• Home
    • Watersheds
  • About Us
    • LWV UMRR Board
    • Background
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Annual Meeting 2025
  • Upcoming Events
    • LWV UMRR Calendar
    • Past Meeting Materials
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Past Program Videos
  LWV Upper Mississippi River Region

UMRR blog

Steven Marking - the Riverlorian - in A Visit from Will Dilg

4/1/2024

 
May 29 at 7pm - Join LWV UMRR as we host Riverlorian Steven Marking!  
Immediately following the LWV UMRR 6:00 pm Annual Business Meeting,  Wednesday, May 29th, we thrilled to host  Riverlorian* Steven Marking starting at 7pm!  Steven will share his new film and then be on hand to answer our questions.  

Steven Marking plays Will Dilg in A Visit From Will Dilg.  In the early 1920’s Will Dilg’s only son drowned in the Mississippi River. Dilg rose up from the depths of depression and mourning to become a tireless, fanatic firebrand. In 1922 he became the founding president of the Izaak Walton League of America, and he lead an extraordinary national crusade to preserve a 261 mile stretch of Mississippi River Backwaters we now know as the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Dilg's accomplishments are still legendary, and we all will benefit by hearing from him on this 100th Anniversary of the Refuge.

Not just a Riverlorian and a movie maker, Steven Marking is a guest speaker on American Cruise Lines on their cruises on the Mississippi.  Watch the trailer for" A Visit from Will Dilg" in the link to the right. >>
Picture
Click here to to sign up to see Steven Marking in A Visit from Will Dilg
Expanding our Reach, Extending our Influence
LWV UMRR Annual Meeting
May 29, 2024 via Zoom
Email notices for the Annual Meeting were sent to member Leagues on Wednesday, April 3.  Each paid member League can send one delegate.  Additional members from local Leagues were welcome to attend, but they will not be allowed to vote in business matters.   Delegates must pre-register - more info at this link.
About Steven Marking:
Steven Marking holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, and a Bachelors Degree from Viterbo University in his hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin.  He brings more than three decades of professional production and performance experience to his latest creation, A Visit From Will Dilg, and his ongoing masterpiece, Our Mighty Mississippi. ​
​
*A Riverlorian is defined as follows: "One who studies rivers and shares all aspects of navigation, nature, history, legends & lore with anyone who will listen. This could expand into river related topics that interest the Riverlorian and possibly even the audience." ​

LWV UMRR Board Moves into the next phase...

6/13/2023

 
Post by Gretchen Sabel, Communications Director

LWV UMRR was incorporated in 2015, after being affirmed by our membership at our first Annual Meeting on October 24 in Dubuque, and being affirmed by the LWV US Board on April 1, 2016.   In the early days, we traveled across the region, getting to know our watersheds and member Leagues.  Like everyone else, we turned to Zoom and were virtual for years, finding that this is an effective way to us to work in our far-flung watershed.  In early June, 2023, the LWV UMRR Board met in La Crosse for our first in-person retreat since 2020.   

Our current chair, Mary Ellen Miller (home League LWV Metro Des Moines, IA) noted that we've matured as an organization in these seven years.  Some elements are working well, but others need some adjustment.  Now we will be re-evaluating our structure, and seeking ways to bring more people into our Board and committees.
Picture
Our current Board is composed of five officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Past Chair, Secretary and Treasurer plus  a representative and an alternate appointed to the Board by the Boards of our four state member Leagues.  We have only one year-round committee - the Action Committee.   (Board info can be found here.)

At the Retreat, we decided to start two additional committees: Communications and  Bylaws.  The Communications Committee will work with Communications Director Gretchen Sabel to learn the website and social media tools and assist with the 
​
monthly newsletter.  The Bylaws Committee will examine the structure of the Board and recommend changes to bring in more Board members in meaningful roles.   The Action Committee is also seeking new members as we expand our work and advocacy.   We will share more on these new committees in upcoming blog posts.  The Nominations Committee is also seeking new members.  

