Paddling and Policy - 50 years of the Clean Water Act on the Wisconsin River

At the time of the 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA), few water bodies in Wisconsin needed clean up more than the Wisconsin River. Often called America’s hardest working river, the Wisconsin River Valley in the 1970s hosted a heavy concentration of pulp and paper mills, along with no less than 26 hydro-electric dams between Lake Tomahawk and Prairie Du Sac.   

Meeting the standards established in the Clean Water Act required years of negotiation and some noteworthy collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the many pulp and paper mills and other industries along the river. The results of that effort are a true environmental success story. Our trip leaders Bob Martini, Todd Ambs, and Denny Caneff are experienced paddlers, longtime river champions, and conservationists who have been critical parts of those efforts

On this afternoon flatwater paddling trip between Brokaw and Wausau, we’ll combine leisurely paddling with some rich riverbank discussions over lunch about the history of the CWA and its implementation in Wisconsin.  We’ll critically assess the state of the river today, including some longstanding threats to water quality the CWA has not addressed, including non-point pollution, newly emerging contaminants such as PFAS, and the ways in which environmental inequities are especially experienced in river communities.   '

We will meet at Wausau on the Water for lunch and opening remarks at 1300 N. River Drive Wausau, WI at 12pm. We will then begin paddling at 1pm until 3pm, then rendezvous at Wausau on the Water at 3pm for a short walk to the dam and a Q&A session with our trip leaders from 3:30-4pm.

Please note trip participants should have basic paddling experience and will be expected to bring their own kayaks or canoes. Refreshments after the paddle will be provided, please plan to eat lunch before the trip or at Wausau on the Water.