There is an effort underway to privatize the Milwaukee Water Works system, an effort which is moving quickly and quietly. Milwaukee Riverkeeper has teamed up with area water advocates to fight the proposed privatization. Join us in the fight to keep Milwaukee's water resources public!
Milwaukee Riverkeeper has joined with citizens, fisherman, property owners and elected officials to call for the removal of the Estabrook Dam. Removing the dam will save millions in taxpayer money, while improving water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper (then known as Friends of the Menomonee River) orginally formed to protect the County Grounds in Wauwatosa from overdevelopment. Fourteen years later, we are returning to our roots to protect large portions of the County Grounds from being sold for development.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is working to establish a watershed-wide network of trained citizen volunteers who monitor streams and rivers, collecting information in a consistent and useable format.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper has begun work on a new project aimed at reducing bacteria and pathogen loads in the Menomonee River. Based on modeling by Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Comission (SEWRPC), bacteria from human fecal sources (fecal coliform bacteria) are much greater than anticipated at a section of the river between Burleigh Ave. and 60th St.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper worked in collaboration with groups locally and throughout the Great Lakes Region to advocate for passage of the Great Lakes Compact, to protect Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes from water diversions and other threats to lake health. We continue to monitor the implementation of the compact locally.
Can you imagine a city where the cosmopolitan wealth of culture cancoincide with the serene beauty of nature? Can you imagine a metropolitan area which lives and grows in harmony with the scenic and ecological virtues of wild lands? Urban Wilderness is a project aimed at imagining and visualizing these things.
SWAN is a network of adults aged 50+ who are advocates for Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's rivers. We offer training and workshops for those who want to speak out on behalf of area rivers. The next SWAN workshop is scheduled for August 26, 2009.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper, acting as part of the Milwaukee River Work Group, has been working to create a Central Park along the Milwaukee River Corridor between North Avenue and Silver Spring Drive. The Milwaukee River Work Group seeks to create a special zoning district that would protect the Milwaukee River Corridor, keeping the wild character of the area intact.
Each year Milwaukee Riverkeeper organizes thousands of volunteers to clean up rivers, streams and parks in the Milwaukee River Basin. Volunteers pull hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage out of waterways and surrounding land, improving wildlife habitat water quality and aesthetics.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is licensed by the Waterkeeper Alliance to protect our waterways. As the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, we identify sources of pollution on our rivers, respond to citizen complaints and concerns, and work to find solutions to water quality hazards. Our Riverkeeper Boat allows us to conduct weekly patrols of the Milwaukee River estuary.
We created this paddling guide and water trail to help local people access the downtown rivers. Whether you are a seasoned paddler or someone just getting started, you can use the water trail to help you get on the river!