Visitor urges Menomonee Falls to keep river clear to preserve whitewater kayaking

Steve Betway, who identified himself as visiting from Sussex, used the public comment period to urge the Village of Menomonee Falls to consider regular maintenance of the Menomonee River through downtown, saying fallen trees and accumulating debris are making the stretch from Main Street to Limekiln Park increasingly unsafe for paddlers.

“I started paddling about 10 years ago … Menomonee Falls is the home to what many of us in the paddling community consider some of the best…white water paddling in Southeast Wisconsin,” Betway said. He described dead, fallen trees and new storm-related debris that have begun to “attract debris and other things that get caught on them,” and warned, “It won't be long before the river is once again unsafe, even for experienced paddlers.”

Betway asked whether the village would open a dialogue about keeping the river clear and offered volunteer support from paddling and river-friend groups to help coordinate work with village crews or organize cleanup days. Village President Jeremy Walls reminded the public comment rules that trustees do not engage in back-and-forth during the period and said staff would follow up with the commenter after the meeting.

The comment highlights recreational and safety concerns for a local stretch of the Menomonee River and proposed volunteer-supported maintenance as a possible near-term response.