Since 2013, with funding from the Yahara Watershed Improvement Network (WINS), the Rock River Coalition (RRC) has run a vibrant citizen-based stream monitoring project in the Yahara River watershed.  More than 150 volunteers have monitored stream health at 65 stream stations, tracking changes in water quality as various phosphorus reduction practices are put into place across the watershed. 
While the immediate output of this project is water quality data, the RRC program coordinator and volunteers hope this effort will lead to science-based decision-making. To enable such an outcome, RRC is using data visualization software, helping to turn data into useful information, and ultimately, information into effective decisions. 
At this session, the RRC will share its experience in developing visualizations using Tableau® software. 

Emerging Contaminants are anything in our rivers and lakes that we do not typically monitor but could adversely impact the health of our water and the human and aquatic life that depends on it. Common classes of emerging contaminants include prescription drugs, antibiotics, herbicides, personal care products, and even cooking ingredients like vanilla. Unfortunately, little is known about the presence of these compounds in our waterways, and even less is known about their effects on aquatic ecosystems. To learn more about emerging contaminants, in 2016, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, along with several project partners, launched a citizen science based emerging contaminants monitoring program. Since then, we have been mobilizing volunteers to collect water samples from river stations throughout the Milwaukee River Basin. Water samples for this program are analyzed for over 60 compounds. Preliminary results from our study indicate high levels of several compounds including caffeine, Ibuprofen, nicotine, and many others.

 

In 1987, the lower 14 miles of the Sheboygan River were designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) by the International Joint Commission (IJC) in accordance with the US-Canada, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. AOC’s are defined as, “up to 14 beneficial use impairments tied to contamination from industrial sources, habitat loss and eutrophication”. The Sheboygan River AOC was identified by US-EPA as a priority AOC and targeted for significant funding to drive the removal of listed AOC impairments. Approximately $5.7 million in funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) were approved for habitat restoration in the Sheboygan AOC in 2012. The habitat restoration included 5 project sites with a total of 41 acres and 18,300 feet of shoreline. Goals of the habitat restoration were to restore native plant communities, improve existing wetlands, and provide shoreline naturalization (invasive species removal, bank stabilization, and habitat connectivity). The project had a short time line for completion. Working on behalf of the City of Sheboygan, Sheboygan County and DNR, a group of consultants with a wide variety of expertise were hired to design and oversee project construction. Details of the projects including aspects of project design and problems encountered will be discussed. Information about habitat project establishment, monitoring, maintenance and long-term care will be provided.

 

John and Robert will share the efforts Dodge County has undertaken to engage producers and residents in working together to address water quality concerns. Beginning with a Non-Point Source Task Force, established to find common ground between stakeholders, and moving towards a Soil Health Theme and the establishment of the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water, and the Dodge County Alliance for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water.