News

Act now to protect County Conservationists program

May 8, 2013

County Conservationists are one of the most valuable river protection resources we have in Wisconsin and we need your help to prevent this big blow to the program.

Call your representative now and let them know that you support restoring funds to Land Conservation Department staff in the 2013-2015 Biennial Budget to protect our waters from soil erosion and polluted runoff.

Riverkeeper advocates for upholding NR 150

May 7, 2013

river Riverkeeper has joined with the Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter and other partners to urge the Department of Natural Resources to uphold strong environmental protections currently in place through the Wisconsin law NR 150.

The Wisconsin DNR has proposed changes that would weaken NR 150. Changes include:

The fight against coal ash in Lake Michigan

May 7, 2013

After many years of polluting Lake Michigan with toxic coal ash, the SS Badger Ferry was granted yet another exemption from the EPA, allowing the ferry to keep dumping ash into the lake for two additional years.

Riverkeeper and many partners have signed on to comments urging the US Dept of Justice not to grant the exemption.

Maude Barlow: Protecting the Great Lakes

May 3, 2013

lake michigan The Journal Sentinel published an editorial by Great Lakes activist and author Maude Barlow, titled Protecting the Great Lakes. Barlow writes:

The Great Lakes are in serious trouble. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are at their lowest levels since record keeping began in 1918, and the levels of Lakes Superior, Ontario and Erie are also well below average.

Act Now: Urge your senator to preserve Great Lakes funding!

April 24, 2013

Senators Levin and Kirk are circulating four appropriations letters (attached below) that support funding for important Great Lakes programs, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

These letters also support blocking Asian Carp and funding NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Program, the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, and the International Joint Commission.

Court Orders EPA to Move Forward on Power Plant Water Pollution Rule

April 24, 2013

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circut issued a decision today that ensures the Environmental Protection Agency will have to meet a court-ordered deadline to issue regulations that finally clean up power plant water pollution. Last Friday, the EPA proposed a series of regulatory options for this pollution, and today’s decision rejects utility industry efforts to derail the schedule for finalizing a rule in May, 2014.

Sewage discharges threaten rivers

April 24, 2013

Combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood spilled 524.9 million gallons of untreated wastewater to local rivers and Lake Michigan last Thursday and Friday, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said Monday.

This is on top of 594.8 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater discharged from April 10 to 13.

Thousands of volunteers join Spring Cleanup

April 24, 2013

Cleanup Three thousand volunteers lent a hand to Riverkeeper's 18th Annual Spring River Cleanup on Saturday, picking up trash, pulling out invasive species, and beautifying our natural environment.

Despite weeks of wet weather and swollen rivers, volunteers were eager to seize a moment of sun and join the cleanup.

WUWM talks with Cheryl about impacts of high water

April 19, 2013

Cheryl spoke with WUWM's Bob Bach about high water levels and how they affect the health of area rivers:

"The environmental group Milwaukee Riverkeeper is keeping watch of the bigger rivers in the Milwaukee watershed. Cheryl Nenn says you can spot places where the extraordinary volume of water and its velocity are damaging riverbanks, including stone walls built by the WPA."

Obama budget promises support for Great Lakes cleanup

April 11, 2013

lake michigan Thanks to the many people who called on their legislators to defend Great Lakes funding, Obama's draft budget includes $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a critical project that supports cleanup efforts throughout the Great Lakes. But we still need to to call on Congress to make sure this budget provision gets passed!