Maunesha River Alliance

03/29/2026

Do you ever start a job, get on a roll, and lose track of time? Yeah. That happened today. What was scheduled for a short, two-hour cleanup turned into four hours of blood, sweat, and no tears. At least we accomplished our goal. The MRA had 3.5 volunteers (one left after 2 hours, but another joined up) helping to complete our goal on a beautiful late March day. The crew focused on moving firewood off the slope in preparation of a possible controlled burn, and application of herbicide. And then that turned into pilling up ALL the firewood in the lower portion into two convenient piles. Talk about a workout!

The MRA's next scheduled cleanup is May 2 at 9am. If interested, meet at Whisper’s Roadhouse at 9am. Capitol Water Trails will bring their canoes and we will work our way down to the 4 Corners in Waterloo (S. Monroe St.). Stay tuned to this page for updates as we will more than likely meet up for a workday before then. Email us at [email protected] with any questions or if you want to join our email group.

03/09/2026

That was quick. After kicking off the 2026 cleanup season on March 7, the MRA was back at it on March 8. Four people joined up for an unconventional afternoon workday at the dam in Marshall. The volunteers focused on raking & gathering cut vegetation from yesterday, while occasionally cutting new growth during the two-hour cleanup.

The MRA doesn't currently have anything scheduled until May 2, but we likely meet up before then. Stayed tuned to this page for updates!

03/08/2026

First cleanup of 2026 in the books!
Six people met up for a workday at the dam on March 7 to clean & prep the land for future planting. Most members of the MRA focused on clearing part of the upper portion of the land, while one other person was tasked with bucking up the remaining firewood. After three hours of work on a wet & dreary day, the group called it quitting time.

A small crew of MRA members will be at it again tomorrow (March 8) at 1pm for another workday. They will focus on raking & collecting old growth vegetation for removal from the site. If interested in helping at the two-hour cleanup tomorrow, please stop by.

P.S. Does anybody have a small wood chipper we can borrow?

11/24/2025

Favor For a Neighbor!
Two members of the Maunesha River Alliance joined forces with Capitol Water Trails at the Koshkonong Creek on Saturday, November 22. The MRA and Capitol Water Trails are hoping the weather cooperates and they can schedule some events this winter. Stayed tuned to our pages for updates.

11/19/2025

11/16/2025

What a great day! The Maunesha River Alliance (MRA) continued its cleanup efforts, this time on dry land. Seven dedicated MRA volunteers gathered at the land next to the dam in Marshall on a beautiful Saturday morning to contribute their time and effort.

The crew focused on essential tasks such as cutting, gathering, and piling old vegetation growth in preparation for a spring application of herbicide on the lower woodchip trail portion of the land. Additional efforts included lopping new box elder growth and treating them, sawing stumps, bucking wood, and collecting litter from the area. After three & half hours of hard work, the volunteers were treated to a well-earned lunch at the Fox, where they enjoyed food and beverages to wrap up the day.

As the day drew to a close, it was noted that the 2025 cleanup season is officially, or perhaps unofficially, over. While it is likely that the MRA will host workdays at the dam in December, this is subject to the unpredictable nature of winter weather. Stay tuned to our page to get the latest updates.

For those interested in learning more about the Maunesha River Alliance, our mission, and how you can get involved, please feel free to reach out via message or email us at [email protected]. Lastly, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers, supporters, followers, and donors. Your ongoing support means the world to us! ❤️

10/19/2025

On October 18, the Maunesha River Alliance (MRA) resumed its efforts to clean up the Maunesha River after weather-related delays in August and September. A team of six dedicated individuals gathered at the Socha Conservancy at 9 AM for a productive, albeit shortened, three-hour workday. Their primary focus was addressing two significant blockages at the first river bend within the conservancy and widening the existing canoe and kayak passage.

Once the cleanup activities were completed, the group took the opportunity to unwind and socialize at Whisper’s Roadhouse, enjoying some well-deserved adult beverages and delicious pizza. A special thank you goes out to Whisper for graciously covering lunch!

Looking ahead, the next MRA workday is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, at 9 AM. Participants are invited to meet at the land next to the dam at the intersection of Waterloo Rd. and Hubbell St. The day’s efforts will include removing old plant and w**d growth while also collecting litter in the area. Barrels and trash bags will be provided for convenience. Attendees are encouraged to bring helpful tools such as wheelbarrows, rakes, and garden snips. For any questions, please reach out to the MRA at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing everyone on November 15!

08/03/2025

Wow! What a great article about the Maunesha River Alliance!
A huge thank you to the Rock River Coalition, Inc. and to Garrett for shining a spotlight on our chapter and the dedicated efforts of our volunteers who make everything possible.

We’re also incredibly grateful to our followers, supporters, and donors—you provide both the motivation and the financial support that keep us going. We couldn’t do it without you!

Rock River Coalition educates and provide opportunities for people of diverse interests to improve the Rock River Basin of Wisconsin.

07/27/2025

We have a first!
Have you ever been cleaning up a river, about to grab a log to cut, and a carp jumps up a slaps you in the face? Well. It happened to Jeff.

Like last week, the July 26 didn't go exactly as planned. Originally scheduled to start at Firemen's Park in Waterloo, the five volunteers ultimately ended up launching from the Waterloo Wildlife Area. The crew paddled roughly a mile upriver during the cleanup, encountering blockage after blockage, limiting the paddle portion of the workday. Three hours later, with five blockages removed, the MRA and Capitol Water Trails called it a day, thoroughly wet and muddy from the rain and the general hazards of the job.

