Download a copy of the 2018 Milwaukee River Basin Report Card.
With Immense Gratitude…
…we present Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s 2018 Milwaukee River Basin Report Card! We are continually humbled by dedication of our volunteers and the community partners that make this report possible.
Our volunteer Water Quality Monitoring program has grown into one of the largest people powered monitoring initiatives in the region. Without their time and talent, our work would not be possible.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
Historic rainfall levels in 2018, land-use practices, failing infrastructure and other human activities in both urban and rural parts of the Milwaukee River Basin, ultimately led to a decline in grade.
- Milwaukee River Basin Grade drops from C- in 2017, to D.
- Chloride persists as a growing issue throughout the Basin dropping in grade from an A- to B-.
- Bacteria also continues to be an issue, with the grade dropping 12.51% since 2017.
- All three watersheds failed to meet phosphorus standards for the 3rd year in a row.
- In 2018 the Milwaukee River Basin received record rainfall totals
Although a slight decline in grade, we remain optimistic about the policy and restoration work happening to making a real difference in our watersheds. We are dedicated to the vision of a swimmable, fishable, future for our waterways. Improvements in water quality take time to see. It took many decades for our rivers to become polluted, and it’s going to take many decades to bring them back to a healthy state.