Take a close look at the picture above.  Do you recognize anyone well-known to all of us Leaguer's?  Yes, we had  several special guests at our Board Retreat.  One was LWV US President Deb Turner.  We were honored to be able to ask her our questions about how an ILO like LWV UMRR works with LWV US.   She observed that there is no book written that outlines how this relationship is supposed to go so we are writing it as we go.  We committed to working together to develop strong ties and effective working relationships.  LWV US Midwest Regional Organizer, Jessica Rohloff, also attended  - she will be on hand in this role as we move ahead. 
Another guest at the Retreat was Bonnie Cox (home League LWV Jo Daviess County, IL).  Bonnie was one of the original organizers of LWV UMRR, and she shared two videos that look back to the origins of LWV UMRR and explain the basis for our work on nutrient pollution.  These videos can be viewed at these links; here and here.  

The retreat started out Friday night when several of us met for the dinner cruise on the La Crosse Queen.  We were pleased to be joined by Joy Guscotte-Mueller, President of the LWV Lake Michigan Region ILO (LWV LMR), and David Mueller, Action Chair for LWV LMR.  On the cruise, we learned about each other's organizations and talked about the possibility of joint action on issues of common interest, like changes to regulation of Waters of the US in response to the Sackett decision.  You can read more about this decision in blog posts here and here.  


Picture
All in all, the retreat was a three-day event filled with camaraderie and exploration.  It was amazing to be able to meet in person after years of Zooming, and we not only worked but got to know each other informally.   Here are some pictures from the event!

River Events at LWV MN Convention

6/3/2023

0 Comments

 
The 2023 LWV Minnesota Convention took place in New Ulm on June 2-3.  New Ulm is a thriving Minnesota city, located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Cottonwood River, probably best known as the home of the second-oldest continuously operating brewery in the US, Schell's Brewery.  We met and celebrated the Dakota Native roots of the community, the natural setting along the river, and the German culture that overlays this area today.  
Picture
Friday afternoon, Part 1 took place at the Riverside Environmental Learning Center along the Minnesota River in New Ulm.  This historic building was a fitting setting - outdoors we welcomed visitors with a display on LWV UMRR, staffed by volunteers from LWV New Ulm.  

Inside, visitors learned about the Minnesota River's animals and water quality, and were able to 'take action' and write to their members of Congress, urging a strong conservation article in the US Farm Bill now being considered.   Packets of pollinator seeds were provided to underscore what's at stake in the Farm Bill.

Another attraction at this event was a book event for "For Love of a River: The Minnesota", where LWV lifetime member and state leader Geri Nelson distributed copies of the book to the visitors.   Her husband Darby was an accomplished author, educator and legislator.  This book was his last project before his death in January, 2022.  Geri was on hand to chat with visitors about the book and the process of writing it.

Saturday, the displays were set up in the LWV MN Convention hall.  Gretchen Sabel, LWV UMRR Communication Director, spoke about LWV UMRR and urged Leagues in Minnesota to join if they haven't already.  Geri Nelson gave a presentation on  the book, and then LWV New Ulm Vice-President Megan Benage gave a rousing call to action for people to understand and protect the river.  
Picture
Megan Benage demonstrating 5th-grader's response to the notion of drinking dinosaur pee since all water on earth is recycled over and over and over
Here, LWV members were provided copies of the LWV UMRR 2022-23 Annual Report and the 2023-24 Program for Action, along with LWV UMRR brochures and postcards with links to the video of Bonnie Cox and Beth Baranski's talk at the LWV UMRR 2022 Annual Meeting.   This talk from 2022 is a great way to demonstrate the power of a local League in addressing water problems and building community in the process.  
2023_umrr_report_to_state_leagues_-_memiller_june_1.pdf
File Size: 408 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

program_for_action_2023-24.pdf
File Size: 330 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

It was wonderful to meet LWV members from leagues affiliated with UMRR, and also potential new member Leagues.  Many thanks to LWV MN for the opportunity to showcase LWV UMRR!     
Picture
Members from LWV Willmar are excited to be hosting their first-ever environmental fair in April of 2024.
0 Comments

United, We Stand Stronger!

5/29/2023

0 Comments

 
Thanks to all who attended the LWV UMRR Annual Meeting on Monday, May 22!  We had a great discussion in the Business meeting, and then two exciting speakers who helped us to understand how we as local Leagues, joined together in an ILO like UMRR, can also be part of the work of democracy being done by LWV US.  Here's the video of our speakers - a good resource for local Leagues to learn and share!  
LWV's foundation is our local Leagues.  We work locally to build and defend democracy, joined together through our State Leagues.  Beyond local and state Leagues, we work together regionally and nationally through ILOs and LWV US.   We need each other and can depend on each other.  United, we stand stronger!

