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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 Milwaukees 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 Watersheds: Fecal Coliform Bacteria Loadings
Sweet Waters Goals
Make measurable progress in the
regions 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 Waters 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, 5
th
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
16
th
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/Gardettos Parking
Lot Retrofits (KK River Watershed)
Sweet Waters $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 Waters
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
regions 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 regions 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 wins 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!

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