Editing Mequon, Wisconsin (section)

==Geography==

Mequon is located at {{coord|43|13|27|N|87|57|36|W|type:city}} (43.224243, &minus;87.960094), about {{convert|15|mi}} north of Milwaukee and is part of the [[Milwaukee metropolitan area]].<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|48.77|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|46.28|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|2.49|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=November 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref> As of 2005, Mequon was the third-largest city in terms of land area in the state of [[Wisconsin]].<ref>[http://www.lwm-info.org/vertical/Sites/%7B92F7D640-E25A-4317-90AD-4976378A8F8D%7D/uploads/%7B3468C14F-4B58-4594-9571-E14499B23DD9%7D.PDF Estimated Population per Square Mile of Land Area, Wisconsin Municipalities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005025257/http://www.lwm-info.org/vertical/Sites/%7B92F7D640-E25A-4317-90AD-4976378A8F8D%7D/uploads/%7B3468C14F-4B58-4594-9571-E14499B23DD9%7D.PDF|date=October 5, 2011}}. The cities of [[Milwaukee]] (96.14 sq mi) and [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]] (75.40 sq mi) are larger. Green Bay (45.53 sq mi) is the next largest city. The village of [[Kronenwetter]] is also larger, as are more than 200 [[Political subdivisions of Wisconsin#Town|towns]].</ref> Though much of the population lives in residential areas, approximately half of the land within the city's boundaries is undeveloped or farmed.<ref name=Citywebsite>{{cite web|title=Home - City of Mequon website|url=http://www.ci.mequon.wi.us/|work=City of Mequon website|publisher=City of Mequon|access-date=November 29, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Thiensville, Wisconsin|Village of Thiensville]] is an [[enclave]] in central Mequon. The city is also bordered by the [[Cedarburg (town), Wisconsin|Town of Cedarburg]], [[Cedarburg, Wisconsin|City of Cedarburg]], and [[Grafton (town), Wisconsin|Town of Grafton]] to the north; [[Lake Michigan]] to the east; the [[Bayside, Wisconsin|Village of Bayside]], [[River Hills, Wisconsin|Village of River Hills]], [[Brown Deer, Wisconsin|Village of Brown Deer]], and [[Milwaukee|City of Milwaukee]] to the south; and the [[Germantown, Wisconsin|Village of Germantown]] to the west.

[[File:MequonLakeMichigan.jpg|thumb|The clay bluffs in Virmond Park along Lake Michigan]]

The city is located on the western shore of [[Lake Michigan]], and the coastline is characterized by clay [[Cliff|bluffs]] ranging from {{convert|80|to|140|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} in height with deep [[ravine]]s where streams flow into the lake. Clay bluffs are a geological formation characteristic of the Lake Michigan shoreline, and are found in few other areas of the world. Much of the coast has mixed gravel and sand beaches.<ref name="Resources">{{cite web|title=Inventory of Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources|url=https://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/813/Comprehensive-Plan-2035-Chapter-3?bidId=|publisher=Ozaukee County|access-date=January 20, 2020|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603184214/https://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/813/Comprehensive-Plan-2035-Chapter-3?bidId=|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Coastal">{{cite web|title=Central Lake Michigan Coastal Ecological Landscape|url=https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Landscapes/documents/1805Ch8.pdf#view=Fit|publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources|access-date=January 20, 2020}}</ref>

The city is located in the [[Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains (ecoregion)|Southeastern Wisconsin glacial till plains]] that were created by the [[Wisconsin glaciation]] during the most recent ice age. The soil is clayey glacial [[till]] with a thin layer of [[loess]] on the surface. The city has some [[limestone]] deposits, including the [[Devonian]] Thiensville formation in north-central Mequon and the [[Silurian]] Little Menomonee River Reef District, which contains [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] marine fossils. The [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]] considers the eastern part of the city along the lake to be in the Central Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape, while the western part of the city is in the Southern Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape.<ref name="Resources"/>

The [[Milwaukee River]] and its [[tributary]] Pigeon Creek flow through the eastern part of the city. Little Menomonee Creek and the Little Menomonee River, which are tributaries of the [[Menomonee River]], flow through western Mequon.<ref name="GR3"/>

Before white settlers arrived in the area, Mequon was an upland forest dominated by [[American beech]] and [[sugar maple]] trees. There is also a large [[tamarack]] swamp along the Little Menomonee River. Much of the original forest was cleared to prepare the land for agriculture.<ref name=Resources />

As land development continues to reduce wild areas, wildlife is forced into closer proximity with human communities like Mequon. Large mammals, including [[white-tailed deer]], [[coyotes]], and [[red fox]]es can be seen in the city. Many birds, including [[chimney swift]]s, [[great blue heron]]s, and [[wild turkey]]s are found in the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin |url=https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Landscapes/documents/1805Ch18.pdf#view=Fit |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |access-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref> The city is also home to many rare and notable species, including the state-designated endangered [[pinedrops]] and [[heartleaf plantain]]; threatened [[forked aster]], [[snow trillium]], and [[Gentiana alba|yellow gentian]]; as well as [[American gromwell]] and [[twinleaf]], which are state-designated special concern plant species.<ref name=Resources />

The region struggles with many invasive species, including the [[emerald ash borer]], [[common carp]], [[reed canary grass]], the [[Phragmites|common reed]], [[purple loosestrife]], [[garlic mustard]], [[Rhamnus (plant)|Eurasian buckthorns]], and [[honeysuckle]]s.<ref name="Coastal"/>

===Climate===

Mequon experiences four distinct [[season]]s, with variation in precipitation and temperature being very wide. The warmest month of the year tends to be July, when the high temperature averages {{convert|81|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, with low temperatures of approximately {{convert|59|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. January is the coldest month in Mequon, with average high temperatures averaging only {{convert|27|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, and lows averaging {{convert|11|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Mequon was {{convert|105|°F|°C|abbr=on}} on July 24, 1935, and again on July 17, 1995. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was {{convert|-40|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, on January 17, 1982, also known as [[Cold Sunday]].<ref name=TWC>{{cite web|title=Average Weather for Mequon, WI - Temperature and Precipitation|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USWI0443|work=weather.com|publisher=The Weather Channel|access-date=November 29, 2012}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Mequon, Wisconsin
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 27
|Feb high F = 31
|Mar high F = 42
|Apr high F = 55
|May high F = 66
|Jun high F = 76
|Jul high F = 81
|Aug high F = 79
|Sep high F = 72
|Oct high F = 59
|Nov high F = 45
|Dec high F = 31
|Jan low F = 11
|Feb low F = 14
|Mar low F = 24
|Apr low F = 35
|May low F = 44
|Jun low F = 54
|Jul low F = 59
|Aug low F = 57
|Sep low F = 49
|Oct low F = 38
|Nov low F = 28
|Dec low F = 16
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.60
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.50
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.90
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.66
|May precipitation inch = 3.66
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.11
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.06
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.11
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.52
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.65
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.47
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.72
|source 1 = The Weather Channel<ref name=TWC/>
|date=November 2012
}}