Water Quality Monitoring and Improvement

CLIENT
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin Green Bay and Manitowoc Campuses, and Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership

LOCATION
Sheboygan County

STATUS
On-going

ESTABLISHED
January 2009

SIZE
n/a

CATEGORY
Water / Watershed

Sheboygan River Basin Partnership (SRBP) is engaging members of the community in opportunities to gain a more in-depth knowledge base and a better understanding of how to protect and improve water quality in the Sheboygan River basin. SRBP is working to provide the public with water quality education and informational exchange, raising awareness around water quality challenges in anticipation of the implementation of the Northeast Lakeshore TMDL and the development of 9 Key Element Plans. Building participation in water quality monitoring among students and community members will help lay the groundwork for the development of 9 Key Element Plans to help achieve TMDL goals.

WANTED: Water Action Volunteers

We need your help to establish the Water Action Volunteer (WAV) program in the Sheboygan River Basin! Are you interested in getting to know your local stream or river? You can join a network of over 500 citizen scientist volunteers across the state who are part of the Water Action Volunteers (WAV) program. As a WAV volunteer, you’ll learn about water quality & aquatic life in your local stream while collecting valuable scientific data.

You’ll monitor dissolved oxygen, temperature, transparency and flow once a month from May- October and collect stream bugs and other critters each spring and fall. We provide the equipment and teach you the methods. You begin with an online self-guided study which is followed by an in-person workshop (conditions permitting.) Once trained, you can expect to spend 1-2 hours per month collecting stream data. Volunteers generally work in a 2-3 person team and monitor wadeable streams and rivers, often located near their home or within a short driving distance. The data you collect is entered into the WDNR’s public Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) online database. Anyone with web access can view the data in the database,  which is searchable by county,  stream or site name.

Ready to get started?! Begin by completing the Online Introduction to WAV: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/172203. Be sure to complete the volunteer registration form at the completion of the online modules-this notifies SRBP of your interest in monitoring in the Sheboygan River Basin so that we can get in touch with next steps in the training process. 

WAV is a collaboration of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), the University of Wisconsin- Extension and local groups and citizens committed to preserving, protecting and restoring Wisconsin’s 86,888 miles of streams and rivers. Partners gather high- quality stream data and share their knowledge to inform key resource management decisions that impact local communities. 

Student Water Quality Monitoring

In addition to growing the WAV program in Sheboygan, there is great potential to build a working relationship between the UWGB-Sheboygan and Manitowoc Campuses and model the Manitowoc Campus's existing water quality program.  The Lakeshore Water Institute at the UWGB Manitowoc Campus has sampled and analyzed water quality in partnership with LNRP since 2009. Engaging students in this program will help address the water sector workforce shortage and contribute to the development of the UW Systems Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.  

Sheboygan River 9KE Watershed Planning

Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP) in partnership with the Sheboygan River Basin Partnership (SRBP) proposes to improve the ecological condition of the Sheboygan River Watershed though development of a Sheboygan River Watershed Plan. The plan will address diverse watershed needs and is consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) nine key element (9KE) planning framework. The overall goal of this project is to compile the necessary resources, engage stakeholders and create a watershed-scale plan that guides implementation of management actions to improve water quality within the Sheboygan River Watershed.

The EPA’s 9KE process provides a framework for improving water quality in a holistic manner within a geographic watershed. The EPA nine elements help assess the contributing causes and sources of nonpoint source pollution, identifies key stakeholders, and prioritizes restoration and protection strategies to address water quality issues. Development of this plan will provide the framework to improve water quality for public health and wildlife values, provide recreational opportunities to local citizens, and increase property values throughout the watershed. The resulting plan will identify and prioritize water quality improvement projects across the Project Area and will allow stakeholders the opportunity to secure federal funds for implementation.