Community Rivers Program Coming Together For Clean Water
events
Why Do we need CRP?
Pollution continues to be a serious concern in the Milwaukee River, with our friends at Milwaukee Riverkeeper recently giving the overall health of the river a “C-” on their 2021 report card, improving from the D+ grade in 2019.
The overall health grade of the Milwaukee River is increasing thanks to amazing efforts being made throughout the entire Basin to improve the health quality, but less attention has been paid to rural and suburban parts of the watershed where our Healthy River Communities are located.
We know making a river that is swimmable, fishable, and liveable for all requires the cooperation and effort of every community along its riverbanks, and we want to help do just that.
The Community Rivers Program takes a three-pronged approach to….
Inspire
We protect the things we care about. From kayaking programs to community-wide festivals to watershed tours, we want to make sure everyone sees and feels the incredible value of caring for our Milwaukee River and being a Healthy River Community.
Inform
Partnering communities are provided one-on-one property consultations, property owner workshops, family friendly programming and more that makes the problems (and more importantly, their solutions!) easy to understand and act on.
Engage
Working hand in hand with residents, land owners, elected officials, scientists, and stakeholder groups, we’ll coordinate programs, discussions, trainings, and resources aimed at empowering communities and their residents to implement best practices for keeping their river healthy and clean. This is bottom-up change emanating from community members working together to design a plan that best fits their own town, village, or city.
5 years
of partnering with rural communities to create healthier ecosystems and communities
5 Healthy River Communities
The Villages of Newburg, Saukville, Grafton, Kewaskum, and Fredonia
“I’ve never kayaked the Milwaukee River before and I was amazed with how beautiful it is. Getting in the river helped me appreciate the need to keep it clean and free of pollutants.”
– CRP Kayaking Participant
120+
programs offered (all communities, all years, combined)
3,100+
resident participants
“We are so grateful for the rain barrel we received, especially this year. It was very easy to install and it is hidden amongst our raspberry bushes!”
– CRP Rain Barrel Workshop Participant
45+
rain barrels installed
30+
stewardship projects completed in communities…everything from river clean-ups to water monitoring to prairie plantings!
50+
hours of land management consultations provided community residents
Upcoming CRP Events
Free Programming For All CRP Villages:
The Village of Newburg
Firemen’s Picnic Fishing Clinic
Saturday, June 3rd from 2:00-4:00pm at Firemen’s Park
CRP is hosting a free fishing clinic for children ages 3-16 during the Firemen’s Picnic from 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 3th!
Milwaukee River Paddle
Saturday, June 24th from 1:00-5:00pm at starting at Firemen’s Park & ending near Highway A
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Newburg residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide at Firemen’s Park for an unforgettable evening paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! The best part? Newburg residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Please use the Google Form to register.
The Village of Saukville
Milwaukee River Community Conversation
Tuesday, May 11th from 5:30-7:00pm, Oscar Grady Public Library
Join us for a Community Conversation about our local Milwaukee River! This is an open conversation to share thoughts and concerns regarding the health and quality of this local freshwater resource. We’ll identify issues and connections to the Milwaukee River and the Milwaukee River Watershed as a whole and develop strategies for reaching future aspirations. This event is free and pre-registration is not required.
Milwaukee River Paddle
Wednesday, June 7th from 5:00-8:00pm, starting at Waubedonia Park and ending at Ehlers County Park
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Saukville residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide starting at Waubedonia Park for an unforgettable afternoon paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! Kayaking will end near Ehlers Park. The best part? Saukville residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Please use the Google Form to register.
Family Fishing Fun
Thursday, July 6th from 4:30-6:30 at Ehlers County Park
Spend the afternoon on the banks of the Milwaukee River at Ehlers County Park with a pole in your hand and hopefully a few bites on your line! Learn how to tie a hook on your line, bait your hook, and safely cast your line into the water. With the assistance of a CRP team member, we will try to catch and identify the fish before releasing them back into their home: The Milwaukee River. Bait and poles provided on a first come, first serve basis or feel free to bring your own. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children 16 and under do not require a fishing license. Pre-registration is not required.
