New Year Wishes to all our friends and colleagues!

We have many successes to celebrate at the end of 2011.  The year began with the publishing of the results of 1000 Friends of WI public survey regarding the public's understanding of our water resources. 

Through the support of initiatives and foundations including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Sustain our Great Lakes, the Joyce Foundation, WI Coastal Management Program and the Fund for Lake Michigan, new water quality projects are being implemented throughout the Greater MKE Watersheds.

We've also seen advances in the areas of regulatory innovation.  Work on developing a framework for a watershed-based stormwater permit has begun with a group of committed municipalities in the Menomonee River Watershed.  Four TMDL studies have been begun for the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers and the Milwaukee Estuary.

Work on the development of Root River Watershed Restoration Plan has begun.

Sweet Water raised $450,000, the vast majority of which went to our partners, for water quality projects within the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds.  Additionally, our Water Quality (green infrastructure) Mini-Grant Program was able to offer 3x the funding this year for local, grassroots projects with $52,000 to be awarded due to the support of the Fund for Lake Michigan, MMSD, Wisconsin Energy Foundation, and CH2M HILL. 

We are also hopeful that we will receive another grant from the Joyce Foundation to help us continue to build the foundations necessary for Sweet Water to move to the next phase of growth.

Of course, the work of Sweet Water is just a portion of the great work taking place throughout the area.  We are fortunate to have many nonprofit organizations, neighborhood associations, passionate individuals as well as the leadership of other large entities such as MMSD, UWM-School of Freshwater Studies, and the Water Council -- each working in accord with their mission advancing water quality and habitat restoration in the region. 

We have much work ahead.  Yet by working together, we can leverage each other's success.  We look forward to the opportunities the coming year will bring.

Thank you for the good company in this endeavor and your commitment to our regions waters!