Unite for Water

Rotary has the power to make waves – literally.

The Rotary theme for April is the Environment, and Earth Day is April 22, 2026.
Five Rotary Districts across four states and a province Canada are uniting for powerful, multi-district clean water projects.
Together, we’ll show the world the impact Rotary makes,
“When we Unite and Take Action” on this critical issue of clean water.

Rotary’s coordinated service day to Unite for Water will:

  • Transform communities
  • Create a public image blitz across social media, news outlets, and community channels.
  • Provide clubs with opportunities to share their impact stories.

What Can Your Club Do?

  • River and lake clean-ups.
  • Adopt-a-Drain.
  • Adopt-a-River.
  • Work with your Watershed.
  • Promote public awareness of water issues.
  • Be creative. Your choice!
Register your project

Multi-District Goal

  • Mobilize clubs across all participating Districts.
  • Share photos, videos, and impact stories in real time to flood the public conversation with Rotary’s work.
  • Highlight how Rotary takes tangible action on Earth Day to protect our planet and provide life’s most basic need — clean water.

How your club can get involved:

  1. Share your current 25-26 water projects.  If you support international water-related grants or local projects, let us know. We will share them on the district website. Project Submission
  2. Choose your project – Anything that advances clean water and environmental stewardship.
  3. Document your project – Take photos, share impact, and partnerships. Help tell the collective story.
  4. Submit your project – Project Submission
  5. Coordinate with our District Public Image team – We’ll provide hashtags, press release template, and social media graphics so we all speak with one strong Rotary voice.

Let’s make Earth Day, April 22, 2026, a memorable day of impact and celebration. 
Together, we can demonstrate the power of Rotary to create lasting change.

Commit your Club to be part of this historic event!

RESOURCES:

Clean Water Resources

Watershed & Nonprofit Directory

Clean Water Resources in Minnesota

Key State Agencies

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) – www.pca.state.mn.us | 651.296.6300
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) – www.dnr.state.mn.us | 651.296.6157
Department of Health (MDH) – www.health.state.mn.us | 651.201.5000
Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) – www.bwsr.state.mn.us | 651.296.3767
Environmental Quality Board (EQB) – www.eqb.state.mn.us | 651.757.2873
Public Facilities Authority (PFA) – mn.gov/deed/pfa | 651.259.7469
Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) – metrocouncil.org/waterwater-water | 651.602.1000
Minnesota Dept of Agriculture – Agricultural Water Quakity Certification Program (MAWQCP) – www.mda.state.mn.us/awqcp | 651.201.6012

Local & Regional Partners

Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) – www.maswcd.org
Watershed Districts & Watershed Management Organizations – bwsr.state.mn.us/watershed-districts
Clean Water Council – pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/clean-water-council

Statewide Nonprofits & Coalitions

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) – www.mncenter.org | 651.223.5969
Freshwater – freshwater.org | 651.313.5800
Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) – mepartnership.org | 651.290.0154
Trout Unlimited – Minnesota – mntu.org
Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) – fmr.org | 651.222.2193
Izaak Walton League – Minnesota Division – sites.google.com/view/minnesotaikes
Land Stewardship Project (LSP) – landstewardshipproject.org | 612.722.6377
Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) – curemn.org | 877.269.2873

Regional & Lake Associations

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness – www.friends-bwca.org | 612.332.9630
Minnesota Lakes & Rivers Advocates – mnlakesandrivers.org | 952.854.1317
Great Lakes Commission / Great Lakes Protection Fund – glc.org | 734-971.9135

Tribal Nations & Water Programs

Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa – Environmental Program – fdlband.org
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa – grandportageband.com
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe – www.llojibwe.org

Clean Water Resources in Wisconsin

Key State Agencies

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) – dnr.wisconsin.gov | 888.936.7463
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – www.nrcs.usda.gov/wi/nwqi

Nonprofits, Coalitions, & Local Groups

Clean Lakes Alliance – www.cleanlakesalliance.org | 608.255.1000
River Alliance of Wisconsin – wisconsinrivers.org | 608.257.2424
Water Action Volunteers (WAV) – naturalresources.extension.wisc.edu | 608.331.0173
Milwaukee Water Commons – www.milwaukeewatercommons.org | 414.763.6199
The Nature Conservancy – Wisconsin Chapter – nature.org/wisconsin
Clean Wisconsin – www.cleanwisconsin.org
Wisconsin Conservation Voices – Clean Water for All – www.conservationvoices.org/clean-water | 608.661.0845

Sample Local Infrastructure / Utilities

Waukesha Clean Water Plant – www.waukesha-wi.gov/government/departments/clean-water-plant