Enjoy River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Summer 2025 WaterWays newsletter. To get a copy of WaterWays, become a River Alliance member or pick up a print copy at local events with our partners across Wisconsin. Download a PDF copy of the full newsletter.

Summer 2025 | Volume 31, Issue 2

Beyond the headlines, we see signs of hope for water policy

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

In June, we celebrated 60 years of Wisconsin’s Wild Rivers law. At a celebration event at the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center in Florence, WI, participants and leaders of all political stripes came to celebrate the leadership of the late Rep. Dave Martin and the impact wild rivers and wild spaces have on us personally and economically. We were reminded that Wisconsin was once a place where we could achieve bipartisan agreement on conservation.

The passing of the state budget with bipartisan support this summer showed signs that Wisconsin may be able to return to shared leadership and compromise. However, this only happens when leaders feel the pressure to compromise and the makeup of the legislature is more balanced. Though there was much to be disappointed about in the budget, the process signaled a shift that could change how we work on clean water policy in the future. 

On the national level, however, the actions of the federal government are making our work harder and have impacted new grants we applied for to advance our work. However, with the generous support of people like you and the foundations that are dedicated to developing solutions to Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region’s water challenges, we are still able to serve our mission without facing huge gaps in funding from government sources.

We will continue to work on issues such as climate impacts to infrastructure like dams, important species like manoomin, metallic mining threats, banning PFAS and neonicotinoids, developing new policies and tools to support farmers’ conservation practices, and more. 

We know our big-picture thinking is valuable. WiSys, the independent nonprofit supporting the University of Wisconsin’s research and innovation work, asked us to advise on a complex grant application to the National Science Foundation on advancing sustainable agriculture.

Wisconsin still has a lot of water-related challenges, and River Alliance is prepared to continue to tackle them along with many partners across the state. Our approach is to support and follow the lead of local water advocates, while also working collaboratively across regions and the state to develop better ways to manage water holistically, comprehensively and in ways that go beyond the boundaries of towns and counties.

While the times are daunting, we have to persevere and keep working toward the future we know Wisconsin needs and deserves. The future generations are counting on us.

Environmental policy wins and future challenges

Bill Davis, Senior Legal Analyst

Clean water advocates won a major victory in the state supreme court. On a 5-to-2 vote, the court broadly upheld the way the DNR has implemented the Spills law for the last 45 years. 

Specifically, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce argued that the DNR could not force action under the Spills law unless it first created rules for a substance. Given the urgent nature of the Spills Law, this would have gutted its function. The court flatly rejected that argument. This is important for people around the state with PFAS contamination who are receiving bottled water and other assistance from the DNR under the Spills law.

Other progress on PFAS pollution has some mixed results. The good news is that we see signs of the DNR updating drinking water standards to match Biden-era, stricter federal standards. The bad news is that, as of the time of writing this newsletter, the state legislature still has not released $125 million in PFAS cleanup and drinking water supply funds. The DNR is still moving too slowly on developing groundwater standards for those who rely on groundwater for their source of drinking water. 

Other news

Evers v Marklein II decision: The state supreme court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules to veto executive actions by blocking them from proceeding. This is good news for our environment and the future of the DNR’s rules on pollution. 

Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program still on shaky ground: Though the conservation program is wildly popular among Wisconsin voters, state legislators did not renew it in the budget, and the program will expire in a year without further action by the legislature.

For action alerts and policy perspectives from River Alliance, be sure you’re getting our Word on the Stream newsletter in your email inbox twice a month.

2024 Annual Report

In place of a traditional annual report, River Alliance hosted a virtual River Rat Chat in December to share the vital work we’ve been doing to bring people together to protect and restore Wisconsin’s waters. You can view it on our YouTube channel. Highlights from that webinar and an overview of our annual independent financial audit are below.

Watershed and farmer-led group support – Through personalized support and a monthly virtual meetup of leaders from staffed watershed groups, we’ve helped build the strength and capacity of dozens of local water organizations, who are at the forefront of protecting and restoring our waters.

Wisconsin Agriculture Agenda – After convening experts on sustainable agriculture, we’ve decided to first focus on the issue of farm lending and finance reform. We were also invited by WiSys, the nonprofit supporting the University of Wisconsin’s research and innovation work, to participate in the Wisconsin Forward Agriculture program’s effort to secure a 10-year National Science Foundation grant on advancing sustainable agriculture.

Central Wisconsin Basin Planning Project – Because protecting our water resources needs to happen on a watershed-wide level, we’ve led a planning project in the Central Wisconsin Basin in which the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission was funded by the Department of Natural Resources to begin to develop a broader plan to manage water on a basin-wide scale. 

Dam removal and climate resilience – We’re working on practical strategies to help communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, which has led us to re-engage in hydropower reform and dam removal more deeply to help communities be better equipped to address natural disasters.

Leadership in regional mining watchdogging – We continued to co-organize a monthly Wolf River Action Committee mining coalition call to share information on mining opposition in Northern Wisconsin. Work with Tribal partners on launching a manoomin stewards program continues in 2025.

Healthy Water and Mining do not Mix

By Johnson Bridgwater, Water Advocates Organizer

River Alliance has a lengthy history of mining opposition in Wisconsin, and we work closely with multiple individuals, groups, Tribes, and organizations at the local, state, and regional levels to hold back any expansion of metallic sulfide mining in our state or region. We are entering a concerning period due to the actions of the current President. But we also share ongoing efforts to push back on mining, along with a new way we are expanding our efforts to keep our waters healthy and alive.

Our most pressing state mining concern at the moment relates to the actions of Canadian company GreenLight Metals, which is pursuing an aggressive campaign that claims it will turn north central Wisconsin into a “mining district.” They have secured several mineral leases in Wisconsin, and GLM is currently conducting exploration drilling in Taylor County on a known gold-copper deposit called “Bend.” River Alliance, along with many partners have been closely monitoring this drilling, while also participating in the public input process for a proposed second exploration drilling program near the first that GLM is now pursuing through the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management via a Prospecting Permit.

