Enjoy River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Fall 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.

Fall 2025 | Volume 31, Issue 3

Right to Know legislation

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

Looking for a bright spot of bipartisan cooperation? There is a new piece of legislation circulating at the state Capitol. The Right to Know bill would close the communication gap between the state Department of Natural Resources and county and Tribal health departments when incidents of water pollution could impact the drinking water of those who use private wells.

We are backing this proposal that is being championed by Wisconsin Conservation Voters because it is practical, necessary to protect public health, and is a rare chance for legislators to agree.

Folks who drink city water get a notice in the mail when municipal water utilities test their water. Those on private wells, however, have to test their own water, but are out of the information loop when there are spills in their area. After environmental groups—including River Alliance of Wisconsin as a participating amicus partner—successfully defended the state’s Spills Law at the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the next step to protecting the health of Wisconsinites is to affirm their right to know when pollution threatens their private drinking wells.

We encouraged our supporters and watershed group leaders to contact their state legislators to ask them to sign on as co-sponsors to the bill. As of the publication of this newsletter, we are hopeful that the bill will get a hearing before the legislative session is over. Watch for updates and action alerts in your inbox. If you aren’t on our email list yet, sign up on our homepage.

Upon his retirement, Bill Davis’ impact on Wisconsin’s water will continue

by Allison Werner, Executive Director

In October, Senior Legal Analyst Bill Davis retired. His impact on Wisconsin’s environmental policies and the advocates who work to protect our water goes deep.

Bill’s background

Bill has worked to advance clean water policies throughout his career. He led groups including the Sierra Club–Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade (now known as Clean Wisconsin), Citizens for a Better Environment, and the State Environmental Leadership Program.

He spent decades pushing for policy and litigation solutions to toxins, PCBs, dioxins, and solid waste.

Impact on River Alliance of Wisconsin and our partners

Six years ago, Bill and I discussed the challenges we were seeing in achieving strong water policy in Wisconsin and the need to set new long-term strategies to reimagine how we protect Wisconsin’s water. We quickly added Bill to the River Alliance team to develop big-picture strategies for change. He launched the Wisconsin Water Agenda and inspired our Clean Water Now referendum campaign.

His knowledge of water law and lobbying has made him a sounding board on state policy priorities and legal advice, not just for River Alliance, but for many of our partner organizations. Bill has been a leading legal consultant for Wisconsin’s PFAS coalition alongside local grassroots organizations like Save Our H2O and statewide groups like Wisconsin Conservation Voters. He was a key legal advisor in Midwest Environmental Advocates’ friend-of-the-court intervention in defending the state’s Spills Law from a challenge by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce that went to the state Supreme Court.

In his role at River Alliance, Bill also guided dozens of local groups across the state, helping them develop decision-making tools like bylaws and best practices, strengthening their organizations to carry out their water-protection missions.

Central Wisconsin Basin Plan: Applying the Wisconsin Water Agenda

Because our rivers and groundwater don’t recognize the boundaries of counties and cities, Bill saw a clear need for a comprehensive water management strategy.

His vision for a Central Wisconsin Basin Plan is coming to life through the dedicated work of many partners including the Department of Natural Resources, the North Central Wisconsin Planning Commission, UW-Stevens Point, municipalities and county governments, drinking water utilities, and nonprofits like Wisconsin’s GreenFire and Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. The project is focused on systemic changes, coordinated governmental cooperation, and how to increase clean water ethics and literacy. Bill will continue to serve as an advisor to this effort.

Our organization is stronger thanks to Bill, and luckily, everyone on our team has been able to learn from him. We are ready to carry on his legacy.

“I hope and trust that Bill will be available, on occasion, to provide his sage counsel to various nonprofits when they face difficult governance or financial choices. Bill’s expertise and insights in this arena are some of the best that I have ever seen, and I know that many groups across Wisconsin – and, in fact, around the country – run better and with greater financial accountability, thanks to Bill’s tremendous work.” – Todd Ambs, retired Director of Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Water Division, Deputy DNR Secretary

“I just want to thank you for all the years of service to Wisconsin and the Great Lakes and also for all the years we’ve worked together. You’ve been more than a colleague to me though; you’ve been a mentor, a reality backstop when I’ve needed advice, and most importantly a good friend.” – Dave Blouin, Sierra Club

“In my four years working in environmental politics, Bill has easily been one of the most encouraging coalition partners. His institutional knowledge, his legal expertise and ability to scout out the tripwires, his stories about where coalitions have worked well, his cautionary tales about where trust and progress have broken down, and his encouragement to stick with the work – it’s all been more important to me than he knows.” – Peter Burress, Wisconsin Conservation Voters

Becoming a steward of manoomin starts at rice camp

By Johnson Bridgwater, Water Advocates Organizer

Over Labor Day weekend, I participated in GLIFWC’s Intertribal Rice Camp. I went to get hands-on experience and learning from the masters of traditional wild rice harvesting. River Alliance’s development director, Evan Arnold, also joined us at the manoomin camp.

