Milwaukee Riverkeeper spurs extensive cleanup of Kinnickinnic River

River Network congratulates Milwaukee Riverkeeper in achieving a $24.4 million dollar cleanup of the Kinnickinnic River in Wisconsin. Thanks to these efforts as well as those of American Rivers, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Port of Milwaukee, "over 170,000 cubic yards of sediment will finally be removed from a 2,000-foot section of the river."

We're proud to have supported such effective groups over the years. "River Network has always been there for us," says Lynn Broaddus, fmr. Director of Milwaukee Riverkeeper. "Aside from the training and networking opportunities afforded through the annual River Rally, their small grants program, funded primarily through the Mott Foundation, has really made a difference for us. Cash is always tight, but these small grants have allowed us to get training for staff, work on key projects, and get technical assistance when needed. Without River Network, we might never have made it."

Lynn offers the following pointers for other organizations looking to spur a multi-million dollar river cleanup:

This year we were very fortunate to get federal, state, and municipal commitments of $24.4 million to help remove contaminated sediments from the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. In our case, there were a few key ingredients: (1) Having a very polluted river that was desperate for help, (2) a committed community of local volunteers, business owners, community organizations, and activists all of whom share a vision for a clean river, (3) national attention - in our case it was being named one of America's Most Endangered Rivers, by American Rivers, and (4) patience. We and our partners have worked for years to try to get the funding, but we had to be patient and wait until all the right ingredients came together.

For more information, see:

• Kinnickinnic River to get $24.4 million cleanup, Journal Sentinel, August 21, 2008
• Milwaukee Riverkeeper Newsroom