Don Baker and Barb Smith of Lake Mills assess water taken from a shallow stream flowing out of Cambridge’s Lake Ripley. The two are volunteer stream monitors for the Rock River Coalition.
Don Baker and Barb Smith of Lake Mills assess water taken from a shallow stream flowing out of Cambridge’s Lake Ripley. The two are volunteer stream monitors for the Rock River Coalition.
WATERTOWN — Rock River Coalition and Jefferson County Land and Water Conservation Department are hosting a hands-on workshop for new stream monitoring volunteers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 6 in Watertown.
This workshop is an introduction to the Water Action Volunteers (WAV) program, a statewide network of more than 500 volunteers who collect data on water quality in their local streams and rivers. No experience is needed to volunteer; and, all the equipment is provided.
Stream monitors are a critical component of Rock River Coalition’s mission to protect clean water resources. They measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, transparency and flow once a month from April or May to October, and they collect stream insects each spring and fall. Once trained, volunteers spend 2-4 hours each month collecting stream data. Most volunteers work in a two- or three-person team and monitor a wadeable stream or river within a short distance of their home. The data is entered into the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System online database and is publicly available to anyone with internet access.
In addition to Watertown, volunteer workshops are available in Waunakee, Janesville, Genesee and other locations across the state and stream monitoring sites are available in many locations. The workshops are open to anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about water quality. With both classroom and hands-on, in-stream components, the workshops cover everything volunteers need to know to adopt a stream-monitoring site. Waders will be provided at the workshops to help keep everyone dry and warm.
For more information or to register for a workshop, contact Rock River Coalition at 920-541-6766 or addie@rockrivercoalition.org. Individuals can learn more about Rock River Water Action Volunteers at their websites: and .
