By Tom Boisvert
Lincoln County Conservation Program Manager
MERRILL – The Water Action Volunteers Program (WAV) is a statewide network of citizen scientist volunteers committed to monitoring as much of Wisconsin’s 86,000+ miles of streams and rivers as possible.
WAV’s goal is to preserve, protect and restore the state’s streams and rivers by collecting high-quality stream data that’s useful for decision-making and natural resource management.
Every year, volunteers monitor more than 600 stream locations throughout Wisconsin. This effort wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing partnership between University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and, of course, our dedicated volunteers.
But who are WAV volunteers?
In short, they’re your neighbors. They are students, teachers, retirees, outdoor enthusiasts, families and farmers. WAV volunteers enjoy science and spending time outdoors, and they value the waters and natural resources of Wisconsin.
To help grow the WAV program, Lincoln County’s Land Services Department is hosting a WAV training event on Saturday, May 20 at the Prairie Trails Park in Merrill. This training course will provide an overview of the WAV program and the science behind the baseline parameters that are collected in the field.
Being familiar with WAV and the monitoring science and methods prior to the in-person field training is highly encouraged. An online introductory monitoring course can be found at www.bit.ly/3nor6FJ.
To register for the training, visit www.bit.ly/3p7Sd8s or call the Lincoln County Land Services Department at 715-539-1054.