The Milwaukee River Priority Watershed Program was approved by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1983. The Milwaukee River Priority Watershed Program, as with all Wisconsin priority watershed programs, is to work with local landowners and communities in improving and protecting our waters from sources of runoff pollution.
Pollution comes from both rural and urban areas.
Every time we have surface water runoff from rains or snow melts we have pollutants from the land being flushed into our streams and lakes. These pollutants include sediment from crop fields and urban construction sites, and urban lands, manure and pet wastes and many other pollutants. By having everyone pitch in, both urban and rural landowners on a voluntary basis, we can control these pollution sources. The Milwaukee River Priority Watershed is a diversified watershed ranging from the Kettle Moraine State Forest in the north to down town Milwaukee in the south. The water that flows from the Milwaukee River into Lake Michigan drains approximately 830 square miles and includes parts of Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties.