TMDLs_Content Page_Upper Fox/Wolf Volunteer Monitoring

Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins Volunteer Monitoring Program

Upper Fox and Wolf Rivers TMDL

Wisconsin statewide map highlighting the location of the Upper Fox and Wolf River TMDL.

In February 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TMDL set targets to improve surface water quality by reducing phosphorus and sediment loading in the watershed. To help achieve some of the monitoring goals outlined in the TMDL, the Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins Volunteer Monitoring Program was created in 2020.

Want to get involved? The DNR is always looking for new, energetic and motivated volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Katherine Wendorf, Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins Volunteer Monitoring Program Coordinator.

About the Volunteer Program

Map of current sampling sites in the Upper Fox and Wolf River TMDL. The range stretches along a band from the area around Wolf River in the north down to the area around Fox River in the south and includes Lake Winnebago.
Map of current monitoring sites in the Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins.

The program relies on volunteers to collect surface water samples monthly. Volunteers follow Water Action Volunteer (WAV) sampling protocols and report to the program coordinator to ensure consistency is being met in each sample. Samples are sent to the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene for sample analysis and results are sent to the program coordinator for data analysis. The DNR provides all sampling equipment, shipping materials and training.

Volunteer Program Specifics

Twenty-four monitoring sites on 20 different streams are sampled monthly between May and October. This timeframe is the primary algae and macrophyte growing season. Volunteers collect surface water samples which are analyzed for Total Phosphorus (TP), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (DRP) and Total Nitrogen (TN). In addition to collecting water samples, volunteers also measure streamflow and turbidity.

Nutrient And Sediment Impacts

To meet Wisconsin’s water quality criteria, streams must have a median phosphorus level less than 0.075 mg/L; waters that do not meet criteria are classified as impaired. Ten of the twenty sampling streams are impaired due to excess total phosphorus (TP) and/or total suspended solids (TSS). Excessive phosphorus and sediment works its way through the entire river system and can have major impacts on river health. Some of the impacts include more frequent algal blooms, reduced fish habitat and low aquatic plant density - these impacts affect fishing, swimming, recreational activities and environmental conditions.

Program Goals

  1. Engage the public in citizen science and bring public awareness to the water quality issues in the basin.
  2. Collect accurate and reliable data.
  3. Evaluate nutrient and sediment concentrations in the streams to the Upper Fox River, Wolf River and Lake Winnebago basins.
  4. Monitor the health of the watershed over time at a regional scale.
  5. Evaluate the long-term effectiveness of implementation of the Upper Fox and Wolf River Basins TMDL.

Streams

Results

Volunteer Resources

Training Videos