The Village of Grafton
Milwaukee River Community Conversation
Tuesday, May 16th from 6:00-7:30pm, USS Liberty Memorial Public Library
Join us for a Community Conversation about our local Milwaukee River! This is an open conversation to share thoughts and concerns regarding the health and quality of this local freshwater resource. We’ll identify issues and connections to the Milwaukee River and the Milwaukee River Watershed as a whole and develop strategies for reaching future aspirations. This event is free and pre-registration is not required.
Milwaukee River Paddle
Wednesday, June 28th from 5:00-7:00pm at Veterans Memorial Park in Grafton
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Grafton residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide at Veterans Memorial Park for an unforgettable evening paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! The best part? Grafton residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Registration is required and can be found through the Grafton Parks and Recreation Department Activity Guide.
Family Fishing Fun
Thursday, July 20th from 4:30-6:30 at Veterans Memorial Park
Spend the afternoon on the banks of the Milwaukee River at Veterans Memorial Park with a pole in your hand and hopefully a few bites on your line! Learn how to tie a hook on your line, bait your hook, and safely cast your line into the water. With the assistance of a CRP team member, we will try to catch and identify the fish before releasing them back into their home: The Milwaukee River. Bait and poles provided on a first come, first serve basis or feel free to bring your own. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children 16 and under do not require a fishing license. Pre-registration is required and can be found through the Grafton parks and Recreation Department Activity Guide.
Milwaukee River Paddle
Wednesday, August 23rd from 5:00-7:00pm at Veterans Memorial Park in Grafton
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Grafton residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide at Veterans Memorial Park for an unforgettable evening paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! The best part? Grafton residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Registration is required and can be found through the Grafton Parks and Recreation Department Activity Guide.
The Village of Fredonia
Milwaukee River Community Conversation
Thursday, May 18th from 5:00-6:30pm, Waubedonia Park near the Boat Launch
Join us for a Community Conversation about our local Milwaukee River along the Milwaukee River! This is an open conversation to share thoughts and concerns regarding the health and quality of this local freshwater resource. We’ll identify issues and connections to the Milwaukee River and the Milwaukee River Watershed as a whole and develop strategies for reaching future aspirations. This event is free and pre-registration is not required.
Milwaukee River Paddle
Wednesday, June 14th from 5:00-8:00pm, starting at Waubedonia Park and ending at Ehlers County Park
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Fredonia residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide starting at Waubedonia Park for an unforgettable afternoon paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! Kayaking will end near Ehlers Park. The best part? Fredonia residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Please use the Google Form to register.
Family Fishing Fun
Thursday, July 13th from 4:30-6:30 at Waubedonia Park meeting near the boat launch
Spend the afternoon on the banks of the Milwaukee River at Waubedonia Park with a pole in your hand and hopefully a few bites on your line! Learn how to tie a hook on your line, bait your hook, and safely cast your line into the water. With the assistance of a CRP team member, we will try to catch and identify the fish before releasing them back into their home: The Milwaukee River. Bait and poles provided on a first come, first serve basis or feel free to bring your own. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children 16 and under do not require a fishing license. Pre-registration is not required.
The Village of Kewaskum
Milwaukee River Community Conversation
Tuesday, May 23nd from 5:00-6:30pm, Kewaskum Public Library
Join us for a Community Conversation about our local Milwaukee River! This is an open conversation to share thoughts and concerns regarding the health and quality of this local freshwater resource. We’ll identify issues and connections to the Milwaukee River and the Milwaukee River Watershed as a whole and develop strategies for reaching future aspirations. This event is free and pre-registration is not required.
Milwaukee River Paddle
Wednesday, July 5th from 5:00-8:00pm at Lower River Hill Park
Paddling takes a mix of knowledge and skills! Village of Kewaskum residents are invited to join a Riveredge Adventure Guide at River Hill Park for an unforgettable evening paddling trip that will begin with safety and end with a splash! The best part? Kewaskum residents will have the chance to learn about their river and do it for free! We will use 1 person kayaks. Ages 10+. Space is limited to 12 people. Please use the Google Form to register.
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Our Impact
View the most recent Community Rivers Program Impact Report
Impact Report 2021-2022 -
Questions? Contact Patricia Scuglik
Watershed Education Manager and Community Rivers Program Coordinator, pgerber@riveredge.us
Email Patricia