Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Milwaukee Riverkeeper Milwaukee Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance
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Our mission is to protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the river corridors and to advocate for sound land use in the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic River Watersheds.

Have you ever wondered about these signs?We developed the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail to help encourage thoughtful and s...
06/18/2026

Have you ever wondered about these signs?

We developed the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail to help encourage thoughtful and safe recreation and to help residents of Milwaukee and surrounding areas find safe, legal access to the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers.

The trail map is designed for canoes, kayaks, and other small non-motorized boats on the "urban" portions of our three rivers. The map includes:

Access points
Portages
Hazards
Resting Sites
Points of Interest

Explore the map online or download a .pdf copy from our website!

Milwaukeeriverkeeper.org --> Our Waterways --> Milwaukee Urban Water Trail

Have you wanted to try fishing but don’t have your own equipment? Have some gear in your closet but don’t quite know how...
06/17/2026

Have you wanted to try fishing but don’t have your own equipment? Have some gear in your closet but don’t quite know how to get started? This series of FREE summer fishing clinics is perfect for anyone who is curious about fishing!

Find a date and location convenient for you:

Jackson Park: June 18th, July 16th, August 6th from 5 -7:30 PM

McGovern Park: June 20th 12 - 3 PM, July 1st and July 22nd from 5 - 7:30PM

Lincoln Park: June 27th from 12 - 3 PM (Lincoln Creek Week Wrap-up Celebration)

Kosciuszko Park: June 24th, July 8th, July 29th from 5 - 730 PM

Harbor View Plaza: June 25th, July 9th, and July 30th from 5 - 7:30 PM

Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants 16 or older must have a valid fishing license.

Mark your calendars and share this with a friend!

Thanks to our partners for helping make these clinics possible: Milwaukee Parks Foundation Milwaukee County Parks Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Harbor District Milwaukee Nearby Nature Milwaukee

We still have a few spots left for tomorrow's Learn to Paddle sessions with Milwaukee Kayak Company 4:30 and 5:30 start ...
06/15/2026

We still have a few spots left for tomorrow's Learn to Paddle sessions with Milwaukee Kayak Company

4:30 and 5:30 start times available.

Good value for the price (get an MKC rental gift card, equal to the value of your intro paddle, good for future use) and a great low-pressure way to try out paddling in downtown Milwaukee.

Can't make it? Share this with a friend who needs to know!

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is excited to host four new AmeriCorps positions! These roles will begin in September and run thro...
06/05/2026

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is excited to host four new AmeriCorps positions!

These roles will begin in September and run through the end of August 2027. Responsibilities, program details, and application instructions are available now at: Milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/about-us/join-our-team

Looking forward to meeting you!

In this 2-day photography course (June 13-14), you’ll learn from Troy Freund, a professional photographer and one of Mil...
06/02/2026

In this 2-day photography course (June 13-14), you’ll learn from Troy Freund, a professional photographer and one of Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s 2024 River Heroes!

Choose from one of the available classroom options on June 13th, and both groups will come together June 14th for a field session on the Westabrook Trail to practice skills learned in the classroom.

Connect your interest in photography with your passion for our waterways!

All ages, all gear welcome.

$40 total – Scholarships available!

Visit the Events page on our website for full details.

📷 Special thanks to Mike Crivello’s Camera and Imaging Center for making this possible!

Troy Freund Photography Mike Crivello's Camera and Imaging Center

Planning a beach day? Did you know you can check the beach conditions before you even hit the sand? The Swim Guide app i...
06/01/2026

Planning a beach day? Did you know you can check the beach conditions before you even hit the sand?

The Swim Guide app is a free and easy way to get updates on water quality. The app contains updated information about thousands of beaches, provided by local health departments, municipalities, educational institutions, and members of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Milwaukee Riverkeeper supports the effort by updating information about Wisconsin’s beaches.

Add the Swim Guide app to YOUR beach planning checklist today!

Join us next Saturday, June 6th, at 10 AM for a beginner-friendly paddle from Thiensville to Brown Deer. You'll get a ka...
05/31/2026

Join us next Saturday, June 6th, at 10 AM for a beginner-friendly paddle from Thiensville to Brown Deer.

You'll get a kayak rental, with paddle and life jacket, and a shuttle from Badger Meter River Park in Brown Deer to Thiensville Village Park from our friends at Forward Outdoor. From there, we'll provide you with land-based and on-water instruction as we paddle back to Brown Deer.

$30 per person for the trip. Still a few spots left! Register today at ForwardOutdoor.com under "River Kayaking Special Events."

Forward Outdoor

Hop aboard the Vista King for a sunset cruise through downtown Milwaukee and into the harbor. Enjoy views of Milwaukee’...
05/26/2026

Hop aboard the Vista King for a sunset cruise through downtown Milwaukee and into the harbor. Enjoy views of Milwaukee’s skyline, the Hoan Bridge, lighthouses, AND MORE from a unique vantage point!

This laid-back tour blends those stunning views with stories about our city and its waterways, touching on history, ecology, and efforts to keep the places we love clean and vibrant. You’ll hear about Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s three decades of work, as well as what is coming around the bend, from Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn and Executive Director, Jennifer Bolger Breceda.

Participants will enjoy a light dinner and tasty desserts on board, and a cash bar will also be available.

New this year: Purchase tickets for our 50/50 raffle, where half the proceeds will go to one lucky attendee, and the other half will benefit Milwaukee Rivekeeper’s mission of supporting fishable, swimmable rivers. We’ll announce the winner before we return to the dock!

Get your tickets today!

We will monitor water quality parameters at over 100 sites within the Milwaukee River Basin again this year...We are alw...
05/22/2026

We will monitor water quality parameters at over 100 sites within the Milwaukee River Basin again this year...

We are always extremely happy to have a high rate of returning volunteers, but we were also excited to have 17 NEW volunteers registered for our Level 1 training at Riveredge Nature Center earlier this month. In addition, we had 9 returning volunteers making the jump to Level 2!

Elizabeth Terry, a graduate student from the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, has joined the team this spring to assist with coordinating our community science programs. If you see her around this summer, make sure to welcome her!

Whether you’re looking for an educational experience or just a fun activity to connect you with the waterways of the Mil...
05/21/2026

Whether you’re looking for an educational experience or just a fun activity to connect you with the waterways of the Milwaukee River Basin, we’ve got something for you over the next month!

May 29th - Bay View Gallery Night at Component Brewing Company featuring Milwaukee Riverkeeper's Sustainable Creatives

June 4th - River Regale cruise aboard Milwaukee Boat Line vessel, The Vista King

June 6th - Intro to Paddling with Forward Outdoor (Brown Deer)

June 13th and 14th - Photography Crash Course with Troy Freund Photography and Mike Crivello's Camera and Imaging Center (classroom session + field session)

June 16th - Intro to Urban Paddling with Milwaukee Kayak Company

June 23rd: Hands-on mussel survey with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources mussel biologist Lisie Kitchel

Visit the Events page on our website for full details and to reserve your spot today! Bring a friend or share this post with your whole network – we're going to have a lot of fun this summer!

Special thanks to all of our partners who help make these events possible! 💙

Address

600 E. Greenfield Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
53204

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14142870207

Website

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