Center for Water Policy Assistant Director Tressie Kamp was featured in a “Circle of Blue” article on wetlands and the 2025 1,000-year flood in Milwaukee, WI. The article examines how wetlands, “nature’s kidneys,” mitigate flood-related property damage after heavy rain events. The article also highlights wetland restoration sites around southeastern Wisconsin that successfully soaked up flood waters after the historic August 2025 storm. Rollbacks to wetland protections leave these critical ecosystems vulnerable.
This summer, flooding caused nearly $76 million of damage to both private homes and public sector losses. “In southeast Wisconsin in particular, this issue exemplifies how the protection or lack of protection in an area can impact such a wide swath of stakeholders,” said Kamp.
Read the full story from Circle of Blue here: The Next Deluge May Go Differently
Relatedly, the federal government has released a proposed rule with an updated definition of “Waters of the United States.” The public comment period deadline for stakeholders to weigh in on the scope of federal wetland protections is January 5, 2026.
Read about the Center’s wetlands research: Navigating Rough Waters After Sackett v. EPA: Federal, Tribal, and State Strategies