Photos taken by Sawyer Hoff
The Eau Claire River Alliance was formed in response to Niagara Water Bottling Company’s bid to come to Eau Claire, using up to 10% of our water at a deeply discounted rate (compared to Eau Claire’s home consumers), to fill an estimated 1.2 billion single-use plastic water bottles a year for shipment to Minneapolis consumers. Many citizens were alarmed by this bid, made their concerns known, with Niagara pulled its bid in response.
During this time, we learned that there was no comprehensive Eau Claire City Water Plan, dictating the fair and equitable use of our water, nor was there a fair and sustainable water rate structure for Eau Claire’s citizens. Further, we learned that Eau Claire has a significant municipal water potability issue, with several of our wells offline due to PFAS (forever chemical) contamination. Clearly, though water abounds in Eau Claire, our city lacks a clear plan, consistent water quality and a fair water rate structure.
The Eau Claire River Alliance hopes to help remedy these issues in close collaboration with our partners to assure that our children and grandchildren, farmers, businesses, boaters and recreational water users have access to high-quality water in the future.
Meet Our Board
Jane Mohler, MPH, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer
Jane is a retired professor of public health and medicine, with years of public health advocacy experience. She is an avid water advocate, who enjoys hiking with her beloved border collie, Mack, cross-country skiing, kayaking, and making art.
Andrey Yeatts, PhD, Treasurer
Andrey is a computer scientist, working in statewide public health system infrastructure. He is keenly interested in the environment and Northwest Wisconsin’s beautiful waterways and is an amateur musician who enjoys the outdoors.
James Schumacher, XX , Secretary
Jim worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in Eau Claire-Menomonie. He is a member of the Eau Claire City Sustainability Committee and a fierce environmental advocate.