Water Quality in Wisconsin. Monitoring Volunteers Needed

Central & Northeastern Wisconsin (Civic Media) – If you’re concerned about the water quality in Wisconsin, you can volunteer to help monitor it. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help monitor streams and rivers in central and northeastern Wisconsin. The locations are chosen at or near road crossings. They will be fairly easy to access and volunteers should be comfortable wading into water. You’ll be trained on DNR protocol, and they will supply all the equipment needed except for boots or waders.

What you’ll do as a volunteer

You’ll need to wade into the water and fill three bottles from the stream. You’ll take up to two field measurements. The samples to test water quality in Wisconsin then need to be packed on ice in a cooler they provide. You’ll deliver it to the closest U.S. post office to be shipped to Madison. The process should take you about one hour each month. You will take samples each month from May to October.

Where are volunteers needed?

The DNR is looking for volunteers to sample for water quality in the Lower Fox, Upper Fox and Wolf River, and Northeast Lakeshore basins. As a volunteer, you will help fulfill monitoring goals in these regions. Our water resources in Wisconsin are important for recreation, habitat and health. Volunteers play a crucial role in helping keep our water quality in Wisconsin up to standard.

How to get involved testing water quality in Wisconsin

For more information on how to get involved, contact Katherine Wendorf at Katherine.Wendorf@wisconsin.gov or call her at 920-296-5126. You can see the full press release from the DNR here.