This year we focused on the ties that bind us, and how we can work together more effectively. Our first speaker was Jessica Rolhoff, Midwest Regional Organizer for LWV US.   Jessica gave an update (and answered questions) about the LWV US transformation plan, introducing this new LWV US initiative to our members.  She also introduced a new social media tool for use within LWV - League in Action.  Watch the video to learn more!

We then turned to the LWV US Climate Interest Group.  As citizens of the world we must protect our planet from the physical, economic and public health effects of climate change while also providing pathways to economic prosperity. To advance League action on this urgent issue,  the LWV Climate Interest Group was formed to collaborate nationwide.  The Climate Interest Group is a group of League members from across the United States working together to fight climate change. They've organized teams in important climate issue areas to provide materials for local and state Leagues to use in their education and advocacy.  

Joy Guscott-Mueller is Chair of the Water Team for the Climate Interest Group.  She's also the Chair of LWV Lake Michigan Region, the other regional, multi-state Inter-League Organization focused on a major water body.  Joy spoke to us about how the work of the Climate Interest Group strengthens the work of ILOs and our member Leagues.   The work that the Climate Interest Group is doing is wide ranging and exciting - we send delegates to the international climate summits and have working groups on a number of topics.  Joy explains all of this in the video (starting at about 32 minutes); we also have blog posts here and here that look at the work of the LWV US Climate Interest Group.  

Bio information on our speakers is available on the LWV UMRR Annual Meeting 2023 page, along with the documents that were adopted and approved in the business meeting.  

0 Comments

What is LWV UMRR, and what does it do?

5/27/2023

0 Comments

 
The League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region Inter League Organization was incorporated in 2015.  UMRR is one of two multi-state ILOs in the LWV-iverse. 

​Our unique structure and geography mean that we have a role beyond the scope of local Leagues, and a mission to educate our member so we can amplify their voices across dozens of Congressional districts throughout the Upper Mississippi River basin.  
In this video, Gretchen Sabel, first Chair of UMRR, explains how this ILO is organized, how it came to be, and what it does. This talk was given for the Annual Meeting of an other Inter League Organization - the Council of Metropolitan Area Leagues in Minnesota - on May 20, 2023.
0 Comments

Does it take an act of Congress to protect the Mississippi?

3/23/2022

0 Comments

 
The answer is that Congress is one piece – an important one – of the solution to the Mississippi’s woes.  In the UMRR Annual Meeting, we will have an exciting panel of speakers to talk about bills currently in the US Congress that have the potential to greatly affect our river.  We will also explore the idea of a “compact” between river states to protect the river from water diversions.  This session will set the stage for the work that LWV UMRR will tackle in the years to come.  

Join LWV UMRR for this session on May 21 at 10:30.  This meeting will be held in Webinar format on Zoom - pre-registration is required.  
Click this link to pre-register!  You will receive the link to the meeting by return email; we will send reminders in May, including on the 21st.   Registration is open until the meeting starts on May 21 at 10:30.  

​We have a great slate of panelists for this session - representatives from other organizations working for the river and leading work on federal bills and big ideas.    We will cover the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience initiative (MRRRI), the Safeguarding the Mississippi River Together initiative (SMRT), the Farm Bill reauthorization and a big idea - the notion of an Upper Midwest Compact to protect the waters of the Mississippi from diversion.  Our speakers represent organizations that are working to protect the Mississippi.  ​
MRRRI Update
Picture
Alicia Vasto, Water Program Associate Director,  Iowa Environmental Council

​Alicia joined the Council in 2019. She grew up in Adel, Iowa. She previously worked as the director of the Iowa
Conservation Education Coalition, where she supported environmental educators and advanced environmental literacy. Alicia holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University with a focus on land conservation and management, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from the University of Notre Dame. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, travel, and yoga.

