Exciting news about the Friends of the Mukwonago River!

Please read the letter below from our Board President, Ezra Meyer.

Dear friends, donors, supporters, and organizational partners of the Friends of the Mukwonago River,

The Board of Directors (made up of Pam Meyer, Eric Howden, David Swanson, and me, Ezra Meyer) appreciates your support for our work, going back over 26 years to Nancy Gloe’s and my creation of the Friends in 1999. None of the amazing things we have accomplished would have been possible without all of you: volunteers, financial supporters, fellow advocates on behalf of the river and her watershed, landowners, local decision-makers, and partners in environmental conservation.

We have achieved so much in twenty-six years!

  • advocating for a less environmentally harmful design for Mukwonago’s Highway 83 bypass
  • advocating for better stormwater management and reduced water quality impacts on the river from numerous subdivision development projects throughout the watershed
  • engaging local governments, lake groups, and watershed residents on the complex issues of groundwater pumping through new high-capacity wells for surrounding communities
  • posting highly visible public signage informing people of threatened fish species in the river and of turtle migration corridors that cross area roads
  • facilitating environmental educational collaborations between youth camps and school teachers in the watershed
  • saving the beautiful Rainbow Springs property from excessive development more than once and helping ensure its permanent protection for the public in the State Forest system
  • putting on educational events like hikes and paddles and presentations
  • securing grant money to help several dozen property owners steward their land (75 acres!) and to help lake districts plan for watershed water quality monitoring and improvements
  • …and much more.

It’s an incredible legacy. Why am I bringing up legacy? Well, here’s the lead-in to our big news:

The Board has spent a lot of time and done a lot of soul-searching over this last year to decide some fundamental questions about the future of the Friends of the Mukwonago River. The truth is the pandemic took a toll on our organization, and without staff, we, the volunteer Board of four busy people, have not been able to work on behalf of the watershed as we hoped these last few years. We came into this year knowing something major would have to change. We met with past Board members, allies, and close partners in the watershed, aiming to identify a viable path forward for the Friends’ mission. We are convinced (and everyone we met with agrees) that our mission remains necessary, critical to the long-term health of this special river and its watershed. And this moment of reevaluating everything has certainly surfaced a deep sense of pride over the Friends’ (and its partners’) 25 years of positive impacts on the watershed.

This Fall, after months of discussion, the Board decided to merge the Friends with the Waukesha County Land Conservancy, effective the beginning of the year (January 1, 2026).

The Waukesha County Land Conservancy (WCLC – online at waukeshalandconservancy.org/), founded in 1992, is committed to continuing with our watershed-focused mission…

“to protect the Mukwonago River and its associated watershed ecosystems by way of education, advocacy, and promotion of sound land use throughout the watershed”

“to protect and care for environmentally significant land and water in Waukesha County for future generations.”

…by incorporating it in with their mission, which is:

Conservancy staff have been filling in for the Friends in many ways in recent years, holding turtle, bat, and other educational forums in the watershed and focused on the Mukwonago River. And, they have continued with watershed land purchases and stewardship of those properties that they own here.

Here’s Neal O’Reilly, Board President of the Waukesha County Land Conservancy, in his own words:

“Merging the Friends of the Mukwonago River’s mission and brand in with ours at Waukesha County Land Conservancy was an easy and natural choice for our staff and Board. The Mukwonago River watershed is such an important resource in the county and region. And our mission to protect the lands we own for perpetuity means Friends of the Mukwonago River supporters can count on WCLC to steward the Friends mission for a long time to come. We are so excited!”

We too are excited about this new development for the Friends and our mission. We and Waukesha County Land Conservancy will host a joint event later this year to honor the past and celebrate the merger and our shared future. You are invited! To receive details on the party in your email inbox along with ongoing updates on WCLC’s work in the Mukwonago River watershed and around the county, please sign up to receive their email newsletter. You can sign up below.

As we join with the Waukesha County Land Conservancy, we hope you’ll continue the journey with us, speaking up for the river and the lands it winds through when it needs a voice. We hope our Friends will support Waukesha County Land Conservancy going forward to help keep that essential spirit of our Mukwonago River watershed-focused mission alive. To donate to WCLC, follow this link (https://waukeshalandconservancy.org/#giving) or send a check care of Friends of the Mukwonago River to Waukesha Land Conservancy at P.O. Box 2572 Brookfield, WI 53008.

Thank you again for all of your amazing support in every form over the years. None of what the Friends of the Mukwonago River have accomplished would be possible without you. The river’s story is far from over, and we’re so grateful to have written this past chapter together with all of you.

Here’s to starting in on an impactful new chapter for our shared mission to protect the Mukwonago River watershed and its interconnected land and waters! We’re excited to see the next chapter unfold as this community continues to write it together, collaboratively. We look forward to seeing you out on the water and doing whatever you can to protect this special place. And we’ll see you at the party later this year!

Sincerely,
Ezra Meyer
Ezra Meyer, President and Co-founder, Friends of the Mukwonago River