River Revitalization Foundation
By: Aaron Schwerma and Jeremy
Turnmeyer
http://www.riverrevitalizationfoundation.org/
board.html
History
• The River Revitalization Foundation was established in 1994
by two of the larger service clubs in Wisconsin the Kiwanis
and Rotary. They were recommended made by the Milwaukee
River Revitalization Council to improve the environmental
quality of the Milwaukee River Basin.
•
Some brief
history of the
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee RiverValley
Valley was a was at one point an area of
commerce and recreation. During the summer and winter months
you were able to swim, go canoeing and what not and during the
winter months ice-skating and ice chopping was an every day
occurrence. Another reason why the Milwaukee river had become
such a popular destination was of its locally owned beer gardens
that allowed people to canoe up and down the river to different
breweries and enjoy a night out.
• But for the last half century, the Milwaukee river had become a
symbol of division between race in the neighborhoods bordering
the valley.
• But with the recent removal of the dam at North Avenue combined
with water quality efforts throughout the river basin has change the
attitudes of many people. They are becoming aware that these
lands are being threatened with residential and commercial
development as housing moves up the Milwaukee River.
Milwaukee River Valley/Basin
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Milwaukee is located at the joining of three rivers (the Milwaukee, the
Menomonee, and the Kinnickinnic) which all drain into Lake Michigan. The rivers
connect to one another at some point in downtown Milwaukee to form one of the
largest freshwater estuaries in the lower half of Wisconsin.
There is an estimated 500 miles of streams and more than a 100 different lakes
that all come together to form the Milwaukee River Basin. All together the total
amount of land that contributes to this river valley is an estimated 900 square
miles.
Population wise the Milwaukee River Valley is home to more than 1.5 million
people consisting of 7 counties, 31 townships, 12 cities and 23 villages.
Example of the
Milwaukee River
Basin
River Revitalization Foundation
• The River Revitalization Foundation is a non-profit
conservation organization. In a way they are this areas urban
land trust. Their goal is to protect the land that is adjacent to
the river meaning what lies on the rivers edges and by that I
mean the rivers shore line and surrounding parks. They are
there to improve public access to this area as well as help reintroduce and protect native and wild species of animals and
even help to stop this area’s local invasive species. Recently
they have opened and maintained trails along side the river
allowing people to have open access to running, walking,
jogging and other leisure activates.
Mission Statement
• The mission of the River Revitalization Foundation is to
establish a parkway for public access, walkways, recreation
and education, bordering the Milwaukee, Menomonee and
Kinnickinnic Rivers; to use the rivers to revitalize surrounding
neighborhoods; and to improve water quality. From the past
to the future, we are committed to the return of this vital
natural resource for all as Milwaukee's urban rivers land trust
Their Vision
• The River Revitalization Foundation advocates environmental
conservation, public access and sensitive recreation in metro
Milwaukee's river watersheds.
• To address critical land use issues and further the greenway
concept, our primary focus includes ensuring:
 Public access
 Preservation of the River Valley
 Preservation of green space in a dense urban area
 Riparian buffers against encroaching development
 Links with neighborhoods on both sides of the river
 Conservation of critical habitat and wildlife areas
 By convening partners with shared vision, values and mission, we
can influence planning decisions made along this corridor
Organized Goals
•
Our long-term goal is to recreate the urban landscape using the river as a focal point. As a land trust, we will impact the
quality of life through neighborhood restoration, economic vitality, conservation of natural areas, and creation of public
access to these natural areas and open spaces. “Green infrastructure” addresses this concept; by incorporating open
space in urban planning, we have relief, through access to these spaces, from the intensity and pace of a dense urban
environment. The community would be enhanced in many ways.

Greenway established
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Areas for passive recreation and fitness as well as environmental study
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Protection of a linear corridor for wildlife habitat and migration, and aesthetic appreciation
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Enhancement of the quality of life and pride in the nearby neighborhoods as well as for the Milwaukee community at
large by protecting natural areas from encroaching development
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Links created with the existing Oak Leaf Trail, connecting east side to northern communities with a trail to downtown,
and to the lakefront
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Connection with other efforts bringing pedestrians and cyclists to the Milwaukee River such as the proposed pedestrian
bridge over the North Avenue dam and the “marsupial bridge” under the Holton Street viaduct
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Opportunities for tourists to explore the natural river environment.
Connection to The Ecosystem!
• The work of the River Revitalization Foundation as taken a
tremendous toll on The Milwaukee River Basin. With help
from its two partners Friends Of Milwaukee’s River’s and the
Urban Ecology Center they have teamed up to become a
nationally well known provider of its access to the natural
environment.
• The next few slides will show how together River
Revitalization has formed to team with surrounding area
originations to tackle one of the area largest projects.
Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers
• The Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers is basically designed to be
the area’s “River keeper”. There job is being able to recognize
the protecting of the Milwaukee River’s water quality. They
identify sources of pollution which are coming from industrial,
agricultural, construction sites and Milwaukee's own
municipal sources. Currently they held a local watershed
cleanup in which consisted of cleaning up local rivers and
streams and brought an estimated amount of 3,000 people.
http://www.mkeriverkeeper.org/
Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers
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The Urban Ecology Center is a nationally well know leader in the surrounding area
that is able to provide access to the natural environment. It is a neighborhoodbased, environmental education, nonprofit community center. The “green”
building in Riverside Park is there main office, it has resource areas and
classrooms, and is home to live animals They offer hands on educational
experience for all ages. They offer many programs to bring in visitors by allowing
them to be closer to nature. The are able to teach children and adults about the
natural world using the cities public parks and waterways. In a sense the Urban
Ecology Center is a safe area for children and adults to learn and grow and a great
way to connect to your neighbors and community. There main goal is just trying to
educate and inspire people to understand and value nature and to make a positive
change.
http://www.urbanecologycenter.org/
Other Partners
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Wisconsin DNR
Milwaukee County Parks
City of Milwaukee
National Park Service, Rivers and Trails
MMSD Greenseams
Question 1
• After reading and seeing what these programs are about it seems that
River Revitalization Foundation is part of a Nationally well known dream.
They are connected with there two other partners to help develop
relationships between the community and the neighborhood. All together
they are able to bring together the community with hands on projects that
allows kids and adults and I guess all ages to become aware and to allow
them to become aware of local issues and to show how they can help. The
efforts that our organization as well as the two other organizations and as
for fact the community and neighborhoods team up with they will be able
ensure that the Milwaukee River Valley will once again be an area of
leisure and activities by taking small steps at a time.
Question 2
•
The River Revitalization Foundation addresses the differences and inequalities in
the urban environment in many ways. First and foremost the River Revitalization
Foundation provides space in the city that allows families to go out and experience
the outdoors. There are very few areas in the city of Milwaukee where anyone can
experience the outdoors as they can along the Beer Line Trail. The River
Revitalization Foundation cleaned up the Milwaukee River through the cutting of
trails, planting trees, clearing of evasive species, and the overall clean up of the
mile long shore of the Milwaukee River. Providing these trails allows area
residents to enjoy a peaceful walk or jog down the Beer line Trail. When a
wealthier family can spend their money on a cabin “Up-north” to experience the
outdoors, a lower income family can afford to take a day and have a picnic at
Gordon Park and not break the bank. They will enjoy the scenery that the River
Revitalization Foundation has worked so hard to keep beautiful and pure. The
River Revitalization Foundation has given life to a once prospering area through
the help and backing of the surrounding community.
Question 3
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Some limitations that our organization has is mainly based on money and
volunteer work. Every year the cost of supplies and land reaches a point where
obviously funds are need to be met not just cause River Revitalization is a nonprofit organization but under simple economic struggles is making some areas
hard to progress. River Revitalization relies mainly on funds that are given from
different companies and agencies to help with the maintaining of local lands. Not
only money is a problem but volunteer work is a must need in order to progress
with projects. River Revitalization is lucky to have its many local area partners to
help with Milwaukee’s local issues of land management and off shore as well as
river pollution and even the introduction of invasive species. Together these
organizations are able to attract and educate community members by allowing
them to be a part of projects and hands on down and dirty work to show that even
small baby steps are able to make a change in the Milwaukee River.
Pictures of our experience!!!
Trail Cleanup/Restoration/Garbage cleanup
Planting Tree’s along Beer line
Trail/Garbage cleanup
Summary
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After being able to work along side volunteers and partners of the River Revitalization
Foundation we have learned a great deal and respect for the environment and its
surroundings. We have seen what people as a community and such have done to the
environment not only by the means of pollution coming from street runoff, local industries as
well as urban development but by also the up bringing of invasive species that have taken
over parts of our forests, lands and water. We were introduced to Milwaukee’s River Valley
on are first hike. We were given a tour along the Beerline Trail which is located over by
Riverview Dorms off of the UW Campus. We walked the stretch of Gordon Park and then
down below on trails made for recreation use. We were given a sense of what these
organizations are all about they gave us a brief history on what these lands used to be like
before and after the construction of the North Avenue Dam, and how they are trying to do to
bring back this area to what it once was. We have been on a few different programs that
these organizations and brought together and I like how they bring in the community and
local surrounding areas together to help make people aware as well as by letting people
volunteer and getting there hands dirty. There is no other way than for people to be apart of
something in order to learn and care for the environment than to be apart of something.
With our experience we hope that the volunteer and the effort of these organizations never
fades away they are doing a great deal bringing the community, neighborhoods and city
together to create a vision for the future of the Milwaukee River Valley.