SMRT Update
Picture
Brandt Thorington,
Policy Director,  Mississippi River Cities and Town Initiative

Brandt serves as the Policy Director for the MRCTI, specializing  in analyzing legislation affects, building coalitions and advancing legislation. His primary areas of expertise are  appropriations,
tax policy, budget, energy, health care, immigration reform, homeland security, public safety, transportation, water infrastructure, and community development. Brandt has extensive experience working with various levels of government including Congress, federal officials, state legislators, mayors, and other local officials.
Farm Bill Update
Picture
Lara Bryant, Deputy Director, Water and Agriculture, Natural Resources Defence Council

Lara Bryant promotes soil health practices and policies that protect water quality, use water more efficiently, and help farms to be more resilient to climate change. Prior to joining NRDC, she worked on sustainable agricultural policy at the National Wildlife Federation and World Resources Institute and was a chemist at a private environmental laboratory. Bryant holds a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in public administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University. She works out of NRDC’s Washington, D.C., office.
Upper Midwest Charter
Picture
 Kirsten Wallace, Executive Director, Upper Mississippi River Basin Association

Kirsten Wallace was appointed executive director of UMRBA in 2017, following over 10 years focusing on the Association's ecosystem, navigation, and flood initiatives.  Kirsten works with UMRBA's member states to develop  regional positions, advocate the states' collective interests before Congress and the federal agencies, and facilitate and foster interagency coordination, cooperation, and communication.
Kirsten serves on the Board of the Interstate Council on Water Policy, America's Watershed Initiative, and the National Waterways Foundation.
0 Comments

LWV UMRR plans meetings and events for 2021

2/11/2021

 
​LWV Upper Mississippi River Region, or UMRR (pronounced “Ummer”), is an interleague organization focused on water quality.  UMRR is made up of 60 local Leagues in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  Our geographic area is the Upper Mississippi River basin – that part of the Upper Mississippi basin upstream of the river’s confluence with the Ohio at the south edge of Illinois.  Here’s a link to an UMRR blog post  to learn more about what an ILO is and how it fits into the LWV national structure, and to learn more about how our structure strengthens our work, allowing the amplification of the voice of League throughout the watershed.  

Established in 2015, UMRR’s Board has strong representation from each of our four member states
.  Our Board members are listed on our Contact Us page– you may know some of us!   The Board meets six times a year on the first Monday of even numbered months.  In the pre-Covid days, we traveled around the basin for these meetings, which was a great way to get to know our members and the water issues in their communities.  Now, everything is on the same schedule, but virtual.  For each Board meeting, we also hold an educational session that focuses on a specific topic of concern.   These educational sessions are open to the public and recorded videos are shared and posted.

​Upcoming educational sessions are planned on
  • the impacts of highways on water resources (April 5),
  • efforts a city can undertake to protect and improve water quality (August 2),
  • PFAS (fire-suppression chemicals found contaminating water (October 4), and
  • the impact of electric cars can have in combating climate warming (December 6).
UMRR’s annual meetings are larger events, built around topics of current concern.  Our May 22, 2021, Annual Meeting will focus on using carbon capture to combat climate change, highlighting the role of agricultural lands in this effort.  All these meetings will be described on our Blog and advertised through the UMRR newsletter, direct emails to member Leagues and through state communications like this All Member News.  We look forward to working with you!
PictureLWV UMRR Board members Mary and Steve Ploesser at the Headwaters, June 2019
How to connect with LWV UMRR:
 
LWV UMRR’s website has lots of information.  Our Blog features 2-3 posts per month on topics that UMRR is working on.  One recent post includes a link to video from our Feb 1 meeting, where we learned about watershed-scale work to reach people and promote soil health and water quality.  Our “Upcoming Events” page includes posts for our upcoming meetings and maintains Board meeting information from past events.  Here, those who are interested can see our Board agendas, meeting minutes, Treasurer reports, and Action Committee reports as well as see the topics that were included in the educational sessions. 
 
Almost every month, LWV UMRR puts out a newsletter that includes links to our Blog posts and other items of interest.  You can sign up to receive the newsletter by submitting the info through our Contact Us page, or by emailing us at [email protected].   Leagues that are not already members can join UMRR through our Membership page, and anyone interested in making a donation can do so on our Donate page.


Picture

LWV Jo Daviess County Wins Award!

8/31/2019

 
Picture
LWV Upper Mississippi River Region owes a lot to LWV Jo Daviees County – it was this League in Galena, Illinois, that had the idea to start an Inter League Organization* focused on protecting and improving water quality in the Upper Mississippi.  It was from that idea that LWV UMRR was born in 2015, and we thank them for it.
 
LWV JDC has moved the ball along considerably in their local water quality work now.  You can read about how they got started in this blog post from August of 2017.  In this post from December of 2017, we shared the good news that LWV Jo Daviess County received a $10,000 prize for their proposal in the US EPA's Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge. 

