Volunteer Stream Monitors Needed: Upper Fox River & Wolf River

Jul 12, 2019 | DNR, Local Groups

by Parker Wyngaard
Lower Fox River Volunteer Monitoring Program Coordinator, Wisconsin DNR

The Lower Fox River Volunteer Monitoring Program is in its fifth year of tracking water quality trends in the 14 main tributary streams that flow into the main branch of the Lower Fox River (Lake Winnebago to Bay of Green Bay). The monitoring program was initiated with the EPA approved Lower Fox River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project, which identified and calculated sources of total phosphorus and total suspended solids in the Lower Fox River watershed.

One of the objectives with the TMDL implementation stage is to evaluate long-term water quality trends within the entirety of the Lower Fox River watershed. Volunteers play an essential role as data collectors, as they collect water samples once a month from May to October of each year in each of the 14 streams. All but one of the monitored streams are impaired due to high levels of total phosphorus and/or total suspended solid levels in the water. Volunteers are trained before the sampling season by Wisconsin DNR staff to ensure reliable and accurate results are achieved each month.

Volunteers Needed!

We are in need of new volunteers due to the development of another monitoring program in the Upper Fox River and Wolf River basins. Many of the waters within the Upper Fox River and Wolf River basins are in the same impaired condition seen in the Lower Fox River system. The program will operate in the same format as the Lower Fox River program and will allow Wisconsin DNR staff to monitor water conditions at an even bigger scale in the East-Central part of the state. We hope to have the Upper Fox-Wolf River Volunteer Monitoring Program ready by next May.

Due to the size of the basins, the program can never have too many volunteers. Individuals, organizations, school groups, and all others are encouraged to reach out and be active in the progression towards improved water conditions!

Can you volunteer to help? If you are interested or know anyone that would be interested in volunteering with one of these programs, please contact me, Parker Wyngaard, and I’ll get back to you with more details.

Contact Info:

[email protected] or (920) 424-3061