurs.
At the same time, Sheridan Park serves as a powerful reminder of a larger challenge facing Milwaukee County Parks. Climate-related impacts, aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and emergency repairs are becoming more frequent and more costly. Yet our parks system continues to rely on funding mechanisms that leave little capacity to respond when crises arise.
When a bluff collapses, a bridge fails, a shoreline erodes, or critical infrastructure is threatened, Milwaukee County Parks should not be forced to compete with other pressing county obligations for limited resources. Our parks are essential public infrastructure. They deserve a stable, sustainable funding source capable of addressing both ongoing maintenance needs and unexpected emergencies.
This situation underscores the importance of exploring long-term solutions, including the creation of a dedicated parks district. A parks district would provide the financial stability necessary to proactively address challenges like Sheridan Park before they become emergencies, while ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the parks, trails, natural areas, and recreational opportunities that define Milwaukee County’s quality of life.
We appreciate your leadership and your commitment to preserving Milwaukee County’s park system. Preserve Our Parks stands ready to support efforts to secure emergency funding for Sheridan Park and to participate in broader conversations about creating sustainable funding solutions for the future of our parks.
The erosion occurring today at Sheridan Park is a warning. We have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to respond not only to the immediate crisis but also to the underlying funding challenges that have left our park system vulnerable. We hope Milwaukee County will seize that opportunity.
Sincerely,
Patricia Jursik
President, Preserve Our Parks
Sheridan Park is far from the only place where erosion threatens the stability of park land and safety of park users. The photos that accompany this article include other examples as well.
For more information about the Sheridan Park bluff stabilization effort go to the Milwaukee County Parks website.
To learn more about Sheridan Park and the other lakeshore parks along Milwaukee County’s south shore go to our Find-a-Park page for Sheridan Park or String of Pearls.
Related story:
It’s Time to Give Milwaukee Parks the Funding Stability They Deserve
Notes:
1. Milwaukee County Parks website: https://www.mkecountyparks.org/bluff-stabilization-sheridan-park
2. US Army Corps of Engineers: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Engineering/Channel-Improvement-and-Stabilization-Program/Revetment-Types/
Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks and, Program Director of A Wealth of Nature, and editor of The Natural Realm. Milwaukee County Parks Department is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.
About Preserve Our Parks
Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces. Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine.
For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces. More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.