Collaborating to secure healthy and sustainable water resources throughout five watersheds

of Southeastern Wisconsin

A Sweet Water Recap: Collaboration Over Combat Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference

Milwaukee, WI – May 1, 2014

Our Southeastern

Wisconsin Watersheds

Area:

Watershed: (in sq. miles)

Kinnickinnic River 24.7

Menomonee River 135.8

Milwaukee River 700.0

Oak Creek 28.2

Root River 197.6

Lake Michigan Direct

Drainage Area 40.7

Total Square Miles: 1,127.0

Number of Counties: 9

Number of Local Municipalities: 83

Total Perennial River Miles: 600+

Overflows to Lake Michigan have dramatically

declined after Milwaukee’s deep tunnel

construction…

1975

Rural-

Agricultural

Runoff

21%

CSO's

49%

Urban-Non-

Agricultural

Runoff

23%

WWTP

5%SSO's

2%

2000

Rural-

Agricultural

Runoff

21%

CSO's

7%

Urban-Non-

Agricultural

Runoff

68%

WWTP

2%SSO's

2%

…but the percentage of pollution from nonpoint

sources has doubled

Industrial

Discharge 0%

Industrial

Discharge 0%

Source – Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed’s: Fecal Coliform Bacteria Loadings

Sweet Water’s Goals

Make measurable progress in the

region’s water resources (with specific

pollutant reductions and land restoration

goals)

Support land uses that improve

water quality

Forge relationships to leverage funds

Recommend new water resource

policies

Implement cost-effective projects

5

Sweet Water’s Board Officers:

Nancy Frank, UW-Milwaukee Urban Planning Dept.

Tom Grisa, City of Brookfield Dept. of Public Works

David Lee, We Energies

Members:

Don Berghammer, Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation

Brian Depies, Yaggy Colby Associates

Sharon Gayan, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

Susan Greenfield, Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network

Michael Hahn, SE Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Andy Holschbach, Ozaukee County Land Management Dept.

Ghassan Korban, City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works

Ezra Meyer, Clean Wisconsin

Peter McAvoy, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences

Neil Palmer, Village of Elm Grove

Kevin Shafer, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Dan Stoffel, 5th Generation Farmer & Washington County Board

6

Key Sweet Water NGO Partners:

Prioritizing

projects

Tracking

emerging

issues

New water

quality

trading &

phosphorus

efforts

Watershed-

based

storm

water

permitting

effort

Menomonee

River

Kinnickinnic

River

Milwaukee

River

Total

Maximum

Daily

Load

(TMDL)

projects

Research

efforts in

public

knowledge

Regional

Stormwater

Outreach

Campaign

Watershed

Action

Teams

Science

Committee

Policy

Committee

Sweet

Water

New

bacteria

markers

Oak

Creek

Sweet Water NGO Structure

Future Watershed

Action Teams:

Root River

Rural

nonpoint

pollution

reduction

work

Milwaukee Riverkeeper

American Rivers

River Revitalization

Foundation

16th Street

Community

Health Center

American Rivers

Groundwork MKE

Midwest Environmental

Advocates

Clean Wisconsin

Milwaukee Riverkeeper

River

Alliance of WI

Sand County

Foundation

Clean

Wisconsin

Milwaukee

Riverkeeper

Root-Pike

Watershed

Initiative Network

Communications

Committee

Root-Pike

Watershed

Initiative Network

Clean Wisconsin

Sweet Water Teams Are Now

Active in Three Watersheds

Residential Stormwater BMP Projects

(KK River Watershed)

General Mills/Gardetto’s Parking

Lot Retrofits (KK River Watershed)

Sweet Water’s $173K in Mini-grants

Leveraged 55 Projects Across Region

Advancing New Regional

Water Quality Policy Efforts

Four third-party TMDLs underway, with Sweet

Water in outreach role

Efforts to institute water quality trading in WI

Secured $300K for Root River restoration plan,

now underway, bridging a key border

Fostered a first-in-US watershed-based storm

water permit partnership in our Menomonee

River watershed, linking 11 communities

Menomonee River Watershed-Based

Permit – Active Since January 2013

14

Finally, Sweet Water’s

Outreach Efforts Are Essential

Values: lack of individual

responsibility towards water quality

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

I do not see a role for myself in protecting the region’s water resources.

The actions of individuals do not have an impact on water quality and quantity …

Being a good steward of the environment is an important part of my faith.

I have a responsibility to future generations to protect the region’s water resources.

% agreeing

Public Education on Stormwater -

A $440K, 5-year Partnership Underway

Formal Successes

Joyce Foundation funding

In-kind support from MMSD,

consultants, UWM & many others…

Diverse, dedicated board

“Collaborative” mindsets

Key “win’s” – Watershed-based permit, Respect

Our Waters, mini-grants, conference – built

momentum

Informal Successes

Increased communication between sectors

Increased collaboration between partners

Shared willingness to tackle complex

problems when the best approach is

unclear

For more info on Sweet Water

visit

www.swwtwater.org

www.facebook.com/SE.WI.WatershedsTrust.org

or contact or visit Sweet Water

at our UWM SFS offices

414-477-1156

Thanks for coming today!