April 30th conference aiming at cleaning SE Wisconsin waters

Sweet Water, the Milwaukee-based regional partnership that promotes water conservation across watershed, not political boundaries is holding its annual conference next week, April 30th, at the Harley-Davidson Museum. 

The public is invited, details below.  

Sweet Water’s annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference Thursday, April 30th 

MILWAUKEE – Leaders in state water quality work and residents alike will have an opportunity to learn about innovations and efforts to clean up area rivers and Lake Michigan at the 11th annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference, scheduled for April 30th at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.

Conference highlights include a lunchtime plenary presentation-- River Restorations: the ecology, engineering and social benefits-- presented by Dr. Peter Levi of UW-Madison, David Fowler of MMSD, and Nadia Bogue, Environmental Project Coordinator for Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. They'll present the value of river restorations from around Milwaukee from a diversity of disciplines.

“Southeastern Wisconsin is recognized across the nation for its rich water resources,” said Nancy Frank, board chair of Sweet Water. “The Clean Rivers Clean Lake conference provides the opportunity to learn about breakthroughs in cleaning up our valuable waters.”

Workshops include “Neighbor to Neighbor-- Building a Fresh Coast Network”, a collaborative effort presented by Breanne McDonald-Plier of MMSD, Nathan Guequierre from URS Corporation focused Northwest Side Community Development, and Pamela Ritger of Clean Wisconsin. They will speak about green infrastructure efforts at a neighborhood scale, tailored for diverse audiences.

At the conference, as a part of its Mini-grant Program, Sweet Water will be awarding 13 small grants to community-based, neighborhood nonprofit organizations working at the grassroots level to improve water quality in their communities.

“From green infrastructure projects such as permeable pavement to building fish passages and involving the community in clean water efforts, this conference will cover a wide spectrum of topics related to improving water quality and have something for everyone interested in cleaning up area rivers and Lake Michigan,” explains Frank.

At this year’s conference, Sweet Water will be introducing its new executive director, Linda Reid. Reid was the director of the Water Business Institute, a collaborative effort with the Water Council. She has also taught Finance and Business Law at UW-Whitewater.

Registration remains open for Sweet Water’s 2015 CRCL Conference with general admittance for $90 or $110, $30 for students with current ID. For more information and to register, please visit the Sweet Water web site at www.swwtwater.org.

Sweet Water, the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc., is a unique partnership established in 2008 committed to restoring the Greater Milwaukee watersheds to conditions that are healthy for swimming and fishing. We bring diverse partners together and provide the leadership and innovation necessary to protect and restore our shared water resources.

Media please contact Heather Ullsvik, #646 234 1777/ heather@ullsvikassociates.com with pre- conference inquiries or to attend the event.

Additional contact:

Nancy Frank, Sweet Water Board Chair, 414-382-1766, frankn@uwm.edu