They implemented the proposal, and this month learned that they won big - they were one of three projects across the US receiving a $50,000 prize for their work!

​ Following is the press release from US EPA.  Congratulations to LWV Jo Daviess County!  

CHICAGO (Aug. 21, 2019) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and four federal partners announced the winners of its technology-accelerating water quality challenge. The League of Women Voters of Illinois in Jo Daviess County is one of three national teams selected for the Challenge’s prize of $50,000 each. The winning teams demonstrated how data from low-cost water quality monitoring sensors can be used to inform local decision-making on nutrient management.

“EPA is proud to support League of Women Voters of Illinois in their efforts to better manage our water resources and reduce nutrient runoff pollution,” said Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. “Jo Daviess County and Northwest Illinois will benefit from the League’s work to help combat one of the nation’s most challenging water quality problems.”

The League of Women Voters of Illinois demonstrated how an edge-of-field sensor system could support farmers in reducing nitrogen loss from their fields. The installed sensors provide real-time data to inform farm-scale management decisions.

"The League's work on water resource management issues will benefit greatly from this award,” said League of Women Voters of Illinois Project Coordinator Beth Baranski. “Participation in the Challenge has already strengthened the connections between scientists, advocates and farmers and the prize will be used to continue to build a model of cooperative problem-solving and improve water quality in the Driftless Area of Northwest Illinois.”

The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge is one of a series of challenges focused on nutrient management conducted as part of multi-year collaboration between the EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

“To address the challenges of today and the future, we need innovative thinkers at the global- and local-level,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science and EPA Science Advisor Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta. “We commend the ‘challenge’ winners for identifying creative ways to use low-cost tools to understand our resources and better inform nutrient management decisions.”

For this challenge, six teams deployed and collected data from two or more nutrient sensors for at least three months and sought to demonstrate how local communities can use the collected data to inform nutrient management. In addition to the League of Women Voters of Illinois, South Platte Water Renewal Partner in Colorado and the University of New Hampshire were prize winners.

Through prize competitions and other innovative mechanisms, EPA, USGS, USDA, NIST, and NOAA’s IOOS collectively pursue opportunities to facilitate technological breakthroughs, engage stakeholders, and build a community working together to solve nutrient pollution. The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge will be used as a springboard for further innovation to reduce excess nutrients in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters.
Press release:
  
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-federal-partners-announce-winners-water-quality-challenge
* So what's an Inter League Organization?  Read about it at this link.  

LWV Action on Climate Change: A Call to Arms, with lots of guidance, from Caryl Terrell (LWV Dane Co, WI) at the LWV UMRR Annual Meeting on June 1

6/4/2019

 
Picture
Caryl Terrell, LWV Dane County
League of Women Voters works because we blend education with advocacy, helping people participate in our democracy with objective information for fact-based action.  LWV is also a learning organization; we listen to those who know effective ways to advocate for our positions.  We were honored to have Caryl Terrell as our round-up speaker on June 1.  She took the facts that John Linc Stine presented, and the opportunties that exist for action like the work that Matt Gladue presented, and showed us how we can use the LWV US Tool Kit for Climate Action to take effective action to reduce climate change in our local communities and more broadly.  Caryl is a member of LWV Dane County (Madison, Wisconsin), and was a founding member of the LWV US Climate Change Task Force.  
The LWV US Tool Kit for Climate Action is an excellent resource for getting started.   Take some time to explore this website - the menu on the right has links to a wide array of information, advice and examples.  
Picture
LWV US, in January 2019, approved a new position on Climate Change that elevates this topic to the level of our positions on water and air.  This is found in the Natural Resources section of the2018-20 Impact on Issues, and is in the column to the right.  

LWV US also was a recent signatory to letter sent to Congress, urging action on climate change. The letter can be found at this link.

