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Blog

25Mar/25
Three photos side-by-side. Each photo shows one of the award recipients in action.

Celebrating Wisconsin’s Stream Heroes: Winners of the 2024 Stream Monitoring Awards

March 25, 2025kthostenson

By: Katy Bradford and Mya Gersmeyer The Wisconsin Stream Monitoring Awards recognize individuals and groups for their exemplary efforts in volunteer stream monitoring and related activities, such as their support of stream stewardship, commitment to developingRead More…

14Jan/25

From Streams to Screens: The Person who Helps Empower Volunteer Stream Monitors with Data

January 14, 2025Emily Heald

The Water Action Volunteers (WAV) program relies on community-driven data collection to assess water quality across Wisconsin. Volunteers monitor water conditions at hundreds of sites, gathering essential data on parameters like temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pollutants.Read More…

16Sep/24
A large green dragonfly sitting on a green plant in front of a red brick wall

The busy lives of aquatic insects in autumn

September 16, 2024kthostenson

By: Mike Miller, Stream Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources(Photos by Jessica Orlofske) Autumnal equinox on September 22nd marks the day when the sun tracks directly along the equator and daylight and darkness are of equalRead More…

05Sep/24
six people standing on a pier each holding a different plant

Snapshot Day Yields New Data on Aquatic Invasive Species Thanks to Volunteer Efforts

September 5, 2024Emily Heald

On August 10, 2024, water enthusiasts from every corner of Wisconsin gathered for a one-day, statewide aquatic invasive species (AIS) scavenger hunt as part of the 11th annual AIS Snapshot Day. This dynamic event is centrallyRead More…

19Aug/24
An aerial view of a farm that sits close to the shoreline of a large brown body of water with large dark areas of water around the shoreline.

Making a difference in the Lower Fox River Watershed with the Demonstration Farms program

August 19, 2024kthostenson

By Whitney Prestby, Natural Resources Educator, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension Farmers across the state are stepping up in big ways to address soil health and water quality concerns. Through programs like the Wisconsin Demonstration FarmRead More…

22Jul/24
A strange white blog in a shallow stream

Beneath the Surface: Unraveling the Story of a Mysterious Water Find

July 22, 2024Emily Heald

By Emily Heald, Extension Rivers Educator I often say to people, “If you find something in the water that you can’t identify, send me a photo. If I don’t know what it is, I bet IRead More…

19Apr/24
A small group of award winners standing on a stage

Celebrating the Champions of Wisconsin’s Streams: Winners of the 2023 Stream Monitoring Awards

April 19, 2024Emily Heald

By: Lily Butler, WAV and AIS Programs Student Assistant The Wisconsin Stream Monitoring Awards recognize individuals and groups for their exemplary efforts in volunteer stream monitoring and related activities, such as their support of stream stewardship,Read More…

18Jan/24
A man dangling a bucket on a string over a semi frozen river from a white bridge in the winter

How WAV data contributed to Wisconsin’s 2024 Water Condition Lists

January 18, 2024kthostenson

By: Katy Bradford, WAV Program Manager, and Lily Butler, WAV and AIS Programs Student Assistant Thanks in part to the hard work of our stream monitoring volunteers across the state, the Wisconsin DNR just released itsRead More…

01Sep/23
4 people standing in shallow water on a rivers edge

Snapshot Day Volunteers Aid in New Discoveries of Aquatic Invasive Species Across the State

September 1, 2023Emily Heald

On August 19th, 2023, water lovers of all ages gathered for a one-day statewide aquatic invasive species (AIS) scavenger hunt as a part of the 10th annual AIS Snapshot Day. This event is coordinated by UW ExtensionRead More…

23Mar/23

Thank you Kathy Bridge for 20 Years of Stream Monitoring!

March 23, 2023Emily Heald

For the last twenty years, Kathy Bridge has been monitoring Scuppernong Creek near her home in southeastern Wisconsin. She visits the creek multiple times each year, monitoring for water temperature, water transparency, dissolved oxygen and macroinvertebrates.Read More…

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