An earlier closure of the Oak Leaf Trail around the site of the former Cudahy Sportsmen’s Club in Warnimont Park was due to a remediation project underway by Milwaukee County Parks. The project aims to address soil contamination from years of accumulated shotgun detritus on the bluff and shoreline of Lake Michigan. The Oak Leaf Trail has since reopened; an orange fence surrounds the remediation site.

The club’s lease was terminated in 2104 for not honoring the terms of their lease to keep the property clean, and their lack of the necessary permit for operating a shooting operation into Lake Michigan as required by the WDNR and the Clean Water Act. Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors extended the termination date by one year to allow the club time to find a new location. The club elected to close its operations, and the site was finally vacated in Dec. 2015.

Further information can be found on the Milwaukee County Parks website: https://www.mkecountyparks.org/warnimont-gun-club-remediation