BY TOM BOISVERT
Conservation Program Manager

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 (WDNR), 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 an upcoming WAV training. The training will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, 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: https://wateractionvolunteers.org/get-involved/become-a-volunteer/.
If you are interested in attending this training, please register online using this link: https://forms.gle/XEukeR4MpKSsaDgs6 or call the Lincoln County Land Services Department at 715.539.1054 to register by phone.