River Alliance of Wisconsin

10/21/2026

Ha ha, The Onion. But nope. Native mussels are freaking FASCINATING.

Once you find out how important they are to keeping rivers clean, not to mention their wild reproductive lives (woah, glochidia!), you'll be convinced that these bivalves do a lot for clean water.

WOODS HOLE, MA—Saying they saw no conceivable reason to bother with the bivalve mollusks, biologists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announced Thursday that there was absolutely nothing to be learned from clams. “Our studies have found that while some of their shells look pretty cool...

10/20/2026

Gov. Evers' PFAS update: two new grant programs - PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program and the Wisconsin PFAS Private Well Testing Program - are now available.

Thanks to the unanimous votes by the state Senate and Assembly to approve policies and funding to tackle PFAS in Wisconsin's drinking water, communities and private well owners can apply for help from the Department of Natural Resources. Click the link below for full details.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), today announced the launch of two new grant programs, the PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program and the Wisconsin PFAS Private Well Testing Program (WisPPWT), which will provide...

10/20/2026

October 20 is the start of Wisconsin's in-person absentee voting period. The future of our clean water is always on the ballot.

Voters can possibly request and vote an absentee ballot in-person in their municipal clerk’s office through November 1, 2026. Office hours vary by municipality. Some municipal offices may not offer additional in-person absentee hours.

Check https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ or contact your municipal clerk for absentee voting hours.

10/19/2026

Wisconsin communities need facts about possible environmental impacts before making decisions on data center sites. Thanks to a settlement agreement won by Midwest Environmental Advocates, the courts agree.

According to the terms of a legal settlement finalized on Friday, Wisconsin is set to become one of the few states in the country to conduct a comprehensive review of the environmental impacts of data center development. A statewide review is essential for making informed decisions about how, where and under what conditions data centers should be developed in Wisconsin.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by MEA on behalf of the Sierra Club after the DNR issued permits for the Vantage data center campus in Port Washington without fully evaluating its environmental consequences.

According to the terms of the settlement:

✅ The DNR must analyze demands on water and energy resources, impacts on air quality and climate, and the effects of related infrastructure such as power plants and transmission lines.

✅ Vantage Data Centers must pay for all costs related to the environmental analysis.

✅ The public must have an opportunity to provide input.

10/11/2026

When we recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on October 12, we are reminded why we honor treaty rights and respect Tribal Nations' sovereignty.

When we respect ceded territory rights, manoomin (wild rice) can thrive in a healthy environment. When we don't, environmental threats become clear, as we've witnessed in the ongoing problems caused by the Enbridge Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in Northern Wisconsin.

Our office will be closed on Monday to mark the day.

10/09/2026

We're hiring! Find details on our new water programs manager position on our website: https://wisconsinrivers.org/jobs/

Subscribers to our Word on the Stream email newsletter got this announcement first. Sign up for our updates today at the link in the comments.

10/06/2026

Was it a lie or was it a lack of understanding of our water-rich environment when Enbridge experts testified in a legal challenge last fall that there was "zero risk" of an aquifer breach in their Line 5 reroute plan?

Either way - just as we have said before - Enbridge cannot be trusted to operate in Wisconsin. It's time to revoke their permits.

Enbridge is responding to an aquifer breach on a $1 billion project to reroute its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in northern Wisconsin.

09/30/2026

Of this month's highlights, the standout moment was standing with fellow advocates who have tirelessly worked for PFAS relief.

The collaboration award from Community Shares of Wisconsin recognized the public interest litigation efforts of Midwest Environmental Advocates, the grassroots organizing and legal support of River Alliance of Wisconsin, the statewide issue advocacy and legislative successes won by Wisconsin Conservation Voices which all followed the leadership and needs of local clean water advocacy groups like Save Our H2O.

We just got started. The next few years will be important for our state to get tough on PFAS pollution. Please continue to follow these organizations and donate in support of their nonprofit work.

📷 Hedi LaMarr Photography Photo of clean water advocates standing on a stage holding award plaques.

09/29/2026

It took years and many steps, but Marathon County board members strongly supported and passed new regulations on the spreading of liquid manure in winter months--a major source of nutrient pollution in the Wisconsin River.

The success of this new ordinance was a standout example of many stakeholders – including the farmers who would be regulated by the policy – coming together to discuss science-based solutions and arriving at a compromise where the needs of farmers and our healthy environment were considered.

Most importantly, it demonstrates that leadership by producer-led organizations - like EPPIC - Eau Pleine Partnership for Integrated Conservation - the conservation-minded farmers on the county's Environmental Resources Committee, and members on the county board can produce real change. Marathon County's collaborative model should be followed by other parts of the state dealing with non-point runoff.

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review Marathon County supervisors are expected to vote Thursday on manure spreading rules that county staff say

09/24/2026

Did you get our Line 5 action alert? Call the Governor about Line 5. Enbridge can't be trusted to operate in Wisconsin.

We're joining environmental groups across the state to ask Governor Evers and DNR Secretary Hyun to exercise their power to revoke Enbridge's permits after the company's latest pollution event.

Make your call today:
Governor Evers - call 608-266-1212 and press 1 when instructed to leave a message.
DNR Secretary Hyun - call 608-266-2252

What to say:
My name is _____ and I am calling about the Line 5 pipeline in Northern Wisconsin. Please revoke and terminate all permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 relocation project near Bad River. The Wisconsin DNR can end permits when activities could “endanger human health or the environment.” The recent catastrophic spill in Iron County, in combination with Enbridge's inability to comply with permit conditions and disregard for DNR requests regarding unapproved “bypass” construction, show that Enbridge cannot be trusted to protect us or meet their obligations. Please be a champion of the people, like leadership in MI, and use your authority to revoke Line 5 Reroute permits immediately. Thank you.

A month after a massive Line 5 pipeline spill in Iron County, tribal and environmental leaders are calling on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to declare a disaster and hold Enbridge accountable. The pipeline released roughly 1.