It's Officially Stream Monitoring Season! |
Want to help protect Wisconsin's streams and rivers, but don't know where to start? Become a WAV volunteer this season!
Hosted by local organizations, our baseline stream trainings teach new volunteers how to measure five important elements of stream health using scientific tools and techniques. After the training, volunteers can connect with their local WAV Coordinator to adopt a stream site and receive a monitoring kit.
In addition to baseline stream trainings, check out our aquatic invasive species (AIS) trainings! Join us to learn how to identify and monitor AIS.
Best part is no experience is necessary! We'll teach you everything you need to know to jump into a stream this season. Don't see a training near you? Connect with a local WAV coordinator to ask about volunteer one-on-one trainings!
Hope to see you out there!
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New WAV Baseline Datasheet |
This year, we've redesigned the baseline datasheet! This new version focuses on the key monitoring data, making it easier to collect information. The print version is located on our website - a digital fillable form will be coming soon.
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May is for Macroinvertebrates! |
WAV baseline volunteers will be completing their spring macroinvertebrate biotic index in May, and we know that identifying the diverse aquatic larvae, nymphs, and adults can be difficult!
Here are some of our favorite resources:
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Want to help improve aquatic invertebrate documentation?
Volunteers can now upload their finds to two new iNaturalist projects aimed at collecting aquatic invertebrate observations from across Wisconsin. Created by aquatic entomologist and WAV Coordinator Dr. Jessica Orlofske and her graduate students at UW-Parkside, these projects will help volunteers better identify the aquatic invertebrates they find in Wisconsin.
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Save the Date: Snapshot Day 2026 |
Join the statewide search for aquatic invasive species!
Snapshot Day is a statewide, one-day event in search for aquatic invasive species (AIS). Register to help protect Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands from aquatic invasive species that may negatively impact habitat, wildlife, recreation and health!
Volunteer registration opens June 1, 2026.
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Submit a Volunteer Spotlight! |
We're excited to bring back WAV Volunteer Spotlights again this year!
The vision of WAV Spotlights is to celebrate the wonderful work you do volunteering for your local waters by featuring different WAV volunteers/teams each month during the monitoring season. Spotlights will be featured in our email newsletter and social media (Instagram and Facebook). Groups are welcome to submit a highlight together!
Here are a few things we'd love to hear about from you! We're open to other ideas if you have them - just let us know.
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Tell us about your favorite body of water or special place, and why? This could be the stream you monitor, or any other river, stream, lake, or wetland in Wisconsin.
- Share a short story from your monitoring. This could be a cool find, a favorite memory, or an interesting observation.
- If you could share one message with other potential WAV volunteers, what would it be? We welcome artistic submissions (like haikus)!
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Have a Stream Monitoring Question? |
Submit a stream monitoring question to WAV for a chance to have it answered in next month's newsletter!
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Help preserve and protect Wisconsin’s streams
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| The Water Action Volunteers (WAV) stream monitoring program is an ongoing partnership between the University of Wisconsin - Madison Division of Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, in collaboration with over 50 local groups and organizations.
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