There is one federal mining issue that we are closely following due to its potential negative impact in Wisconsin and our Lake Superior region. The President is attempting to create an artificial domestic copper market via Executive Orders and archaic trade processes, and he now claims the U.S. will start tariffing imported copper at a rate of 50%. Although these actions are being legally challenged and are in no way certain, we feel the nature of the times, and the locations they want to mine, demands enhanced bird-dogging.

Copper is not currently economically viable to mine at small scale, however if the President’s actions are successful, it could open our region to small-scale copper mining such as that found in the Taylor County Bend Deposit or the Marathon County Reef Deposit, as well as significantly strengthening the threat of new mines adjacent to Boundary Waters in Minnesota and Porcupine Mountains State Park in the U.P.

In response to growing mining threats, River Alliance of Wisconsin is deepening our commitment to the protection and well-being of manoomin, commonly known as “wild rice.” Manoomin is a living, Sacred relative of the Ojibwe, as well as being an indicator of high-quality waters where it is found thriving. It is also highly susceptible to kill-off from mining impacts via sulfate release that accompanies both taconite and metallic sulfide mining. 

This fall, our Manoomin Stewards program will center manoomin cultural knowledge via planned readings, outings, and trainings with rice keepers, along with policy, advocacy, and restoration efforts aimed at assuring manoomin – and therefore a vast web-of-life tied to manoomin – will continue to thrive in Wisconsin.

Would you like to know more about these areas? Head to the River Alliance Mining Page found on our website to sign up for MINING UPDATE email newsletter and alerts, or reach out to staff member Johnson Bridgwater at: jbridgwater@wisconsinrivers.org to discuss wild rice.

After a dam failure and floods, Manawa can choose a free-flowing Little Yellow River

By Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

Thankfully, no lives were lost when heavy rains caused the catastrophic failure of a century-old hydro dam on the Little Wolf River in central Wisconsin last July. But the event exposed the dangers of how vulnerable aging infrastructure is to intense storm events. The flood sparked an important community dialogue about the river’s future.

This particular structure is one of 14 small hydropower facilities in Wisconsin that has exempt status, meaning their licenses never expire, and there isn’t a designated review or public input opportunity like there is for other hydro dams. A similar exempt structure in Minnesota failed less than two weeks before the Manawa dam failure in 2024.

At a public meeting in early June, an engineering consultant for the City of Manawa reported that removing the dam would cost exponentially less than replacing it. With a price tag of $700,000 for removal compared to $8.4 million to rebuild it amidst a time when federal or state dollars are rarely guaranteed, river restoration is a wise choice. 

The cost savings alone are compelling, but now it’s up to the Manawa community to imagine how a restored, free-flowing Little Wolf could enrich the city through recreation, fish passage, ecological health, and flood resilience.

The conversation is just beginning, and thanks to local advocates passionate about what a restored river could mean for their community, the option to remove the dam is on the table. Helping communities navigate these difficult discussions is something River Alliance has been doing for over three decades. Luckily, there are countless examples of communities that grappled with the same concerns and ultimately decided on dam removal.

Manawa residents on the future of a a free-flowing Wolf River:

“When I kayaked down the river a while after the dam went out, I realized how much cleaner the water was than I ever noticed it before. I knew dams weren’t a good thing for rivers, but hadn’t seen it in person until then. That got me thinking of all the other benefits that were probably happening as well. Fish spawning, water quality, and overall health of the entire river system. Seeing a sturgeon returning from spawning grounds that species hasn’t been able to reach since before 1891 was proof that this is the better option for Manawa.”

–Nick Heisi, Manawa resident 

“As a business owner in Manawa, I believe it’s both fiscally responsible and economically strategic to keep the Little Wolf River flowing freely through the old mill pond site. Rebuilding a dam and restoring a stagnant, weed-choked impoundment would burden taxpayers with millions in costs—benefiting only a handful of private landowners while ignoring the broader community’s interests.

Free-flowing rivers are engines of local commerce. They attract anglers, paddlers, and eco-tourists who support restaurants, shops, and lodging—driving sustainable economic growth. In contrast, small impoundments often become sediment-filled, algae-laden eyesores that repel visitors and degrade water quality.

Ecologically, restoring natural river flow improves fish migration, enhances biodiversity, and revitalizes water quality. It’s a win for wildlife, a win for recreation, and a win for the long-term health of our community. Let’s invest in the future—not in outdated infrastructure that no longer serves the public good.”

–Ben Hlaban, Manawa business owner

Make a convenient and affordable impact for Wisconsin’s waters year-round

By Evan Arnold, Development Director

For as little as the cost of one cup of coffee per month, you can create a stable, lasting foundation of support for River Alliance’s work. 

Think of it like a Netflix subscription, but instead of binge-watching another series, you’ll get to experience the grandeur of Wisconsin’s waters and join a community of paddlers, anglers, scientists, hikers, birders, and water advocates who are united in protecting and restoring Wisconsin’s waters for generations to come.

Your gift will be made automatically on the same day each month using a checking account or credit card, and you can change or stop your commitment at any time. Become a sustaining donor today. 

Where we’ve paddled, hiked, and celebrated Wisconsin’s water this year

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

We hosted our 16th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison on March 20. We were joined by Sokaogon Chippewa Community Environmental Director Tina Van Zile who was featured in one of our film selections, “Return to Spur Lake.” Films were also made available on demand to River Alliance supporters statewide, thanks to the sponsorship of Wisconsin Public Radio.

Fools’ Flotilla

Over 700 paddlers and hundreds of spectators joined us for the annual Fools’ Flotilla on June 15 on the Yahara River in Madison. Special guests included NBC 15 anchor and reporter Mark McPherson and a performance by members of the UW Badger Band.

Wild Rivers Law 60th anniversary celebration and hikes

On June 28, we gathered at the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center in Florence, WI.

