Top: The Penokee Hills, target of the 22-mile mountaintop removal open pit iron ore mine at the headwaters of the Bad River; Bottom: a mine in northern Minnesota showing the same area of devastation mining has caused there. Photo © Joel Austin
United In Defense of the Water is a coalition of the concerned—small business owners, community organizations, local elected officials of county, city and town boards, State legislators, Native Tribal Nations, clergy, students, elders and children, and citizens of all walks of life—mobilizing to protect the Penokee Hills and the waters of Lake Superior from an out-of-state mining company seeking to open a 22-mile mountaintop removal open pit iron ore mine in the heart of the Bad River watershed. This mine would be the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world and northern Wisconsin would become “The Grand Canyon of the North,” as a mine would destroy everything in its path.
On February 26, 2013 a contingent of elected officials from the communities in the Lake Superior Basin traveled to Madison to clearly oppose a mine in the Penokees. At that press conference, a clear message was sent: those of us living in the Lake Superior Basin are united in defense of the water.
United in Defense of the Water has no leader. Each individual must become a leader to protect the waters of our state. This site provides education and inspiration to guide you into action.
Our Mission
To protect the water quality of the Lake Superior Basin—one drop at a time—using citizen participation, media saturation, community mobilization, education, mobilization and inspiration, engaging local governments to protect the rights of nature, legislative support, international attention and nonviolent direct action.
In this way, working for the good of all, each individual becomes one drop in the tsunami of global protection rising up, united in defense of the water.
United In Defense of The Water 
Water is life. Lake Superior is precious. I stand with the Bad River Tribe.
May the spirit be with you for taking up the fight as this is not just a bad indian thing this has impact on anybody down hill from you. Follow the water and this is a national crisis on the headwaters of the largest freshwater source in the world. For you people to even have to begin to take this on for your survival let alone the consaquenese if you fail at that to the well being of America is a national issue. Again with the spirit thing and I want to come up there and be a leader with no qualafications.
Come be an ordinary human doing extraordinary things with others using nonviolence to stand united in defense of the water!