Group photo of Snapshot Day 2025 in Dane County.

We are officially half way through the monitoring season and wanted to give a huge thank you to all volunteers, new and returning, who have adopted a site to monitor! With multiple years of consistent baseline data, we can better detect changes to the stream’s water quality from land use changes or restoration efforts.

We also wanted to show appreciation for volunteers who came out on August 9th for our annual AIS Snapshot Day! We are grateful to you for helping protect Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands from invasive plants and animals. Stay tuned for our September newsletter to read the results of Snapshot Day 2025.

Read on to learn more about plants to watch out for while monitoring, a WAV volunteer spotlight, tips to getting more accurate D.O. results, and more!

Map of 2025 baseline (green) and nutrient (orange) volunteer monitoring sites.

The WAV Data Dashboard has been updated with early 2025 volunteer data for baseline  and nutrient volunteer monitoring sites. All data submitted to SWIMS by August 1 has been pulled and uploaded to the WAV Dashboard. Nutrient results loaded into SWIMS from the State Lab of Hygiene can lag by 3-4 weeks. If July nutrient data is not showing up for your site, please check back at the end of the season.

We encourage all volunteers to find your site on the dashboard and review your data for accuracy.

The 2016 Water Warriors Team.
(Left to Right)  Erv Lescinski, Joanne Michaels (current weather volunteer), Ellen DeMarco (transportation for the samples), Laura DeGolier and Julie Hellwig (retired). All photos courtesy of Laura DeGolier. 

This month’s WAV volunteer spotlight is the Water Warriors! Located in eastern Wisconsin, the Water Warriors is a group of 2 chemists, 1 doctor, an agronomist, 2 librarians, a science teacher, a social worker, a computer operator on a production line and insurance agent, an investment representative, and, when an extra hand is needed, a group member’s nephew who lives 40 miles away. 

Next year will mark 20 years of monitoring for the Water Warriors! Over the years, their team has gone through many changes, including the loss of loved ones that supported monitoring efforts. Yet, even during these times, the group remained committed to ensuring everyone was included in annual meetings, communications, and involved in monitoring when they had capacity. The Water Warriors have also added team members based on prospective volunteers’ interests, helping strengthen the knowledge base of the overall group. Originally a team of four, the Water Warriors have doubled their membership to help support their expanding monitoring efforts.

The Water Warriors have monitored the East Branch of the Fond du Lac River the longest, long before their team acquired a dissolved oxygen meter. Three months into monitoring, the group was contacted by Trout Unlimited to support monitoring efforts at three spots along the Rock River. A few years later, the Water Warriors added the West Branch of the Fond du Lac River. When the team responsible for monitoring Parson’s Creek retired, the Water Warriors assumed monitoring of the creek. 

The group has fostered a good relationship with their local Wisconsin DNR stream biologist, Dave Bolha. As a stream biologist, Bolha has shared his expertise on water, fish, and the science surrounding water monitoring with the Water Warriors. Bolha attends the group’s annual meetings and, on occasion, other monitoring efforts. Erv Lescinski, Rock River Partnership coordinator, has also been an anchor for the team and provided invaluable support. 

Thank you to the Water Warriors for your commitment to preserving our shared waters! 

Ellen DeMarco was a member of the team at the rivers as late as 2019. Here she is with Paul Wagner on the E. Branch of the Fond du Lac River. 

Pat Mullen installing the thermistor in at The Rock, W. Branch Fond du Lac River.

Team Wagner. Becky and Paul with Laura DeGolier at Parson’s Creek.

Water Warriors at the WAV Habitat Assessment Training. (Left to right) Mary Hayes, Pat Mullen, Jeff Strong.

Mary Hayes and Tiffany Brault along the W. Branch of the Fond du Lac River.

Paul Wagner with the dissolved oxygen meter.

Water Warriors at the Fond Du Lac County 2025 Snapshot Day event. 

Submit your own WAV Spotlight!
Whether it is a special experience during your monthly stream monitoring, your favorite place on a local stream, or a cool aquatic find, we'd love to share it with the WAV volunteer network! Groups are welcome to submit together.