After inspiring speakers, groups visited Meyers Falls and Breakwater Falls to see the wild Pine River in action. 

Lower Wisconsin River paddle with staff and board members

Led by the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board Executive Director Mark Cupp on July 9, River Alliance of Wisconsin board and staff members got to paddle the Wisconsin River from Victoria Riverside Park to Port Andrews in Voyageur-style canoes. Mark shared a history lesson on the river from effigy mounds to the contentious origins of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board which plays a leading, bipartisan role in protecting the river from overdevelopment today. 

River Alliance of Wisconsin donors receive our triennial member newsletter by mail. To become a member, donate online.

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Receive more updates in your inbox. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive biweekly news and special alerts.

Enjoy River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Winter 2025 WaterWays newsletter. To get a copy of WaterWays, become a River Alliance member or pick up a print copy at local events with our partners across Wisconsin. Download a PDF copy of the full newsletter.

Winter 2025 | Volume 31, Issue 1

Navigating challenging times

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

Working collaboratively and within our communities is essential during challenging times. We must support the people and communities most at risk while protecting the water that sustains us all. We’ve faced difficult governments before and understand the importance of defending the laws that safeguard our waters. Most importantly, we know that Wisconsinites of all political backgrounds care deeply about clean water.

We remain committed to this work for the long haul. Environmental success often requires years, sometimes even decades, of perseverance.

River Alliance has been involved in efforts to remove the Pine Dam in Florence County since 1994. Thanks to the leadership of our founding director, Sara Johnson, the 1997 Wilderness Shores Settlement Agreement required WE Energies to remove the dam by 2025 as part of mitigation for the impacts of eight other hydropower projects in the region. In 2017, WE Energies challenged the agreement, but after a years-long legal battle, the corporation committed to ending electric generation at the site by July 1, 2038. The dam’s removal will uncover two eight-foot waterfalls, one 12-foot waterfall, and a half-mile of rapids, restoring a high-quality trout habitat. We recognize that protecting our waters is an ongoing effort, and meaningful results often take time.

River restoration and water protection require decades of determination and grit. Advocating for the removal of the Pine Dam has been one of our longest-standing initiatives, and the need for this work continues to grow. Climate Resilience Director Ellen Voss discusses the connection between climate resilience and dams in this newsletter.

Last December, we held a virtual River Rat Chat to celebrate the progress you and our supporters have made across the state. We also shared our plans for protecting water this year and beyond. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the recording, it’s available on River Alliance’s YouTube channel.

Wisconsin’s biennial state budget: you are what you spend

Bill Davis, Senior Legal Analyst

We all know the old saying, “you are what you eat.” The analog of that for state government is, “you are what you spend.”

What’s in the state biennial budget matters. The state budget that will be introduced by Governor Evers and debated in the state legislature, in particular, will be graced with a surplus of funds that could be used for one-time expenditures like removing lead pipes, helping people with contaminated wells, and buying and protecting land for public use and enjoyment. 

These are some of the things we would like to see in the state budget:

PFAS

PFAS-style chemicals are an immense and complicated problem that will be with us for years. Here are the steps we would like to see this legislative session to limit their impact on human and environmental health:

• State legislators should pass a bill allowing the Department of Natural Resources to create protective groundwater standards, and not reject these rules when the DNR presents them for approval.
• Release $125 million dollar from the state’s trust fund (through stand-alone legislation, action by Joint Finance, or in the budget) to help communities and individuals that have PFAS contamination.
• Finally, pass proactive, forward-looking legislation that phases out at least the non-essential uses of PFAS as has been done in Minnesota and elsewhere.

Conservation and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is popular among Wisconsinites because we know the benefits of protecting and maintaining public lands. We know that access to and being in nature has significant physical and mental health benefits. Protected lands support functioning ecosystems and help with climate resilience. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has been the primary mechanism for the state to purchase public lands for decades, but it has expired. This important program should be re-authorized at a robust funding level for at least a decade.

Limiting the impacts of wake boats

Wake boats in the wrong places can be very destructive to lakes. We are part of a large bipartisan coalition that has proposed reasonable and science-based restrictions we would like to see passed that would protect our lakes and limit where these boats can be used.

For action alerts and policy perspectives from River Alliance, be sure you’re getting our Word on the Stream newsletter in your email inbox twice a month.

Three strategies for building climate resilience

By Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

At River Alliance, when we say “climate resilience,” we mean practical strategies to help communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. Through our research and conversations over the past year and a half, it’s clear that our role in this space ties back to the guiding principles that founded our organization more than 30 years ago.

Advocate for the removal of aging dams

Initially, the push for dam removal focused on recreation and river health. However, the increasing risks from extreme storm events have elevated concerns about dam safety, liability, and flooding. In Wisconsin and beyond, we’re just one severe storm away from disaster.

Wisconsin ranks second in the nation for dam failures over the last two decades. While these events have devastated communities, we’ve been fortunate that no lives have been lost.

Many dams no longer serve a practical purpose. For example, the lasting legacy of mill pond dams that were once used to power gristmills and sawmills is the ponds themselves. While these ponds may hold sentimental value, the dams grow increasingly fragile with age.

Dam removal is expensive, but repairing dams is even more costly over time. Fortunately, Wisconsin offers state grants to help municipalities offset removal costs (up to $1 million).

There’s also limited funding for private dam owners who wish to remove dams on their property.

Deciding to remove a dam involves balancing many factors. Our role is helping communities weigh the pros and cons of having a dam in their community and advocating for nature-based solutions (i.e., natural practices that protect, enhance, or restore ecosystems) as a cost-effective alternative.

Limiting the impacts of hydropower

Not all dams are candidates for removal, and responsible hydropower will continue to play a role in the energy grid for the foreseeable future. To limit the impacts of these dams, we take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime relicensing opportunities to advocate for habitat restoration, fish passage, recreational improvements, water quality, and water quantity.