Every fall for hundreds of years, families and Tribes have gathered for wild rice season on the lakes and streams of what is now known as northern Wisconsin. For the Anishinaabeg—including Ojibwe and other related tribes—this annual gathering remains a vital cultural and social tradition, encompassing far more than food gathering.

This year, following in the rice camp tradition, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and UW–Trout Lake Station hosted an intergenerational, intertribal Manoomin/Manōmaeh Camp over Labor Day weekend at the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters. Esiban Parent (GLIFWC), Sagen Quale (UW graduate student), and Dr. Gretchen Gerrish (UW–Trout Lake Station) did an outstanding job organizing the welcoming event, and more than twenty Tribes and bands were represented.

There are no spectators at rice camp. Your moments are spent either learning, teaching, or building the tools essential for traditional wild rice gathering (or “ricing”). All the while, participants are storing and sharing knowledge that will keep this tradition alive. Because manoomin is regarded as a sacred being, the camp also includes ceremony and other cultural practices that can only be learned firsthand or by invitation.

How to harvest manoomin at rice camp

The basic process of preparing manoomin begins with the harvest. Gathering wild rice is done from a canoe using a push pole, a pair of rice knockers, and two people working together. After harvesting, the rice is spread out in the sun to dry, giving rice worms and spiders a chance to leave before processing begins.

“Whether I was carving rice knockers, building push poles, crafting birchbark baskets, enjoying delicious manoomin meals, or paddling through rice beds, my experiences at Rice Camp helped cement my connection to the unique and valuable waters we have right here in Wisconsin, and strengthened my resolve to continue to protect them.”

– Evan Arnold, River Alliance Development Director

The traditional process of preparing wild rice involves three main steps: parching, threshing (also known as “dancing the rice” or “jigging”), and winnowing. Parching—or roasting—dries the grain to preserve it and makes the hull brittle. Threshing removes the dried husks from the kernels, traditionally done by “dancing” or “jigging” on the rice. Winnowing uses wind to separate the loose, light chaff from the heavier, processed rice grains. At that point, you have ready-to-cook rice.

All of these activities took place at this year’s camp, along with workshops where participants hand-crafted their own traditional ricing tools.

Is it OK for me to work with wild rice as a non-Native person?

Manoomin is not simply a “food that grows on water.” At the heart of Tribal beliefs, it is recognized as a Sacred Living Being and, unfortunately, it is very much under threat. Research estimates that this translates to an annual loss of about 6 percent of the total regional wild rice produced.

In response, GLIFWC and the Tribes working to protect wild rice have made it clear: addressing the growing threats to manoomin will require partnerships, alliances, and coalitions between Tribal and non-Tribal partners.

With deep respect and under the guidance of many Tribal partners, individuals, and GLIFWC, River Alliance of Wisconsin is honored to begin work in this space because we know that healthy wild rice means healthy water and strong community. This work is made possible by a grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan.

Become a Manoomin Steward

Plans are already underway to repeat this welcoming rice camp. For anybody wanting a deeper connection to our world or seeking new ways to grow your stewardship, a single weekend at rice camp can easily unlock a lifetime pursuit and passion.

Subscribe to our ManoomiNews email newsletter to get more photos and stories of this year’s ricing season. You’ll be the first to be invited to become a Manoomin Steward and join us next year.

Governor Evers’ executive order promoting Tribal Treaty rights and manoomin stewardship

“Wild rice is a culturally significant crop and an important food source to the Native Nations of Wisconsin. However, changing ecological conditions are putting Tribes’ ability to grow, cultivate, and harvest the crop on ceded Tribal lands and waters at risk. So, we’re creating a new Wild Rice Stewardship Council in my administration to help promote the protection of wild rice in Wisconsin and ensure its presence for future generations. And starting next year, this order designates the first week of September as “Wild Rice Week,” helping to raise awareness for and appreciation of the value of wild rice in our state.” – Governor Tony Evers’ statement upon signing an executive order on manoomin protection on October 13, 2025

Scouting for native mussels connects paddlers to rivers impacted by hydropower

By Ellen Voss, Climate Resilience Director

One of the highlights of my summer was paddling the Chippewa River just outside Chippewa Falls along with some of Wisconsin’s leading experts on native mussels. It was more than just a beautiful day for a river trip; we had an important mission.

