Community

Rivers

Program

Community

Rivers

Program

Coming Together For Clean Water

We all benefit from having clean and healthy rivers. That's why we're coming together as a community to plan, design, and build projects that will keep our stretch of the Milwaukee River beautiful and livable for generations to come.

The Need

NEW FOCUS

Pollution continues to be a serious concern in the Milwaukee River, with our friends at Milwaukee Riverkeeper only giving the overall health of the river a "D+" on their most recent report card. Amazing efforts are being made in Milwaukee's urban areas to improve the health of the river, but less attention has been paid to rural and suburban parts of the watershed. We know making a river that is swimmable, fishable, and liveable for all requires the cooperation and effort of all communities along its banks, and we want to help do just that

THE MISSION

Connecting rural and suburban communities with their watershed to inspire appreciation, educate, and enable positive land management changes.

THE VISION

Healthier ecosystems and communities within the Upper Milwaukee River Watershed.

How It Works

In each Healthy River Community, we're taking a three-pronged approach to transforming a community's relationship with the Milwaukee River. Ultimately, we hope to develop a model that is replicable across the region, creating long term sustainability in the health of the Milwaukee River watershed. In each participating community, we'll work to:

Inspire

We protect the things we care about. That's why one of the first steps of the project is reaching out to residents and helping them to develop a passion for and connection with the Milwaukee River watershed right in their own backyards! From kayaking programs to community wide festivals to door to wastershed tours to tours of homes, we want to make sure everyone sees and feels the incredible value of being a Milwaukee River community.

Inform

We know most people want to make a difference, and that often the only thing holding them back is the knowledge of what they can do. That's why we'll be offering one-on-one programming, property owner workshops, water quality monitoring, storm drain stenciling, and more that makes the problems (and more importantly, their solutions!) easy to understand and act on.

Engage

Working hand in hand with land owners, elected officials, scientists, and stakeholder groups, we'll coordinate discussions, trainings, and resources aimed at empowering communities and their residents to implement best practices for keeping their river healthy and clean. This isn't top-down regulation, but instead bottom-up change emanating from community members working together to design a plan that best fits their own town, village, or city.

Where we're headed.

In 2017, we launched the Community Rivers Program with our neighbors in the Village of Newburg, the first Healthy River Community in the state. In 2018, we're so excited to have the Villages of Saukville and Grafton join Newburg in the Community Rivers family.

We won't be stopping there, however! Each year, the Community Rivers Program will work hand-in-hand with new towns, villages, or cities to become a Healthy River Community and to inspire new connections with and care for their stretch of the Milwaukee River.

Upcoming Events

Ready to join the excitement? Here's a sneak peak of some of the fun we have planned for our 2018 Healthy River Communities starting this summer. The best part? All activities are FREE to residents. We'll have more details and events as the summer approaches. Want to stay updated on all the fun? Sign up here for the Community Rivers email list and we'll share upcoming events!

In Newburg

May 30, 2018, 6 to 8 PM @ Riveredge: Community Rivers Program Town Hall Meeting (For Residents of Newburg, Saukville, and Grafton, and others in the Upper Milwaukee River Watershed. Find out more and RSVP here.)

June 1, 2018, 5:30 to 7:30 PM @ TBD Location: Kayaking the Milwaukee River (Register here.)

June 2, 2018, starting at 9 AM @ the Newburg Fireman's Picnic: Kid's Fishing Derby! (No need to pre-register. Registration starts at 9 AM with the competition starting at 9:30 AM. Learn more here.)

September 23, 2018, 2 to 5:30 PM @ Riveredge: CRP Crawfish Catch & Boil Community Potluck (For residents of Newburg and Saukville- stay tuned for registration.)

In Saukville

May 30, 2018, 6 to 8 PM @ Riveredge: Community Rivers Program Town Hall Meeting (For Residents of Newburg, Saukville, and Grafton, or others in the Upper Milwaukee River Watershed. Learn more and RSVP here.)

July 28, 2018, 9 AM to 12 PM @ Peninsula Park: Milwaukee River Cleanup (No registration needed, stay tuned for further details!)

August 24, 2018, 5:30 to 7:30 PM @ TBD Location: Kayaking the Milwaukee River (Stay tuned for registration.)

September 23, 2018, 2 to 5:30 PM @ Riveredge: CRP Crawfish Catch & Boil Community Potluck (For residents of Newburg and Saukville- stay tuned for registration.)

In Grafton

May 30, 2018, 6 to 8 PM @ Riveredge: Community Rivers Program Town Hall Meeting (For residents of Newburg, Saukville, and Grafton, or others in the Upper Milwaukee Watershed. Learn more and RSVP here.)

July 19, 2018, 4 to 7 PM @ Veterans Memorial Park: Family Fishing Afternoon (No need to pre-register! Learn more here.)

August 3, 2018, 5:30 to 7:30 PM @ Veterans Memorial Park: Kayak the Milwaukee River (Register through the Grafton Parks and Rec Department here.)

August 25, 2018, 9 AM to 12 PM @ Lime Kiln Park: Milwaukee River River Clean Up (No need to pre-register! Learn more here.)

Let's work together

If you have any questions on the Community Rivers Program would like more information, or just want to get involved, please don't hesitate to reach out to Mandie Zopp, Riveredge's Director of Research and Conservation, at 262-375-2715, mzopp@riveredge.us, or through this contact form! We look forward to connecting with you!

The Community Rivers Program is an initiative of...