For instance, advocating for minimum flow requirements during relicensing is vital for species like freshwater mussels, among the most vulnerable river species. In 2023, the combined effects of hydropower operations and reduced flow due to persistent drought led to the hand-rescue of thousands of mussels on the Lower Wisconsin River (watch this story from PBS Wisconsin for more). 

As navigating weather extremes becomes the new normal, we need resilient ecosystems that can handle whatever nature brings. And when water is scarce, we advocate for prioritizing the needs of river species, which have no alternative to life in the water.

Protecting biodiversity

Climate resilience depends on biodiversity. Essential processes like pollination, clean air and water, climate regulation, and food production all rely on it.

However, biodiversity is under threat, partly due to neonicotinoids (“neonics”), a group of insecticides with widespread impacts. While neonics are used in flea treatments and garden products, their largest application is in agriculture, particularly as seed coatings for crops like corn and soybeans.

Last October, River Alliance was involved in a statewide collaborative effort highlighting the uses and extensive non-target impacts of neonics. These pesticides are contaminating surface water, groundwater, and soil, harming not only pests but also butterflies, birds, aquatic insects, and even humans.

Public education was a crucial first step, but we’ll continue pushing for responsible regulation to protect our water and biodiversity.

Metallic sulfide mining threats: areas of concern

By Johnson Bridgwater, Water Advocates Organizer

River Alliance of Wisconsin has always worked to oppose metallic sulfide mining in our water-rich region, starting with intense community opposition to a proposed mine in Crandon in the late 1990s. We learned over the years that being a voice for water protection and watchdogging state and federal mining policies is needed no matter who our elected leaders are.

We anticipate the incoming Presidential administration will work to weaken environmental protections and support mining expansion. This includes reclassifying copper as a “critical mineral,” (it’s now less urgently classified as a “critical material”) which would make mining for copper eligible for federal funding. Such a change could accelerate mining in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. See our map to get a sense of future hotspots for mining, legacy mining concerns, and important ceded Tribal territories and Great Lakes places to protect. 

Clean energy advocates have pushed nationally to create a fully electrified transportation system. To reach that goal, the volume of mining needed to fully electrify the United States would be staggering, and recent research at the University of Michigan suggests it is not even feasible. It would also result in an increase in pollution and waste. Mining is the most water-polluting industry in the United States.

Clean energy is important, but not at the expense of our water.

Federal leaders could work to reduce greenhouse gases and domestic mining through policies like promoting public transit or improving complex recycling of metals such as waste from electronics. Until national leaders take water protection more seriously, we will have to resist mining and protect our water locally. 

Sign up for mining news and action alerts.

Save the date for The Big Share on March 4

By Evan Arnold, Development Director

Thank you to our generous supporters for helping us raise over $40,000 at the end of 2024! With matching contributions from Beth Fuller and Ross and Connie Ellis Ament, your support totaled $58,000 to protect and restore Wisconsin’s waters.

Let’s keep the momentum going during our next big campaign: The Big Share is back on Tuesday, March 4!

The Big Share is an annual day of online giving that brings people together to support more than 70 Community Shares of Wisconsin member organizations working for social and environmental justice.

This year, River Alliance is trying to raise $35,000 during The Big Share – and you can help. Your gift between 7 and 8 p.m. on March 4 puts us in the running to win a $1,000 power hour prize. And your Big Share gift any time helps us reach our goal!

Your support helps us continue advocating for clean drinking water, finding practical solutions for climate resilience, and restoring Wisconsin’s rivers, streams, and lakes. Whether through donations or encouraging others to contribute, your efforts will make a timely impact during this campaign!

Welcome and thank you

Welcome new board members

Every December, we elect our board of directors and officers. We are thrilled to welcome Meg Galloway, Charles Rathmann, and Tom Wiensch to our board! Each brings valuable knowledge and dedication to protecting Wisconsin’s waters.

Meg Galloway, a water engineer and Senior Policy Advisor for the Association of Floodplain Managers, spent 30 years regulating water and dams at the Wisconsin DNR.

Charles Rathmann began his involvement with River Alliance on our Fund Development Committee, where he contributed ideas and secured new donors. An angler, he enjoys the view of the Lower Wisconsin River from his home in Muscoda.

Tom Wiensch, a lifelong environmentalist, angler, paddler, and advocate from Oneida County, recently worked to secure the Pelican River Forest Easement.

Thanks for your service

Mel Vollbrecht’s six-year term on our board was marked by numerous accomplishments. During her service, Mel made significant contributions to the success of the River Alliance of Wisconsin by providing technical expertise in water resources to both the staff and board, offering steady leadership during unexpected transitions and challenges, exemplifying our values through her leadership of the Governance Committee, and fostering a welcoming culture that has built lasting friendships among board members and staff. We are grateful for Mel’s continued involvement as a member of our Governance Committee.

Jessica Schultz brought a great perspective to our board. Her nonprofit organization, local watershed group, and Northeast Wisconsin knowledge helped us make well-informed decisions. We look forward to continuing to work with Jessica and the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance on our shared goals of protecting Wisconsin’s waters.

2024 photo contest winners

Wisconsin shutterbugs sent us their favorite photos last year. Winners of last year’s photo contest served as judges and picked these winners from the following categories. Visit wisconsinrivers.org and subscribe to our Word on the Stream e-newsletter to learn when our 2025 photo contest will be announced. 

Animals

“Ferry Bluff Eagles Nest” by Terry Drea

People

“Brothers Watching the Sunset on the Dock” by Katie Weisbezawecker

Plants

“Coneflower, Cascade Falls” by Elliot Gilfix

Threats

“Eye of the Beholder” by Gary Johncox

Landscapes

“Dave’s Falls” by Earl Buss

Best in show

“Down the Hatch!” by Lois Leis

River Alliance of Wisconsin donors receive our triennial member newsletter by mail. To become a member, donate online.

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Receive more updates in your inbox. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive biweekly news and special alerts.

