Water Monitoring
Please Note: The EPA has a nationwide website on water monitoring.
Ahnapee River Watershed Group
- Subject Area(s): Rivers/Streams
- Purpose: To monitor the health of the Ahnapee River and see how agriculture in the area may be affecting it.
- Data Types Collected: physical parameters, biological parameters
- Volunteer Services: Training sessions for new volunteers, Advanced training sessions for experienced monitors
- Affiliation: UWEX/WDNR Water Action Volunteers
- Contact Information:
Donald Brown, Coordinator
N9598 Elder Dr., Algoma, WI 54201
Phone: (920) 487-2615
Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Monitoring Program
- Subject Area(s): Rivers/Streams
- Purpose: To conserve, protect, and restore waterways by having baseline data, and respond to issues that could challenge a trout stream. Also interested in involving the public in Trout Unlimited monitoring activities.
- Data Types Collected: Physical parameters, Biological parameters, Chemical parameters
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Regular meetings throughout the year
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Affiliation: UWEX / WDNR Water Action Volunteers
- Contact Information:
Bob Rennock, Co-chair of stream monitoring
Wautoma, WI
Phone: (920) 579-0992
Our Central Wisconsin TU River Keepers are not involved in the roadside salt studies, but we are involved in monitoring and watchdogging over 20 streams in central Wisconsin. We welcome anyone who wants to join our group and/or learn about the process of water monitoring. We will be getting organized for 2012 in February and we will have training sessions in April of 2012. -- John Gremmer
Citizen Lake Monitoring Network - Northeast Region
- Subject Areas: Lakes/Ponds/Reservoirs, Exotics/Invasive Species
- Purpose: To create a ripple effect from creating interest in area lakes, to do trend monitoring, to share information and concern, and to increase the quality of lakes.
- Data Types Collected: Physical parameters, Chemical parameters, Distribution and Range
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Advanced training sessions for experienced monitors
- Online training
- Conferences
- Volunteer monitor newsletter
- Group website
- Data analysis and reporting
- Email list or list-serve for volunteers
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Affiliation: WDNR
- Contact Information:
Laura Herman, Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Educator
Phone: (715) 346-3989
Jay Schiefelbein, Northeast Region Coordinator
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
625 E. Cty. Rd. Y, Ste. 700, Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920) 303-5449
Clean Boats Clean Water
Help educate boaters about aquatic invasive species. Many UWO students have participated.
- Contact Information:
Erin McFarlane, Aquatic Invasive Species Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: (715) 346-4978
Clean Water Action Council
CWAC Water Action Council is a non-profit citizen organization, founded in 1985, working to protect public health and the environment in Northeast Wisconsin.
Friends of Milwaukee Rivers Citizen Based Water Quality Monitoring Program
- Subject Areas: Rivers/Streams, Exotics/Invasive Species, Lakes/Ponds/Reservoirs
- Purpose: Friends of Milwaukee's Rivers is working toward a goal of establishing a watershed-wide network of trained citizen volunteers who are monitoring streams and rivers in the Milwaukee River Basin, and who collect the information in a consistent and useable format. Our goal is to use collected data to inform decision making both for regulatory and management decisions, as well as for educational purposes. We also train volunteers to identify potential sources of pollution, and work collaboratively to find solutions to these problems.
- Data Types Collected:
- Physical parameters
- Chemical parameters
- Biological parameters
- Collectors and users
- Habitat Protection
- Habitat Conditions and/or Availability
- Habitat Requirements
- Threats to Populations
- Affiliation: Friends of Milwaukee's Rivers
- Contact Information:
Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper
1845 N. Farwell Ave., Ste. 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 287-0207 x 29
Fox River Watch
It's worth watching, and you can help.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
FWWA is an independent, non-profit organization that identifies issues and advocates effective policies and actions to protect, restore and sustain the water resources of Wisconsin's Fox-Wolf River Basin.
- Contact Information:
Nick VandeHey, Board President
Phone: (920) 858-3982
Gathering Water Conservancy
- Contact Information:
Email: info@gatheringwaters.org
Groundwater Observation Network of Wisconsin
- Subject Area: Groundwater
- Purpose: To maintain a water-resource database responsive to the needs of the state and nation.
