They're Here...
The dreaded Asian Carp have made it into Wisconsin's inland waters. Two weeks ago a giant Bighead Carp was caught in the Wisconsin River nearly 60 miles upstream of the Mississippi, and last week, DNA evidence of the jumping Silver Carp was found as far as 50 miles up the St. Croix, a national scenic river. And as you read this, thousands of Asian Carp are swimming toward our Great Lakes. The Illinois River is already infested, and this invasive species has been found in other rivers flowing into Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. Asian Carp can reach up to 100 pounds, consuming up to 40% of their body weight each day. They could radically alter our Great Lakes by destroying the food chain that sustains our native fish.  While our left flank has been penetrated, the Asian Carp have NOT yet made a home in our Great Lakes, which means we still have time to stop them. The most foolproof method? Permanently separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River waterways to prevent entry of Asian Carp and other invasive species.
A few weeks ago you should have received a brochure asking you to ask Congress to tell the Army Corps of Engineers to eliminate the man-made connection between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan west of Chicago. If you haven't signed the postcards to Congress attached to the brochure, we'd be happy to send you another, or here's a copy you can print and send: Carp Card. Return the cards to our partner in this effort, Freshwater Future, and they will hand-deliver your message asking Congress to take immediate action to stop Asian Carp from finding their way into the Great Lakes.
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Welcome To Wisconsin (only some of our lakes and rivers will make you sick)
Irony may not be to everyone's liking, but in the era of the Onion and the Daily Show, satire has become the lingua franca of a public frustrated by dunderheaded actions of the body politic.
This week we served irony on a silver platter to Wisconsin's Secretary of Tourism, Stephanie Klett. After another summer of beach closings, warnings, and the (dis)honor of dual appearances on the Top Ten List of Worst Beaches in the nation, the River Alliance finds it particularly ironic that the current administration wants to promote the very lakes and streams that they refuse to protect.
And so, tongue planted firmly in cheek, the River Alliance wrote a letter to the Secretary encouraging the tourism department to welcome approaching visitors by posting billboards warning them to avoid water bodies that may produce rashes, vomiting or other unpleasantness associated with blue-green algae blooms caused by phosphorus pollution.
No, we're not the new PETA - but we do want to make it crystal clear that Wisconsin needs to be serious about supporting the small businesses that are the backbone of our tourism economy, which is not possible when the resources they depend on are at risk.
Read the letter, see the billboards |
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The Real Water Park
Last year, a survey of residents in the Milwaukee area showed that very few people think their actions can help reduce stormwater pollution. These findings are certainly not unique to Southeastern Wisconsin and leave many communities that are attempting to tackle this issue scratching their heads.
 On Wednesday, Sweet Water, otherwise known as the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc., held a press conference in West Allis to kick-off a stormwater education campaign focused on encouraging simple actions that individuals can do to improve water quality. This stormwater education campaign combines grant funding and contributions from municipalities in the Menomonee River watershed. This is truly a collaborative effort to pool resources so that the message is effectively broadcast as far across the Milwaukee area as possible.
Check out the campaign website at www.realwaterpark.com
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Tubing Into Tomorrow Photos 
Fun in the sun on the lovely little Tomorrow River near Amherst. We followed up the splishing and splashing with a tour of Central Waters Brewery - sampling their tasty brews! Salutations to Kris and Jake Barnes for their fine hospitality. Their reward? Storing the River Alliance tube armada in their barn for next year!
Check out the pictures
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Check out all the cool stuff you can get through the River Alliance online auction!
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