Monthly archive

Waukesha Water Update

March 30, 2012

You may be wondering, "what ever happened to Waukesha's request for a diversion of Lake Michigan water?"

Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reviewing Waukesha's request to buy an average of 10.9 million gallons a day of lake water and is drafting an Environmental Impact Analysis (EIS) of the proposal. To view Waukesha's application, public comments on the plan, and monitor WDNR updates on its analysis, check out the department's website.

The WDNR's Role in Protecting our Environment

March 30, 2012

From allowing builders to develop on a wetland to opening a new hunting season for wolves, there have been a lot of frightening changes in our state's environmental policies over the past year. Many of these legislative measures have been more swiftly adopted due to a restructuring of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

The current administration contends that WDNR should continue protecting our state's vast natural resources, but also start responding more quickly to "users" and serve the interests of business, not just environmentalists and conservationists.

Germantown Village Board Approves Land Swap with MMSD

March 7, 2012

Good news for local rivers, wetlands, and flood-control!

[excerpted from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]

by Don Behm

Germantown - Now that the Village Board has approved a land exchange with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, the proposal's next hurdle comes with Friday's deadline for owners of a golf course in the center of the village to decide if they will sell to the district.

In an intergovernmental agreement approved by the Village Board on Monday on a unanimous vote, the district's Greenseams flood management program would buy 131 acres of the Blackstone Creek Golf Club in the floodplain of the Menomonee River. MMSD has offered to pay $701,000 for the property along Mequon Road, east of River Lane.

Mining Bill Voted Down - Mining Company Retreats

March 7, 2012

Milwaukee Riverkeeper would like to thank everyone who spoke out against the Open-pit Mining Bill (A.B. 426).

This law would have weakened environmental protections for drinking water, floodplains, and rivers; threatened public health; and removed citizen rights to participate in the permitting process.

Drafted to encourage an out-of-state mining company to start operations in Ashland County, the law would have resulted in defacement of the beautiful natural areas of the Penokee Range, and abrogation of treaty rights of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Tying Flies for Therapy

March 5, 2012

Check out the great article about fly-tying featuring the great folks at Milwaukee's Trout Unlimited!

[excerpted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

MJS flytying1.jpg by Paul Smith

The squad has rendezvoused at 0800 hours just as it does each Thursday.

Al Dalphonso of Milwaukee gives the orders. He's not much for barking, though. More of a lead-by-example type.

"If you pinch it right and get the tension where it needs to be," says Dalphonso, 66, "you don't need a ton of knots."

Help our River - Oppose the Mequon Subdivision!

March 2, 2012

CANCELLED - Mequon Subdivision Meeting
Tuesday, March 13th

As we've shared before, the Mequon Common Council was planning to take up the issue of rezoning property and altering an open space easement to facilitate development of a 19-lot subdivision south of Freistadt Road along the Milwaukee River tomorrow, Tuesday March 13th.

Due to pressure from concerned citizens like you, the matter has been pulled from this week's agenda. Milwaukee Riverkeeper does not believe that the issue is dead; however, we suspect the rezoning request will head back to Mequon's Planning Commission for further review, and resurface again before the Common Council in April.

Coalition Calls on EPA to Enforce Clean Water Act at Power Plant