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Mission

The purpose of Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed (FMRW) is to provide a unified voice to enhance the Manitowoc River and its watershed.

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Vision

FMRW seeks to connect the people to the river: individuals, businesses, organizations, and government in order to increase awareness of the river, its history and ecosystem, and show that people care about the Manitowoc River and desire to enhance the watershed. 

• Kim Kettner

• Wendy Lutzke

• Connie Specht

• Sara Schuetze

• Laurie Paulin

• Marilyn Starzewski

• Sherry Millen

• Mark Nickels

• Brandon Nickels

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History

In February 2012, Kim Kettner and Wendy Lutzke met for the first time, having been introduced by a mutual friend who recognized that a united effort to clean, restore, celebrate, and advocate for the Manitowoc River would be better accomplished by a group of like-minded citizens. Kim and Wendy pooled their various resources and moved ahead with the help of staff from Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership to officially become Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed. The first beach cleanup was held that spring. In 2022 the group celebrated 10 years of providing a unified voice and plenty of actions for the Manitowoc River. 

Since 2012, over 2,200 volunteers have taken 7,600 pounds of garbage off our local Lake Michigan beaches. Collectively, they have spent nearly 3,200 hours on that task. 

a proud watershed partner of

Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership

Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed (FMRW) is a watershed partner of the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP), the region’s leading environmental advocate for the waters of Lake Michigan. LNRP fosters stewardship and takes action to champion the environment through education and support for local community’s efforts to protect and enhance our greatest natural resources. LNRP builds partnerships and collaborations, provides funding and support, and promotes a forum for discussion and action. With LNRP support, FOHB advocates for a balance between land use and natural resource conservation and protection. For more about LNRP visit www.lnrp.org.