Volunteers at a baseline stream training learn how to measure dissolved oxygen using a Hach kit. 

Do you measure dissolved oxygen in your stream with a Hach Kit? We have some clarifying info for you to help you accurately assess the D.O. level in your stream.

Add the starch drops after  your sample turns “pale yellow”

The last step in the Hach D.O. test, where you add drops of sodium thiosulfate until the sample turns from yellow to clear, is called titration. The number of drops added to the sample before it turns clear technically tells you how much iodine was in the sample, and thus how much dissolved oxygen is present.

As part of the test, we add in a few drops of starch during titration to dye the sample blue, so that we can more easily see the color change from blue to clear. So the question is, when should you add the drops of starch to your sample?

For best results, wait until your sample is pale yellow to add the starch (the exact shade doesn't matter). Why? The starch can be partially decomposed by large amounts of iodine in your sample (darker yellow color), which can affect the end result. (Source: LaMotte Company)

Volunteer titrating with sodium thiosulfate solution.  

Testing dissolved oxygen at low levels (3 mg/L or less)

If your first test result is 3 mg/L or less, you may want to do an additional low sensitivity test. You can find the low sensitivity test in the Hach Kit manual. This is an easy extra step you can do using your existing prepared sample from your stream:

Photo showing the 30 ml line on a Hach bottle. 

Have any follow up questions? Email us at wav@extension.wisc.edu! 

This month, we are featuring three plants you might encounter while out stream monitoring that cause skin irritation. While learning about these plants is helpful, another great way to avoid skin rashes is to wear long pants (or waders!), long sleeves, and gloves to help reduce exposure. 

Poison ivy (genus Toxicodendron). Photo Wisconsin Horticulture - Division of Extension.

Poison Ivy (genusToxicodendron)

Our first plant to be on the lookout for needs no introduction: poison ivy. This native plant is typically found growing in pastures, ditches, fence rows, wooded forests, beaches, and parks. 

Poison ivy produces urushiol, an oil that can cause itching, inflammation, and blistering. Urushiol can easily be spread by anything that comes into contact with it, even tools or pets! It typically has three leaves and can be mistaken for other common plants. 

Learn how to identify poison ivy here:  Poison Ivy – Wisconsin Horticulture

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) . Photo from Encyclopædia Britannica.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Our second featured plant is Urtica dioica or stinging nettle. Typically found along canals, around barnyards, and in fencerows in Wisconsin, stinging nettle has toothed leaves with tiny hairs on the underside of the leaves as well as on its stalks. 

These stinging hairs can cause welts, inflammation, and an immediate burning sensation if they come in contact with skin. 

Learn more about stinging nettle here: Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle): Minnesota Wildflowers

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). Photo from Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension.

Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) 

Our last featured plant is Pastinaca sativa, commonly known as wild parsnip. As summer is wrapping up, you may see this plant less on your walk as it is completing its life cycle in certain areas of Wisconsin. Wild parsnip flowers tend to appear in early June through July in southern WI. The plant’s seeds form near the end of July, after which the plant turns brown and dies. Seeds are flat, oval, and similar size to the size of sunflower seed. 

Sap from the plant can cause phytophotodermatitis, a light-sensitive reaction on your skin. Symptoms range from red skin to large blisters that range from a slight burn to severe sunburn. 

Learn how to identify wild parsnip here: Wild Parsnip – Wisconsin Horticulture

Interested in exploring more?

This website shows you plant species that occur in Wisconsin, including photos, distribution maps, specimen records, and more.

Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin Home

This guide will help you recognize, avoid, and handle potential problems caused by wildlife, insects, and plants in Wisconsin.

Outdoor Hazards in Wisconsin: A Guide to Insects, Plants, and Wildlife – Wisconsin Horticulture

Water Action Volunteers Program (WAV)

Phone: (608) 331-0173

Email: wav@extension.wisc.edu

wateractionvolunteers.org

The Water Action Volunteers (WAV) stream monitoring program is an ongoing partnership between the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and nearly 50 local partner groups and organizations.