The work of Sweet Water is guided by its Steering Council and informed by the work of three key committees or teams: the Policy Committee, the Science Committee, and the Watershed Action Teams. 

The members of the Steering Council represent diverse stakeholders and include municipal leaders, businesses, agencies, utilities, and non-governmental organizations.  New steering council members are nominated and approved by current council members and serve a three-year term.

The Steering Council meets on a bi-monthly basis.  All meetings are held at the Technology Innovation Center located at 10437 W. Innovation Drive in Wauwatosa.   map

2010 Steering Council Members

Schedule of Steering Council meetings for 2010

From left to right: Peter McAvoy, Sweet Water Steering Council; Kevin Shafer, Sweet Water Steering Council; Molly Flanagan, Joyce Foundation; Jeff Martinka, Sweet Water

The Policy Committee is an open committee and assists Sweet Water by researching public policy and legal issues pertaining to its activities. As with the steering council, its members represent diverse stakeholder in the watershed with a special interest in water resources policies. 

The Policy Committee serves the organization by:

• Ensuring that a wide range of interests are considered in all public policy and legal discussions
• Focusing on issues that cut across existing lines of authority to achieve watershed objectives
• Identifying and making recommendations on public policy and legal issues.

To accomplish these tasks, the Policy Committee forms ad hoc working groups to engage in focused work and research. Two ad hoc work groups were formed to research water quality trading and watershed-based permitting.  The Policy Committee's work on water quality trading has been incorporated into the DNR's study on water quality trading and valued for the in-depth research reflected in its study. 

The white paper on water quality trading was prepared for Sweet Water by Melissa Scanlan, formerly of Midwest Environmental Advocates,and Peter McAvoy, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. It is available at this link.  Other documents generated by the Policy Committee will be posted on the website.

Policy Advisory Committee Members

Photo courtesy Midwest Environmental Advocates

The Science Committee is also an open committee with its membership driven by interest and expertise. The input of the Science Committee is central to ensuring that the work Sweet Water undertakes is science-based and reflects current science related to both the challenges and the solutions. 

The Science Committee serves the organization by:

• Ensuring that a wide range of interests are considered in all scientific discussions
• Focusing on issues of a scientific and technical nature to achieve watershed objectives
• Identifying and make recommendations on scientific and technical issues
• Reporting developing issues and their impact such as pharmaceutical waste in the waters
• Identifying areas where further study is necessary.

A current focus of the Science Committee is focused on the issue determining alternatives to fecal coliform as a human health indicator as well as assessing water quality monitoring and identifying data gaps. 

There is dynamic discourse between the work of the Science and Policy Committees.  The input of these committees will be critical as priority projects are identified for implementation rising out of the Watershed Restoration Plans. 

Photo courtesy Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Attachments

Documents

July 30, 2008

May 7, 2008