News

WUWM's Week-Long Series on Water

December 7, 2009

89.7FM WUWM - Milwaukee Public Radio is designating a week to explore the issue of water.  The series is called “Project Milwaukee - The Currency of Water.”

They plan to explore southeastern Wisconsin’s prospects of becoming an international hub for water technology.

We will post each story as they become available.
 

Contact a Supervisor to Preserve our County Grounds!

December 7, 2009
The fight for the County Grounds in Wauwatosa continues.  We are asking for everyone to please contact your County Supervisor by Dec. 17th, when the Supervisors will determine whether to approve a plan to preserve portions of the County Grounds.

We are calling on everyone to help us protect our precious remaining natural areas.

Save the County Grounds -- Contact a Regent!

December 7, 2009

Dear Environmentalists, 
Please help preserve the open green space and habitat on the Milwaukee County Grounds by contacting the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, who will be deciding their fate this Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11, when UWM’s Chancellor will be asking that the Regents approve a request for $35 Million for the purchase of 80 acres of land and infrastructure improvements for the proposed development of UWM's Engineering Campus.

The Regents must hear our environmental concerns about the future of this environment, green space, watershed and migratory habitat. Take these points, edit and add your thoughts in a positive way. Add alternative ideas and potential successful outcomes. We are FOR UWM, just not on this precious land.

Grafton Dam's Fate to go to Referendum

December 4, 2009

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is advocating for removal of the Bridge St. Dam on the Milwaukee River in Grafton. We believe that removal of the dam would have the greatest positive impacts on river ecology, water quality, sediment management, fish and aquatic life, terrestrial wildlife, and recreation.  In addition, removal of the dam is estimated to save Grafton up to $4 million in dam replacement costs.

The Grafton Village Board was slated to decide on the fate of the dam at a special meeting on November 30th. However, a local group of citizens petitioned for the matter to go to referendum.  The matter will be decided by residents at the polls in April, 2010.

Massive Fish Kill Starts in Order to Keep Asian Carp at Bay

December 3, 2009

Last week officials in Illinois began a massive poisoning operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship canal to prevent the invasive Asian Carp from breaching an electrical barrier that must be shut down for maintenance.  There is already DNA evidence showing that the dreaded fish are in the canal and just several miles from Lake Michigan.

In a related action, Milwaukee Riverkeeper together with several other environmental groups sent a letter to Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in support of a letter to him from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (attached).
 

Safeguarding the Sale of Public Water Works

November 30, 2009

This past summer Milwaukee Riverkeeper helped form a coalition called KPOW (Keep Public Our Water) that stopped the City of Milwaukee's move to privatize the water works.

Due to its continued efforts, both the Wisconsin State Legislature and the Milwaukee Common Council have introduced laws to ensure public ownership of Milwaukee's Water Works.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper Files Notice of Intent to Sue U.S. EPA for Failure to Regulate Phosphorus and Nitrogen Pollution

November 24, 2009

Milwaukee Riverkeeper, together with a coalition of other environmental organizations,  is calling upon the U.S. EPA to regulate phosphorous and nitrogen pollution in Wisconsin waterways, including the Milwaukee River Basin.  The pollution is contaminating our drinking water, contributing to the growth of toxic "blue green" algae and causing algal blooms in Lake Michigan.

New York Times Covers Failing Sewer Systems

November 23, 2009

[excerpted from the New York Times]

--
A few miles away, people were walking home without umbrellas from late dinners. But at Owls Head, a swimming pool’s worth of sewage and wastewater was soon rushing in every second. Warning horns began to blare. A little after 1 a.m., with a harder rain falling, Owls Head reached its capacity and workers started shutting the intake gates.

That caused a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers, and untreated feces and industrial waste started spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

Asian Carp - Threat to Our Native Species

November 20, 2009

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is demanding that immediate action to be taken against the invasive Asian Carp, which can grow to over 100 pounds and wreck havoc on our Great Lakes' ecosystem.   

Together with other Great Lakes Waterkeepers, we recently sent a letter to the Great Lakes Governors asking them to declare a state of emergency, which would allow Federal agencies to enact emergency measures to prevent the invasion of Asian Carp into Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes.

Emergency measures include shutting down the Chicago River, Willamette & O'Brien Locks, and authorizing federal agencies to take all control measures necessary to stop the carp.

New DNA evidence shows the carp has likely made it past the electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, as well as made it to Cal-Sag Channel and Calumet River just 8 miles from Lake Michigan.  Now, the only thing standing between the carp and Lake Michigan are a few heavily used navigational locks!

Milwaukee's Central Park Moves Forward

November 20, 2009

Milwaukee Riverkeeper played a lead role in helping create the Milwaukee Greenway (or Central Park) along the Milwaukee River Corridor, between North Ave. and Silver Spring Dr.  We still play an active role through the collaboration with the Milwaukee River Work Group.  The project continues to move forward as a recent article illustrates:

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