Enjoy River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Fall 2024 WaterWays newsletter. To get a copy of WaterWays, become a River Alliance member or pick up a print copy at local events with our partners across Wisconsin. Download a PDF copy of the full newsletter.

Fall 2024 | Volume 30, Issue 3

Vote for clean water this election season

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

There’s no avoiding political conversations in a year like this. Our water is impacted by political decisions at all levels.

No matter who is in charge, it’s our role to push for water protection policies and actions. We examine how all of our water systems are interconnected so that we can work for the systemic changes needed to manage clean water for all. This is why we work closely with the state Department of Natural Resources and lobby our elected officials for stronger water policies that truly protect our waters.

We know bipartisan cooperation is possible. We are inspired by our environmental history and the people who made decisions guided by a conservation ethic to achieve common goals. One of the most inspiring models was the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. The Riverway is now protected after deep planning, public input, negotiation, and compromise led to the legislative passage and signing of a law by Governor Tommy G. Thompson in August 1989.

Even with the water protection laws we have, problems affect everyone in Wisconsin, regardless of who they vote for. Poor water quality, flooding, and droughts ripple through our entire state, with those who have the fewest resources suffering the most. Even affluent Wisconsinites worry about what’s in their drinking water.

That’s why we led county-by-county efforts to get voters to approve Clean Water Now referendums, proving that clean water is a nonpartisan issue. Our hope was that with this additional evidence, elected officials would advance policies to provide clean water to the people of Wisconsin. Issues like addressing PFAS do have bipartisan support, but there are still political barriers to taking real action on this issue.

Water protection is too important to be held up in political limbo. We need everyone to stand up for water and convince our leaders to take action.

In this election and every election, we ask you to vote for clean water.

The next Wisconsin legislative session needs to address PFAS and other critical water issues. Our team has outlined a few of them below. Expect to hear from us and other conservation organizations in the coming months as we work together on these issues.

River Alliance is a nonpartisan organization. We work with people across the state who care about protecting our waters. Our mission and values guide us, and anyone who supports those values is invited to join us.

Support River Alliance on Giving Tuesday, December 3

Think globally, give locally. That’s what the Giving Tuesday movement has been about for the last 12 years. It’s also one of the best opportunities for you to support River Alliance of Wisconsin!

On December 3, we welcome your gift or even a quick act of support by sharing a social media post to tell your friends about our mission to protect Wisconsin’s clean water. Let’s make the day a FLOOD of support for our clean water work!

Want to make an even bigger impact? Leading donors to River Alliance contribute to a matching pool of funds to challenge our supporters to give on this day with a dollar-for-dollar match. Contact Development Director Evan Arnold at earnold@wisconsinrivers.org to contribute to the donor matching pool by November 15.

River Alliance of Wisconsin’s water policy wish list for 2025

Bill Davis, Senior Legal Analyst

You can’t get what you don’t ask for. In a perfect world, our state’s leaders would make all decisions based on what’s best for the most people, protecting the most vulnerable and prioritizing the health of people and the environment.

Here are a few starting points we believe would make Wisconsin a healthier, more beautiful, and more ecologically diverse place for all:

People Need Protection from PFAS Pollution
The Legislature is still sitting on $125 million that could help people and municipalities with PFAS contamination now. Working with pollution-affected communities and conservation organizations in a PFAS coalition, we want those funds released, groundwater standards advanced, and PFAS universally addressed.

Lakes Need Protection from Wake Boats
Everyone has the right to enjoy our lakes and rivers, but wake boats make that difficult. We support the proposals by Wisconsin Lakes to limit where these boats can operate, reducing their physical damage and preventing the spread of invasive species like quagga mussels.

Manoomin (Wild Rice) Needs Protection from Pollution and Habitat Loss
Manoomin is at the heart of Indigenous culture and heritage in the Upper Midwest. Its health is also a sign of our environment’s health. We are launching a Manoomin Stewards Project to support data collection and cultural training for volunteers. A sulfate standard for Northern Wisconsin would protect this important species and the water we all share. River Alliance will continue its long history of monitoring and organizing around proposed destructive sulfide mines.

Water Needs to Be Managed on a Watershed, Basin-Wide Level
We will collaborate with the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to create an integrated, comprehensive water management plan.

Wisconsin’s State Budget Should Reflect Clean Water Priorities
We will work for water protection in the next biennial budget. This includes advocating for the protection of core Department of Natural Resources functions by addressing the structural deficit in the Land and Water Fund, reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, increasing funds in the polluted drinking water well compensation program, releasing approved PFAS remediation funds, and boosting funding for lead pipe removal.

Study and Limit Neonicotinoid Pollution
We aim to increase education and awareness of the far-reaching impacts of neonicotinoids on water quality and biota. Policies limiting their use will protect our drinking water. Read more about neonicotinoids on page four.

Plan for Climate Change Impacts
Our state leaders should unify communities, local groups, and governments to develop and implement strategies for healthy, resilient rivers and connected waters. In planning for the future, nature-based solutions are often a better alternative to human-built infrastructure.

For action alerts and policy perspectives from River Alliance, be sure you’re getting our Word on the Stream newsletter in your email inbox twice a month. Sign up on our homepage. 

The false promise of green mining

By Johnson Bridgwater, Water Advocates Organizer

You may have heard about so-called “green mining” or critical minerals in the news. Given our long history of opposing sulfide mining in our region, we are concerned about developments at the state and federal levels that could put our clean water at risk, all under the guise of sustainable energy.

We’ve been following the Biden administration’s push for 100 percent carbon pollution-free electric power by 2030. As much as we want to reduce greenhouse gasses and have more sustainable energy production, we cannot support any plan that risks polluting our limited water resources.

Mining for all the metals and minerals needed to reach this goal isn’t feasible. A University of Michigan study showed that essentially every known mineral deposit would have to be mined, risking massive water pollution, and it still wouldn’t be enough. Safer solutions are needed. Recycling, including “mining” resources out of existing landfills, could be a cleaner alternative for sourcing raw minerals.