The inspiration for this trip was sparked in September 2023 when drought and hydropower dams reduced the Wisconsin River to a trickle below the last dam, creating a worst-case scenario for the river’s most vulnerable species: native freshwater mussels. Volunteers organized rescue efforts, finding stranded mussels along riverbanks and moving them to deeper water. Their actions may have saved thousands of mussels, invaluable river dwellers that filter water and support our rivers’ interconnected ecosystems and food chains.

Because native mussels are so important to Wisconsin, we organized a paddle trip to find them in the Chippewa River. Like the Wisconsin River, the Chippewa hosts many native species and is impacted by several hydropower dams. We brought along experts Lisie Kitchel (aquatic ecologist with the DNR’s Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation), Jesse Weinzinger (DNR aquatic zoologist), and Bre Klockzien (Citizen Science and Aquatics Coordinator with Beaver Creek Reserve).

We started onshore, learning how to identify mussels and inspect them without causing harm. Our experts, who had surveyed this river previously, knew the best spots to search.

We launched our kayaks and paddleboards, making several stops along the route. Some participants found mussels right away, while others used GoPros and bathyscopes to explore under the waters’ surface. Everyone eventually found specimens and applied new identification skills.

At a riverside chat, participants were eager to learn how they could protect these delicate species and volunteer for future mussel rescue efforts during droughts or water shortages caused by hydroelectric dams.

The need for more people to learn about mussels and help advocate for their survival will continue. This fall, a mandated draw-down of the impounded Wolf River behind Balsam Row Dam in Shawano County resulted in a multifaceted, multiagency effort to protect the public, vulnerable natural resources like herps and mussel populations, and cultural relics. The drawdown prompted questions among local residents about dam safety and shed light on the myriad impacts that ensue when power production outweighs cultural priorities, environmental impacts, and recreation considerations.

To learn more about the impacts of hydropower and how you can get involved with aquatic organism rescue in the future, please contact Ellen at evoss@wisconsinrivers.org.

Leave no community behind when it comes to PFAS pollution

By Mike Tiboris, Agriculture and Policy Director

On October 7, I testified at a Senate Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs Committee hearing regarding twin bills related to PFAS pollution. 

The bad news is that SB 127 and 128 are nearly identical to the PFAS bills introduced in the last legislative session and vetoed by Governor Evers. 

The good news is that state legislators heard strong and clear opposition to punching holes in our state’s nearly 50-year-old Spills Law. In fact, the hearing was a lively public discussion about what the DNR can and can’t do, how farmers and residential homeowners can be victims of legacy pollution, and where good-faith compromises and amendments can be made.

What we want is very clear: 

• The state Joint Finance Committee should not wait for SB 127 or 128 to distribute the $125 million in the already-approved “PFAS Trust Fund” that the DNR could quickly use to help communities immediately.
• Don’t gut the Spills Law. Liability for PFAS pollution can’t exempt entities like paper mills’ sludge spreading. 
• We can’t leave any community – large or small – without options for clean drinking water. If these laws create too many exemptions, some communities will be without responsible parties and fewer legal options for relief. 

Public pressure is being heard by legislators loud and clear. Thanks to all of you who responded to our action alert to tell committee members what our non-negotiables are. 

If you missed the action alert in your inbox, please subscribe to our Word on the Stream email newsletter to get action alerts in the future. As of the printing of this newsletter, negotiations around this legislation are still in progress.

Menominee River fish passage tour lets visitors connect with sturgeon

On September 25, we co-hosted two tours of the hydroelectric dam and fish passage at the Hattie Street Dam in Menominee, Michigan. Visitors—including inquisitive kids—got a behind-the-scenes look at how the dam operates and collaborates with state scientists studying the movement and lifecycles of sturgeon that can live up to 150 years. The annual tour is made possible by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and North East Wisconsin Hydro.

Save the date: Giving Tuesday is December 2!

By Evan Arnold, Development Director

As a supporter of River Alliance of Wisconsin, your generosity fuels our mission to protect and restore water. On December 2, your support – or your effort to encourage your friends to join us – will make an even bigger impact!

On Giving Tuesday, your donation will be doubled dollar for dollar up to $20,000, thanks to a match provided by a group of fellow River Alliance supporters, helping us reach our $40,000 Giving Tuesday goal.

Mark your calendar and watch your inbox for ways to have your gift – and impact for Wisconsin’s waters – doubled on Giving Tuesday!

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.