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Floating through the Third
Ward and Downtown Milwaukee
recalls a past where shipping
and commercial vessels lined the
shores, teeming with wheat, lumber,
coal and other supplies. Once
warehouses, these buildings are
now upscale condos.
Paddling upstream of the former
North Avenue Dam, envision a
lake that was once a popular
recreational area lined with
swimming schools, passenger
ferries, boat liveries, rowing clubs,
and even a theme park.
While passing the old Schlitz
Brewery Dam, a history buff might
tell stories about a time when ice
was harvested for a booming beer
industry, and ice wars were in the
news.
Meander ing through Thiensville,
Cedarburg, Grafton, Saukville,
Waubeka, and Newburg and
seeing mills on the bank re calls
a time when rivers were used to
convert wheat to flour, mussel
shells to buttons, trees to lumber
and wool to textiles.
streams
& animals
of fish
)
u There is much more
to explore within the
Milwaukee River Basin,
which includes the
Milwaukee Urban Water
Trail and the Milwaukee,
Menomonee and
Kinnickinnic Watersheds.
The Milwaukee River
Basin is an 882.3-square-
mile area housed within
Milwaukee, Waukesha,
Washington, Ozaukee,
Fond du Lac, Sheboygan,
and Dodge Counties.
The Milwaukee
River Basin contains
approximately 500
miles of "perennial
streams" (streams or
river channels that
have continuous flow
all year round during
years of normal rainfall)
and more than 400
miles of "intermittent
streams" (normally cease
flowing for weeks or
months each year).
The basin also
includes 35 miles of
Lake Michigan shoreline,
57 named lakes and over
1.3 million people.
Ready to explore?
Plan a trip with help from
the Milwaukee Urban
Water Trail Map. See
a copy of the map on
page 15 or download at
milwaukeeriverkeeper.
org/mke-water-trail-map/
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OTHER OPTIONS FOR
SIGHTSEEING
FROM THE WATER
Lakeshore Paddle Sports Rentals offers a
family-friendly way to explore the basins
between Lakeshore State Park and the
Summerfest Grounds on paddle boats and
hydrobikes.
lakeshorepaddlemke.com,
(414) 217-7235. Another way to see the sites
is a boat tour. Check out Riverwalk Boat
Tours,
riverwalkboats.com, (414) 283-9999,
and Milwaukee Boat Line, mkeBOAT.com,
(414) 294-9450. The companies may be
adjusting their bookings for
COVID-19 and
social distancing restrictions. Please check
their websites or phone for updates.
A SHOUT OUT TO MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER – a science-based advocacy organization working for
swimmable, fishable rivers throughout the Milwaukee River Basin – for its help with this KEY cover feature.
Lakeshore Paddle Sports Rentals
Photo by VISIT Milwaukee