Caryl's talk was inspiring and very specific as to things that LWV's can do on this topic.  At our August 5 2019 meeting in Madison, WI, LWV UMRR's Board will discuss formally adopting a position on Climate Change and developing a list of actions we will undertake to move ahead.  Watch Caryl's talk below.
 LWVUS CLIMATE CHANGE POSITION 

At its January 2019 meeting, the LWVUS Board approved a position statement on climate change, to be included in an updated edition of Impact on Issues, due to be published in Spring 2019. Since the LWVUS Natural Resources positions pre-date the public's general awareness of climate change, we did not have a position explicitly mentioning climate change. Now, in recognition of Leagues' increasing engagement in climate action, the LWVUS board has added the following position language supporting climate action.
​

The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and planet. The League believes that an international approach to combating climate change — including through energy conservation, air pollution controls, building resilience, and promotion of renewable resources — is necessary to protect public health and defend the overall integrity of the global ecosystem. The League supports climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations. Individuals, communities, and governments must continue to address this issue, while considering the ramifications of their decisions, at all levels — local, state, regional, national, and global.
"We have the strength of League of Women Voters in this work.  We have Leagues in every state... and can reach out to all our members of Congress to build support for strong action on climate change at the state and national level.  This should include advocating for our country to fulfill the requirements of the 2015 Paris Accord"...
    - Caryl Terrell at the LWV Upper Mississippi River
​             Region Annual Meeting on June 1, 2019

LWV Upper Mississippi River Region - Who we are, what we do...

12/15/2018

 
LWV Upper Mississippi River Region ... in these blog posts we talk about what we do, where we go, our events, our beliefs.  But what is the LWV Upper Mississippi River Region, anyhow?  
Comprised of about 50 local Leagues across the Upper Mississippi watershed, we have a broad network and many interrelated issues to address.  Our program of action - the things we work on - is set every year at our Annual Meeting with approval from our membership.  Since our incorporation on October 25, 2015, we have been focused on working to reduce the amount of nutrients - fertilizers and wastes - that are discharged to the Mississippi.  

In our four states, this work takes different forms.  In Minnesota, our members advocate for stronger groundwater protections, help plan a major water-related lobbying day at the Capitol, and are working with other organizations to hold workshops for absentee owners of farmland.  We learn about and take positions on water issues, such as when we joined with LWV Wisconsin to speak out against the diversion of water from Lake Michigan.   And we work to shine a light on issues of groundwater depletion and pollution in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota.  

In Illinois, LWV Jo Daviess County (Galena) has been leading efforts to develop local water plans and protections, and organize monitoring efforts to document water quality in the Galena River as well as local groundwater.  They have worked with the Rotary Clubs in the Midwest to educate and activate people on issues of nutrient pollution, and have received awards for their work.  

Our Board meets on the first Monday of even-numbered months.  We travel around the watershed, putting on events with local Leagues as part of our Board meetings.  Here are some examples from December and October of 2018.  When possible, we video our educational events and share the videos on our blog.  Our Annual Meetings are big events, with speakers and more.  In 2018, we were in Chicago for a joint meeting on LWV water work nationwide with LWV Lake Michigan; our 2017 Annual Meeting was in La Crosse and focused on water issues in Wisconsin.   


Who we are, what we do, is built upon our strong foundation from LWV at all levels.  The following statement was written by one of the founders of LWV UMRR, Bonnie Cox of LWV Jo Daviess County (Illinois).  Bonnie's statement is inspirational, and provides a guiding light as we work our issues.   We thank Bonnie for her work with UMRR!

