Little History

Our rivers, the very ones that pour into Lake Michigan and our beaches, are not healthy.

The Milwaukee Estuary includes the three major rivers in Milwaukee – Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic – and Lake Michigan. More information on the projects happening in the estuary are shown on the map.

We did not make it this way but those before us contaminated the water so badly that the Federal Government put it on a list to fix.

The Milwaukee Estuary became an Area of Concern in the 1980s because of historical contamination and changes to the rivers, fish consumption, water quality, and wildlife habitat. An Area of Concern is an area on the Great Lakes that has a history of significant environmental harm from human activities, preventing people and wildlife from fully using or enjoying the local waterways. Go to: www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs to learn more about the Great Lakes Area of Concern program. Watch this short video to learn more:

Many federal, state, and local partners are working hard to design solutions, raise funding and fix it.

The Waterway Restoration Partnership is a group of long-standing, trusted partners in the community who have been working together for years to improve water quality in the area. With a once in a generation opportunity on the horizon, the organizations are formalizing their partnership and redoubling their commitment to work together to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. Learn more about the Waterway Restoration Partnership.