In Wisconsin, possibly the strongest argument against mining in our water-rich state can be summarized in one word: manoomin. Manoomin, or wild rice, is central to Ojibwe culture and vital to a massive food web, including humans. It deserves special attention and real-world protections, especially regarding sulfates and mining.

Studies show that mining and manoomin, just like mining and water-rich environments, are a poor fit. Mining increases sulfate levels, causing serious problems for wild rice. Recent studies also show taconite mining is having similar impacts in Minnesota.

River Alliance is working with tribal and local partners to launch the Manoomin Stewards Project to support data collection and cultural training for volunteers. Stay tuned for more on how we will support Indigenous communities’ efforts to protect this vulnerable and ancient species, which relies on clean water.

Building an agricultural community around conservation needs big changes beyond the farm gate

By Mike Tiboris, Agriculture and Water Policy Director

Solving Wisconsin’s agricultural water contamination problem requires systemic, transformational change across our entire food system.

While farms are where excess nutrients, pesticides, and herbicides originate, the responsibility for change goes far beyond the farm. The U.S. agriculture system is designed to produce large quantities of commodity grains that are not consumed by people. Changing what farms do means changing what the market and agricultural policy demand they do. As daunting as these changes can feel, remember that the system we have now was a choice and that we can make a different one.

Farmers’ conservation participation is growing, thanks to expanding farmer-led watershed groups and rising interest in cover crops and no-till farming. But research shows that most farmers still believe doing something different from what they’ve always done isn’t feasible or effective. This mindset changes when farmers have a dense network of peers and collaborators advocating for conservation. Genuine, reciprocal relationships are influential, and with a supportive community of practice that’s fun and rewarding to join, behavior changes.

River Alliance is not alone in its efforts to build this community, but it is a central part of the work that we do. Building real community around a watershed and a vision for a healthy environment is a universal desire. All the evidence suggests it’s also necessary to effect change in agriculture.

Making conservation the default approach for farmers will depend on larger systemic changes—beyond the farm gate or even the watershed. Changes to how lenders reward conservation practices in farm loans, what big purchasers expect, and what federal insurance policy signals to farmers all play a role. Creating entry points for a younger and more diverse population of farmers would slow farm consolidation, increase crop diversity, and foster more farm product businesses.

These changes to the food system are broad and incremental but it’s change that we must and, luckily, can achieve. 

Check in with River Alliance’s Wisconsin Agriculture Agenda work to learn more about what we need to do and how we can do it at wisconsinrivers.org/agriculture-agenda

Learning more about the impacts of neonicotinoids

By Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

Neonicotinoids, commonly called “neonics,” are the most widely used insecticides in Wisconsin, though you’ve probably never heard of them. These highly toxic chemicals are applied to millions of acres of agricultural and urban land each year, leading to unintended consequences for our surface and groundwater. They leach into waterways, persist in soils, and even appear in nectar and pollen of treated crops.

Their negative effects on pollinators, like bees and butterflies, are gaining attention in Wisconsin. But we’re learning that neonics’ impacts are far more wide-reaching, affecting not only pollinators but also birds, aquatic insects, deer, and humans.

Studies have shown that neonic seed treatments (think of the purple or blue dye on corn seed) don’t always benefit farmers economically, and there are cost-effective alternatives to their use. Some U.S. states and several countries have passed laws banning or restricting their use.

Join us on Wednesday, October 30, at the Institute for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus for a day of learning about neonics. Experts from around the country and Wisconsin scientists will share their insights on this emerging concern.

You’ll leave the forum with science-based information about

• What neonicotinoids are and where these chemicals are used in Wisconsin
• Economic benefits of neonicotinoid use
• Risks to the environment 
• Wisconsin’s oversight of neonicotinoids
• Regulatory approaches from other states and countries

To sign up and learn more, please visit cleanwisconsin.org/support/events/wisconsin-neonic-forum

For more information, contact Ellen Voss: evoss@wisconsinrivers.org

Thanks to partners including Trout Unlimited; University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension; Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies; Clean Wisconsin; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection; Black Earth Creek Watershed Association; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council.

Rutabaga boat raffle winner

This summer, Rutabaga’s fearless leader, Darren Bush, pulled the winning ticket for our boat raffle. Congratulations to Juli from Green Bay! The avid outdoorswoman received the call the day before her birthday and was excited to show the boat to her canoe-building dad. We can’t wait to see which waters Juli paddles this year.

A special thanks to Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison for their generous contribution of a beautiful boat for our fundraiser!

Business sponsors provide annual support

Businesses can support River Alliance of Wisconsin with their annual contributions. It’s a way for businesses to fund their clean water values and support our nonpartisan, nonprofit mission. Companies and statewide organizations that stand with River Alliance share a commitment to making our environment and our communities healthy, vibrant and fun places to live, work and play. To become a business sponsor, download our sponsor menu at wisconsinrivers.org/sponsorship

Welcome: Evan Arnold, Development Director

Evan Arnold joins River Alliance with nine years of fundraising experience at Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. As Development Director, he will lead our efforts to build relationships with members, donors, businesses, and others who support clean water for all.

He grew up in Evansville, Wisconsin, and holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. In his free time, Evan enjoys playing sand volleyball in the summer, ice hockey in the winter, playing piano, and trying to keep his plants alive year-round.

River Alliance of Wisconsin donors receive our triennial member newsletter by mail. To become a member, donate online.

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Receive more updates in your inbox. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive biweekly news and special alerts.

Enjoy River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Summer 2024 WaterWays newsletter. To get a copy of WaterWays, become a River Alliance member or pick up a print copy at local events with our partners across Wisconsin. Download a PDF copy of the full newsletter.