Our blog posts document our work - here's a list of the posts as of December, 2018.  
  Date                    Title
12/11/2018  LWV UMRR Advocacy Update
12/9/2018  Frustrations... lack of progress... environmental groups are maddened but EPA is pleased...
12/5/2018  LWV seeks to support non-operating owners of farmland
11/8/2018  Impact of the Midterm Elections on the Farm Bill
11/3/2018  Come to Coralville on Monday, December 3
11/3/2018  Foxconn update - the scale of the plant is shrinking, and with it the number of jobs...
10/11/2018  FARM BILL MYTH-BUSTING: THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
10/11/2018  Give the Gift of Water Quality
9/11/2018  Watershed Action - We're all in it Together!
9/3/2018  Wisconsin’s Water Needs Your Voice
8/31/2018  LWV UMRR River Events in Minneiska, Winona,  and Onalaska - September 26, 30 and October 1
8/27/2018  Update on the Racine Diversion
8/9/2018  Wastewater Reuse – Saving Freshwater while Providing for Economic Growth
7/24/2018  Minnesota's ongoing battle over nitrate in groundwater
7/24/2018  Down to the Wire on the Farm Bill
7/15/2018  Foxconn takes Wisconsin by Storm
6/21/2018  LWV's Water Work - Deep AND Wide
4/9/2018  Minnesota Water Action Day 2018
4/7/2018  LWV UMRR Annual Meeting - June 27 in Chicago
4/7/2018  Wisconsin Groundwater – the Policy and Science of Depletion and Nitrate Contamination
3/18/2018  Balancing Act to Protect the Upper Upper Mississippi
3/8/2018  EPA announces action plan to combat harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie
3/7/2018  The Science and Policy Debate ... come to Stevens Point for this April 2 discussion
3/6/2018  Water: Advocating for Protection - Put your League on the Map!  June 27, 2018 in Chicago - Join us!
3/6/2018  Wisconsin takes aim at algae - public comment open
2/25/2018  Industrial Ag in the Driftless Area
1/4/2018  Farmland Ownership and Rental: Managing for Stewardship
1/3/2018  Industrial Agriculture in the Driftless Area - upcoming conference on Jan 20 in Boscobel, Wisconsin
1/3/2018  Improving the Farm Bill's Conservation Programs
12/6/2017  LWV Jo Daviess recognized in a big way for their water quality work!
11/29/2017  Groundwater Depletion – Balancing Use to Reduce Conflicts in Minnesota
11/28/2017  Protecting Wisconsin Well Owners and Providing Safe Water
11/27/2017  Field Day at Fox Demo Farms near Green Bay
11/1/2017  LWV UMRR at the Headwaters...
11/1/2017  Pipelines and Water
9/8/2017  Cover Crop and Soil Health Learning Tour - Report from the Field
9/1/2017  “Water has to be a non-partisan life issue.”
8/28/2017  Doing Things "The League Way" in Jo Daviess County
8/27/2017  EPA’s Clean Water Rule – Act Now to Share your Comments with EPA
8/26/2017  LWV UMRR Headwaters Event – October 1-2, 2017
6/23/2017  Watershed Game Leader Training - Rockford, Illinois  - September 22 or 23
6/20/2017  When it hits the fan...  groundwater quality and public health
6/20/2017  Citizen Voices Matter - Especially Now!
6/20/2017  Fishers and Farmers Partnership
6/18/2017  Make a Difference - Fight to Win!
6/17/2018  Mayor Kabat - Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative
4/18/2017  Pipelines - Impact on Environment, Tribal Rights and Action
3/31/2017  Des Moines Water Works lawsuit summarily dismissed, closing this chapter but not solving the problem
3/31/2017  Dead Zone season is coming again to a major water body affected by you
3/10/2017  Galena Rotary Roundtable - Videos Now Available
3/6/2017  Smithsonian's WaterWays winds up Minnesota and Illinois tour 
2/11/2017  Wisconsin Water Lobby Day builds a network that will be impossible to ignore
2/11/2017  Environmental Issues Generate Buzz at Iowa Capitol - March 29
2/4/2017  Water Lobby Days set in Wisconsin and Minnesota
1/29/2017  Iowa Supreme Court issues response in Des Moines Water Works lawsuit
1/29/2017  Retired Cargill CEO – Nutrient pollution is a ‘wicked problem’
1/29/2017  Minnesota Governor vows no further compromise on riparian buffers
1/5/2017  University of Iowa's Dr Peter Weyer on cancer and birth defects due to elevated nitrate in drinking water
1/1/2017  Nutrient Pollution and Your Health
12/7/2016  Water - We're all in the Same Boat!
11/20/2016  Cedar River and Linn County – partnerships for watershed improvement
11/15/2016  Becoming a Player in the Watershed Game
11/13/2016  Des Moines Water Works Lawsuit Update
11/7/2016  Jump In!  to Watershed Protection
11/23/2016  Positive Values of Water
8/31/2016  Linn County Iowa moves ahead to protect and improve water quality
8/29/2016  Galena in the autumn, great place for Watershed Game training!
8/29/2016  From Brown to Green 
8/23/2016  Valuing the river and its ecosystem in La Crosse
8/23/2016  Cover crops and soil health are vital to water quality improvement
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
    Climate Change
    Drinking Water
    Event
    Farm Bill
    Government Policy
    Groundwater
    LWV
    Mining
    Mississippi River Governance
    MRRRI
    Nutrient Pollution
    Outreach And Engagement
    Pipelines
    Plastics
    Salt
    Soil Health

    RSS Feed

    DONATE
  • Home
    • Watersheds
  • About Us
    • LWV UMRR Board
    • Background
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Annual Meeting 2025
  • Upcoming Events
    • LWV UMRR Calendar
    • Past Meeting Materials
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Past Program Videos