Water Action Volunteers

The Water Action Volunteers (WAV) volunteer stream monitoring program is an ongoing partnership between the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), in collaboration with over 50 local organizations and watershed groups across Wisconsin.

The program aims to preserve, protect and restore Wisconsin’s 86,000+ miles of streams and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers to (1) gather high-quality stream data useful for decision-making and natural resource management, and (2) share their data and knowledge.

Annually, over 500 volunteers and their teammates monitor over 550 stream sites throughout Wisconsin.