Besides the carp slap, the MRA & CWT had a productive day in more ways than one. They removed five blockages and finalized the two events scheduled with the location to be announced. The MRA's next cleanup is with CWT at the Medina Town Hall at 634 Hwy 19 on August 16 at 9am.

P.S. Sorry, we don't have many pictures of today's progress. Our photographer was busy playing in the mud.

If you are a paddler or notice any issues, we welcome you to report any areas of concern that you might encounter. If you come across a blockage, taking a photo that includes the GPS location would be incredibly helpful. This will assist us in scouting the area and is a wonderful way to support the MRA. You can send the photos to [email protected] or share them on our MRA group page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1224071614420672
Please let us know if you have any other questions and most importantly, stay safe out there!

*Upcoming Events:*
- August 16 - 9am to 1pm - Medina Town Hall (634 Hwy 19) - Marshall
- October 11 - 9am to 1pm - Socha Conservancy (5784 Cherry Ln.) - Marshall
- November 15 - 9 AM - 1 PM – Blaschka Dam (132 Hubbell St.) - Marshall

*All events are subject to change. For updates, email [email protected] or connect with us on Facebook.*

Interested in joining the MRA team? We’d love to have you! Reach out via email ([email protected]) or contact us through our page for more information. There are many ways to contribute, including cleanups, marketing, photography, scouting, community outreach, water quality testing, and much more. To renew or become a new member, please fill out or print off the form available on the Rock River Coalition website (our parent organization). You can access it at https://rockrivercoalition.org/memberships.../membership/If you wish to support us with donations, you can write a check made out to the "Rock River Coalition," specifying "Maunesha River Alliance" in the memo, and send it to one of the following addresses:
MRA Treasurer at 712 Sunnyview Ln, Marshall, WI 53559 or Rock River Coalition at 864 Collins Road, Jefferson, WI 53549.
We look forward to seeing you on the river!

07/20/2025

The Maunesha River Alliance's July 19 workday can be summed up in one word. Flexibility

First, the workday was scheduled to start at 9am, but was pushed back to 11am due to the weather. After the four volunteers met at the Socha Conservancy at 11am, the group changed the work location to two other areas in the area.

At their first stop, the MRA worked on a newly fallen tree at the intersection of Cherry Ln and Canal Rd. The relatively small crew removed the underbrush from the tree, as well as cleaning up other obstructions in the area. Two people cut and roped pieces of the deadfall while two people on shore brought in and bucked up the logs. For those familiar with the Maunesha River, the deadfall was located where the river reaches its northernmost peak just south of Canal Road.

After spending an hour at their first stop, the MRA packed up shop and moved to stop number two on a plot of land behind the Maple Heights subdivision. The MRA's first goal on the land was to open up the nearly clogged railroad trestle bridge. Almost all of the six spans of the bridge were blocked up, with a narrow path being the only passage for paddlers. The group spent another hour clearing two of the six spans before calling it a day...so they thought.

On the walk back out, the crew noticed two more recently fallen trees spanning the river. An hour and a half later, the crew put two six foot holes in the trees before calling it a day.

In total, the four-person crew removed five blockages in three and a half hours on the Maunesha River, quite a productive day considering the hurdles they faced.

The Maunesha River Alliance will be back in Waterloo next Saturday, July 26. Meet in Firemen's Park at 9am if you would like to assist our volunteer group. We will be parked near the second foot bridge in the park. The MRA will be teaming up with Capitol Water Trails in a cleanup from the Firemen's Park to Highway 19.

Besides our cleanup workdays, we are looking for someone to take trips, fly a drone, take photos, perform water quality testing, and assist us in fundraising. If you can help us at all in any way, please reach out to us.

If you are a paddler or notice any issues, we welcome you to report any areas of concern that you might encounter. If you come across a blockage, taking a photo that includes the GPS location would be incredibly helpful. This will assist us in scouting the area and is a wonderful way to support the MRA. You can send the photos to [email protected] or share them on our MRA group page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1224071614420672

Please let us know if you have any other questions and most importantly, stay safe out there!
*Upcoming Events:*
- July 26 - 9 AM - 1 PM – Firemen's Park (500 Park Ave.) - Waterloo
- August 16 - TBA – Marshall/Waterloo
- October 11 - TBA – Marshall/Waterloo
- November 15 - 9 AM - 1 PM – Blaschka Dam (132 Hubbell St.) - Marshall

*All events are subject to change. For updates, email [email protected] or connect with us on Facebook.*

Interested in joining the MRA team? We’d love to have you! Reach out via email ([email protected]) or contact us through our page for more information. There are many ways to contribute, including cleanups, marketing, photography, scouting, community outreach, water quality testing, and much more. To renew or become a new member, please fill out or print off the form available on the Rock River Coalition website (our parent organization). You can access it at https://rockrivercoalition.org/memberships.../membership/If you wish to support us with donations, you can write a check made out to the "Rock River Coalition," specifying "Maunesha River Alliance" in the memo, and send it to one of the following addresses:
MRA Treasurer at 712 Sunnyview Ln, Marshall, WI 53559 or Rock River Coalition at 864 Collins Road, Jefferson, WI 53549.

We look forward to seeing you on the river!