Summer 2024 | Volume 30, Issue 2

Leaving a legacy: remembering Sara Johnson’s impact on Wisconsin’s Rivers

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

Sara Johnson, who became River Alliance’s first executive director in 1993, recently passed and I’ve been thinking a lot about her legacy. We all hope to leave a mark on this world. Sara’s mark on our organization is still felt today when we remember her role in the removal of the Baraboo River dams, stopping the Crandon mine, and so much more.

Under her leadership, River Alliance became nationally recognized for dam removal and river restoration. She was a leader in the removal of four dams on the Baraboo River, resulting in one of the longest reaches of river – around 110 miles – in the U.S. restored through dam removal. Restoring the Baraboo River to a free-flowing state was one of her most cherished achievements. 

She was also instrumental in a landmark settlement agreement with Wisconsin Electric Power affecting 11 dams on the Menominee River system in Wisconsin and Michigan. This included the removal of three dams as well as environmental, recreational, and economic mitigation in the basin.

Andy Morton, retired DNR Regional Supervisor and Black Earth Creek Watershed Association board member, shared his perspective on Sara’s impact: “Sara was instrumental in calling attention to the negative impact of a large number of cattle pasturing on the creek banks upstream from Cross Plains on Black Earth Creek (the cattle were owned by a large dairy CAFO). EPA got involved with Sara’s facilitation, and the issue was resolved. When you drive out to Black Earth Creek now, you will see that the creek (just east of Rocky Dell Rd) has a nice buffer along its banks. I often think of this on my frequent drives to the jewel that is Black Earth Creek is—Sara had a role in this. Sara really made a big contribution to improved stream and river management in Wisconsin!” 

At the gathering at Black Earth Creek to celebrate Sara’s life, I was struck by another legacy: being a woman in a leadership position in the conservation field. Her friends described her as energetic, enthusiastic, effervescent in the outdoors, feisty, and tenacious. She swiftly learned to navigate the male-dominated trout angling community. I am only the second woman to lead this organization in our 31-year history. I am grateful for the path Sara and other women in the conservation community blazed, creating more opportunities for women in this field.

While many things have changed in thirty years, some remain the same because the water issues we face are long term. River Alliance is still involved in hydroelectric dam relicensing, especially for the dams on the Menominee and Pine Rivers in Northeast Wisconsin. We are putting more resources toward small dam removal again as climate change increases the need for communities to reassess their aging dams. We have also stayed deeply involved in the fight to keep new proposed metallic and sulfide mines from devastating Wisconsin’s waters. 

We are honored that Sara chose to leave a legacy gift to River Alliance to help us carry on the work she started. As always, we will strive to do our best to follow the strong course she set for River Alliance. 

Make a legacy gift

A planned gift to River Alliance of Wisconsin ensures you are able to leave a legacy of clean, abundant water for future generations. If you are among those who have included River Alliance in your estate plans, you are a part of our Water Legacy Circle.

Please consult with your tax advisor to see if a bequest in your will, a retirement plan or life insurance designation, or charitable gift annuity is an option for you to support River Alliance’s mission. 

Learn more about your charitable giving options on our website: wisconsinrivers.org/legacy-giving 

2023 Annual Report

In lieu of a traditional printed annual report, we would like to share our last fiscal year’s successes and financial overview with all of our donors in this edition of our newsletter. Streamlining print resources and being transparent with all of our supporters is a way for us to be better stewards of your financial contributions. 

In our last fiscal year, River Alliance of Wisconsin 

• Celebrated our 30th anniversary with gatherings around the state and online to reflect on the progress we made with our partners to challenge metallic mining, dams, water pollution, and other barriers to clean water;
• Worked with local, statewide, tribal, and grassroots partners to monitor proposed metallic mining projects and changes in federal law;
• Deeply listened to leaders in our food system as we convened a core group to advise our Wisconsin Agricultural Agenda, a unique guide for policies that help us grow food in a way that protects water and supports rural life; 
• Provided legal analysis and advocacy support on issues related to PFAS contamination in drinking water, including participating in litigation to defend our state’s Spills Law and opposing legislation that would compromise our state’s ability to hold polluters accountable; and
• Deepened our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion by weaving JEDI principles throughout our five-year strategic plan.

Find our full donor list, our 2023 recap video, and more at wisconsinrivers.org/financials.

Wild rice stewardship: manoomin 101

By Johnson Bridgwater, Water Advocates Organizer

River Alliance of Wisconsin is excited to announce that thanks to a grant from Fund for Lake Michigan, we will roll out a new volunteer-based effort designed to help steward manoomin, or wild rice, as it faces a series of increasing threats caused by both climate change and the prospect of mining in northern Wisconsin. 

Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission designated manoomin as “Extremely Vulnerable” in its most recent Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, and we look forward to partnering with GLIFWC and its tribal partners to gather much-needed data on off-reservation waters. We are planning the launch of a hands-on, culture-based stewardship training that will connect our project volunteers to the sacred nature of this important, vital plant relative.

Is manoomin regulated? 

Yes. In Wisconsin, manoomin – specifically Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) – is regulated by both the Wisconsin DNR as well as GLIFWC, which represents eleven Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The right to gather manoomin is a part of the reserved hunting, fishing, and gathering rights in the 1836, 1837, 1842, and 1854 treaties with the United States government.

Can I harvest manoomin?

Only tribal members and legal residents of the state of Wisconsin can harvest wild rice within the state, and a permit is required. Bodies of water that hold wild rice are either on reservation or off reservation, and off-reservation lakes are divided into “date-regulated lakes” and “open lakes.” Harvest timing and whether a lake is harvestable is determined by GLIFWC and its tribal members, but DNR handles the permit process. The DNR has email alerts on harvest dates that follow GLIFWC recommendations, and GLIFWC maintains an official public online map that is updated each year as the ricing season unfolds.

How can paddlers protect manoomin? 

Learn to identify it. While the harvest occurs in late summer and typically peaks in September, it is important that paddlers can identify Northern wild rice throughout its growing season, as it can easily be disturbed and damaged. Although many lakes will be posted with harvest rules and regulations, other lakes with manoomin won’t have signs.

