Coalition Work
Strength In Numbers
Tackling Complex Issues Through Expert Coalitions
As a nonprofit, we seek to amplify the work of other water conservation and protection organizations in Wisconsin and beyond by developing and participating in issue-specific coalitions. By adding our voice to the work of others and by bringing in outside experts to our own coalitions, we can better tackle complex issues and make progress. Coalitions are crucial to our mission as they allow us to:
- Create an expert task force to address specific issues
- Pool our resources to drive greater impact
- Drive strong advocacy efforts through a shared voice
- Empower other organizations and community members to act
- Approach policy makers with a strong, unified voice backed by multiple supporters
- Draw public attention to key issues

Building & Joining Strong Coalitions
Aligning with Experts Across Our Five Core Pillars
We develop and join dedicated coalitions based the long-standing and emerging needs of the communities and the waters we serve. To ensure we are meeting these needs, every coalition we create or support must fall within our five core pillars, including:
Pollution & Public Health
Pollution and public health are deeply interconnected with the health of our waterways, as clean, fresh water is essential for survival. However, historically marginalized and intentionally excluded communities often face the greatest impacts of pollution, making its prevention not just an environmental issue, but a matter of justice and equity.
Infrastructure & Climate Resiliency
Helping communities prepare for extreme weather and flooding is essential to protecting healthy waterways. By improving stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater systems—such as storm drains and green infrastructure—we can enhance water quality, promote environmental justice, and safeguard public health.
Safe & Equal Access
Clean water and healthy ecosystems depend on community involvement. Ensuring safe, equitable access helps build a stronger, more engaged public, leading to better-informed policies, community-driven projects, and a stronger cultural connection to water conservation.
Healthy Habitats & Ecosystems
A river is only as healthy as the ecosystems that support it. Protecting and restoring habitats like forests, wetlands, riverbanks, and aquatic (underwater) ecosystems—ensures clean water, biodiversity, flood resilience, and long-term river health.
Great Lakes Preservation
The health of local rivers, streams, and wetlands is directly tied to the health of Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes system. Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes means safeguarding the health of local rivers, ensuring clean drinking water, supporting communities, and preserving ecosystems for future generations.
Expanding Our Impact
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Coalitions by Pillar
As you explore, you’ll see that many of our coalitions cross-apply to several of our key pillars. This is because, when it comes to water, all things are connected. What happens upstream, whether it be pollution, water diversion, or other water abuse, affects everyone and everything downstream. Pollutants leak into our drinking water, crucial riparian life is threatened, habitats and ecosystems shrivel without clean water, the list goes on and on.
We’re facing complex problems that require multi-faceted coalitions to better understand the issues, identify solutions, and demand change from our policy makers and communities. Learn more about the coalitions we’ve created and support below.
Key
Pollution & Public Health
Infrastructure & Climate Resiliency
Safe & Equal Access
Healthy Habitats & Ecosystems
Great Lakes Preservation
Key
Pollution & Public Health
Infrastructure & Climate Resiliency
Safe & Equal Access
Healthy Habitats & Ecosystems
Great Lakes Preservation
Meet Our Regional, National, & Global Partners
Waterkeeper Alliance
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is part of a larger organization known as the Waterkeeper Alliance, which works to aid all Waterkeeper groups in connecting with each other to help organize the fight for clean water into a coordinated global movement.
Healing Our Waters
Milwaukee River is part of The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, a coalition of local, state, and regional advocates working together to establish Great Lakes restoration and protection as a national conservation priority.
River Alliance
Milwaukee Riverkeeper belongs to the River Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to protect and restore our water through political, grassroots, and community action.
River Network
River Network has been at the forefront of expanding national interest in protecting US waters, encouraging diversity in the environmental movement, and helping community members and local organizations take a stand for their waters.