In Southeastern Wisconsin, our rivers and Lake Michigan are THE REAL WATER PARK...

Our Waterways

We live in a region rich with water. Rivers, streams, and tributaries run through our communities flowing on to the Milwaukee Harbor and out into Lake Michigan. Our homes are on one of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan.

Five rivers make up the Greater Milwaukee Basin: the Milwaukee River, the Kinnickinnic, the Menomonee, the Oak Creek, and the Root Rivers. The names of these rivers reflect  the history of the region.

Our beautiful park system and parkways give access to our rivers and reflect the vision of Frederick Law Olsmsted and Charles B. Whitnall to provide enjoyment and beauty for the people of Milwaukee.

Click here to view the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds

Click here to view a map with jurisdictional boundaries

A few facts about these rivers –

Kinnickinnic River

• The watershed of the 9.6 mile long Kinnickinnic River covers an area of 25 square miles.
• ‘Kinnickinnic’ is an Ojibwe word that that means “what is mixed”, referring to the mixing of indigenous plants and introduced tobaccos.
• Roughly 145,000 people live in the watershed, making it the most densely populated in the region.
• The Kinnickinnic was also listed as the 7th most endangered river in the U.S. by American Rivers in 2007. A portion of the Kinnickinnic River is included in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.

• Information on the sediment removal project in 2009 (PDF)
• The Kinnickinnic River watershed community has a comprehensive plan providing future direction for the neighborhood (PDF)

Menomonee River

• The watershed covers an area of 140 square miles and is 33 miles in length.
• Menomonee is an Ojibwe word that means “good seed,” named from the abundant wild rice that once grew here.
• The Menomonee River Watershed is the most industrialized within the Milwaukee River Basin.
• The Menomonee River is a favorite fishing spot for steelhead trout in March once the river has thawed.
• Sediment contamination (Moss American Superfund Site)
• The Little Menomonee River Parkway is a chain of parks and natural areas extending along the Little Menomonee River Milwaukee-Ozaukee county line to W. Hampton Ave.

Milwaukee River

• The watershed covers 882 square miles and is 104 miles in length.
• The lower portion of the Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Milwaukee River once heavily polluted by industrial waste including the former Mercury Marine boat engine plant, was restored in the late 1980s and 1990s.
• After the removal of the North Avenue Dam, the diversity of fish populations increased from 4 to 30.
• The Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum will be the primary gateway to 878 acres of urban wilderness known as the Milwaukee River Greenway. First phase Greenway improvements – PCB cleanup, a new Greenway gateway, signs, easements, sustainable trails, and habitat inventory – are underway.

Oak Creek River

• The river is 10.8 miles in length.
• Steel sheet pile weirs that were installed in the Oak Creek to prevent flooding are being removed by the US Army Corp of Engineers and the Milwaukee.
• Metropolitan Sewerage District to improve water quality and aquatic habitat
• The Oak Creek is one of only two (the other being the Root) of the Greater Milwaukee watersheds experiencing continuous population increase patterns since 1970.

Root River

• The watershed covers 43.7 square miles and is 43.7 miles in length.
• Racine and Racine County are named for the river, as racine is the French
  word for “root.”
• There’s a 0.4 mile stretch of the Root River that’s rated by American Whitewater as a class II-III section.
• Root River Steelhead Facility, located in Lincoln Park, Racine, collects eggs from trout and salmon to produce the next generation of fish to test Lake Michigan anglers.

“I used to fish from the bridge downstream to the old trestle. I haven’t fished there since I was a kid. I did a lot of bottom fishing with the old V stick stuck in the mud, and, on occasion, used a bobber. And nothing but night crawlers.” [Blog Post]