Keepers of the Fox is a program of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, focused on protecting and restoring the waters of the Lower Fox River Watershed. This area is home to nearly half a million people in four counties (Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago) and most of the Oneida Nation. That makes this the most urban area in the Fox-Wolf Basin. Water quality is impacted by urban development, industry, and agriculture.
The Lower Fox River originates at the outlet of Lake Winnebago, flows through Little Lake Butte des Morts, and continues 40 miles north, eventually draining into the bay of Green Bay. Many smaller tributaries drain across the land into the Lower Fox.
In 1987, this section of the Fox River and lower bay of Green Bay was internationally designated one of 43 polluted hot spots in the Great Lakes by the EPA. Since then, the Lower Fox River has been the focus of water quality improvement efforts. The Lower Fox River and many contributing water-bodies are currently listed as impaired because of excessive phosphorus and sediment pollution.
The Little Lake Butte des Morts Project
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is excited to be a partner on the Little Lake Butte des Morts Project. As a historic and valuable regional feature within the borders of our Keepers of the Fox Initiative, the project is a great example of the initiative’s mission to work cooperatively to protect, sustain, and restore the water resources of the Lower Fox River Watershed.