Advocacy for wild rice is growing, and River Alliance is eager to educate and engage people in supporting the plant that is both sensitive to climate change and a vital part of the ecosystem and cultural heritage and beliefs of tribal members. 

Droughts, dams, and a mussel rescue squad signal what’s next for our climate

By Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

With this spring’s onslaught of intense storms and many Wisconsin communities coping with the aftermath of floods, it’s hard to remember that just last fall, most of the state was locked in a strong and persistent drought. 

Last September, the combination of already low water levels in the Lower Wisconsin River, hydropower production, and unfortunately timed gate maintenance reduced Wisconsin’s namesake river to a proverbial trickle below the last dam and led to the worst-case scenario for the river’s most vulnerable species: native freshwater mussels.

Freshwater mussels are some of the most incredible creatures on the planet, and you’d never know it by looking at them. Over millennia, they’ve evolved some jaw-dropping reproductive strategies to ensure their survival, but they’ve never evolved the ability to move fast. Thanks to dams, habitat loss, and climate change, freshwater mussels are North America’s most critically imperiled species. 

In early fall of 2023, all along the riverway, tens of thousands of mussels were left stranded and drying in the hot sun as the water levels continued to fall. In response, volunteers heeded the call and took to the riverway to physically pick up and move thousands of stranded mussels to deeper water. We’ll never know how many were saved, but for species already on the precipice, every life saved mattered.

What happened last fall on the Lower Wisconsin River is a perfect illustration of choices that have to be made when there’s not enough water. At the end of this very long river with 26 hydropower dams and 21 reservoirs, there wasn’t enough water for life to persist after all other competing demands were met. 

Life in the river can’t always come last; these creatures have nowhere else to go.

The hard truth is that we really don’t know what’s coming next, and living in an anxious state of climate whiplash may be the new normal. We need a resilient system and policies in place that can handle and adapt to both ends of the extreme.

PBS Wisconsin produced a story about last fall’s mussel rescue that included River Alliance’s perspective along with interviews with leaders in the effort. You can help by visiting the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin River’s website to join the mussel rescue squad and learn about what to do next time the water levels drop: wisconsinriverfriends.org/mussel-rescue.

Planning for the future of Central Wisconsin’s watersheds

By Bill Davis, Senior Legal Analyst 

Our water is interconnected, and our actions on land affect our waters. Nature does not distinguish between surface water and groundwater, but our current water management systems do. We need a new system that follows the natural water cycle and considers cumulative impacts.

When developing the Wisconsin Water Agenda, our goal was to establish a new path to clean water. One key element, “Managing water as it exists in nature,” led us to the need to create a 50-year plan for the Central Wisconsin Basin.

The Central Wisconsin Basin faces just about every water issue, from flooding to nutrient and toxic pollution, to water scarcity. Drawing on our strong relationships with local leaders, we brought together a Wisconsin Water Agenda team that included municipal leaders, farmers, tribal representatives, scientists, and state agency staff. 

During our planning discussions, DNR staff mentioned their past authority to create watershed plans and expressed interest in reviving this authority with secured funding. This authority could achieve everything the team discussed for the basin plan. After considering this idea, the team decided to pursue it.

The DNR watershed planning authority process requires a Regional Planning Commission. The North Central Wisconsin RPC expressed interest and is drafting a funding proposal for the DNR. Using the DNR planning process can be easily replicated throughout the state, which is one of our goals for this work.

By encouraging cross-watershed collaboration among partners, we can improve our entire water management system for the health of people and our environment.

Our Agriculture Agenda is here, and we’re putting it to work

By Mike Tiboris, Agriculture and Water Policy Director

The Wisconsin Agriculture Agenda has taken some big steps forward, and we’re excited about bringing this new work to you. Transformational change in agriculture is necessary to protect our water, and the status quo is incapable of getting us there. Last year, we convened experts on the food system to identify new areas of policy change to transform agriculture and the food system into a positive force for water protection. The elements of the Agriculture Agenda are wide ranging and include some political reforms, like crop insurance changes, as well as efforts to keep diverse farms and farmers on the land, reduce waste, and improve rural quality of life.

Learn more at wisconsinrivers.org/agriculture-agenda, which will be an evolving platform for information and events. 

Over the next year, we’ll be focusing on one element of the Agenda: encouraging agricultural lenders to reward water and soil protection. Clean water is good business for farmers. Prioritizing it is a necessary change to protect farmers, banks, and our water as a shifting climate re-makes conventional farming into a high-risk activity. We’ll be working with lenders and conservation professionals to build mutual understanding of their work and identify ways for them to collaborate. Meanwhile, we’re continuing our work helping farmer-led watershed groups become strong organizations that create a culture of environmental protection among farmers.

We’re excited about this innovative work and had a lot of fun launching our new projects with a field day at Bouressa Family Farms in New London. We got to showcase some of our partners working on water and agriculture and build community with our members and their families. It was a gorgeous day on a model farm leading the way on water protection. We hope you’ll be at the next field day!

Thank you to Karen Anderson

Our deepest thanks to Karen Anderson for over four years as River Alliance of Wisconsin’s development director. The world changed quickly after she joined us in early 2020. She not only kept our ship afloat, she helped us set sail toward stable waters. We’ll miss her thoughtful reflections and commitment to being a just and equitable organization. We wish her well on her new role at the University of Wisconsin Foundation supporting the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison.

Get ready for Giving Tuesday

Tuesday, December 3, will be Giving Tuesday, a massive, global day of community philanthropy. River Alliance supporters always kick-start their year-end charitable giving by contributing on this day. We want to offer another dollar-for-dollar match again this year. If you are interested in being part of a donor pool to encourage others to give, contact Stacy at sharbaugh@wisconsinrivers.org to learn how you can help.

River Alliance of Wisconsin donors receive our triennial member newsletter by mail. To become a member, donate online.

This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Receive more updates in your inbox. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive biweekly news and special alerts.