- Data Type Collected: water quality
- Affiliation: Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
- Contact Information:
Jason Smith, Hydrologic Technician
USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center
8505 Research Way
Middleton, WI 53562
Phone: (608) 821-3849
Lake Winnebago Self Help Monitoring
- Subject areas: Lakes/Ponds/Reservoirs
- Purpose: To make the public aware that a system of this size can not be properly studied without the participation of citizens to help obtain data in order to manage the system adequately.
- Data Types Collected: physical parameters, collectors and users
- Affiliation: Winnebago Lakes Council, UW-Oshkosh Aquatic Studies Center, WDNR Self-Help Lake Monitoring
- Contact Information:
Mike Lizotte, Sustainability
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920) 424-0848
Lower Fox River Watershed Monitoring Program
- Subject Areas: Rivers/Streams, Birds, Amphibians/Reptiles
- Purpose: To provide hands-on science and ecosystem monitoring experience for students and teachers, and to develop a long-term database for questions and decision making about the environment.
- Data Types Collected: Population Demographics, Distribution and Range, Physical parameters
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Group website
- Data analysis and reporting
- Regular meetings throughout the year
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Affiliation: UW-Green Bay
- Contact Information:
Annette Pelegrin, Watershed Outreach and Education Coordinator
UW-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Dr.
Green Bay, WI 54311
Phone: (920) 465-5031
Learn more about this opportunity.
River Alliance of Wisconsin
- Contact Information:
Email: info@wisconsinrivers.org
Testing the Waters - Milwaukee River Watershed
- Subject Areas: Rivers/Streams, Insects, Exotics/Invasive Species
- Purpose: To monitor current conditions and long-term trends.
- Affiliation: Riveredge Nature Center
- Data Types Collected: Population Trends, Habitat Conditions and/or Availability
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Advanced training sessions for experienced monitors
- Conferences
- Volunteer monitor newsletter
- Other publications
- Group website
- Links to websites of other programs
- Data analysis and reporting
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Contact Information:
Mary Holleback, Project Director & Environmental Educator
4458 W. Hawthorne Dr.
Newburg, WI 53060
Phone: (800) 287-8098
Ulao Creek Partnership
- Subject Area: Rivers/Streams
- Purpose: To have a baseline of information available to different organizations in the watershed, to plan and monitor development and its impacts on Ulao Creek, as well as to provide environmental awareness.
- Data Types Collected: Physical parameters, Biological parameters, Chemical parameters
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Data analysis and reporting
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Affiliation: UWEX / WDNR Water Action Volunteers, Ozaukee Co. LCD
- Contact Information:
Mike Grisar
121 W. Main St., PO Box 994
Port Washington, WI 53074-0994
Phone: (414) 221-5426
Learn more about this opportunity.
Water Monitoring Network
A whole bunch of water quality programs you can participate in.
Water Action Volunteers
WAV is a statewide program for Wisconsin citizens who want to learn about and improve the quality of Wisconsin’s streams and rivers.
- Contact Information:
Kris Stepenuck, Citizen Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator
Phone: (608) 265-3887
Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Although we have lost most of our wetlands, there is still many out there, and they need protecting.
Wisconsin Association of Lakes
Lakes we have, and they need us.
Wisconsin Ephemeral Ponds Project
- Contact Information:
Tom Bernthal, WDNR
Phone: (608) 266-3033
Learn more about this opportunity.
Wisconsin Lakes
WL is the only statewide non-profit organization working to protect and enhance the quality of Wisconsin's 15,000 lakes. We are the citizen arm of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership.
- Contact Information:
Email: wal@wisconsinlakes.org
Phone: (800) 542-5253
Learn more about this opportunity.
Wisconsin Rivers Educator Network
- Subject Area: Rivers/Streams
- Purpose: To provide education, public information about the state of the local watershed as perceived by young people, and understanding about the connection between surface, ground and atmospheric water.
- Data Types Collected:
- Physical parameters
- Biological parameters
- Chemical parameters
- Volunteer Services:
- Training sessions for new volunteers
- Conferences
- Group website
- Data analysis and reporting
- Email list or list-serve for volunteers
- Staff consultation with individual monitors
- Graduate credits for teachers
- Some supplies and analyses
- Affiliation: Center for Watershed Science and Education
- Contact Information:
Wes Halverson, UWSP Watersheds Center Coordinator
800 Reserve St.
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: (715) 346-3806
Learn more about this opportunity.