A $5 billion revival leaves the Milwaukee River cleaner and more valuable.
Buoyed by tougher environmental regulations and $5 billion in improvements, from the building of the deep tunnel system to the removal of dams and reduction in phosphorus, the Milwaukee River is cleaner and more valuable economically and ecologically than at any point in the past 100 years.
But challenges remain. What is the right balance between green space and development? Can water quality be further improved?