WI DNR - Green Bay Waterfront

AIS Snapshot Day 2023; 115 volunteers Search 102 Different Waterbodies

On: September 25, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, ais snapshot day, aquatic invasive species, Aquatic Invasive Species Snapshot Day, Bay of Green Bay, conservation, Event - Non-FWWA, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Green Bay, invasive species, snapshot day, Water Action Volunteers, watershed, WDNR, WI DNR

Original Story: Water Action Volunteers

On August 19^th, 2023, water lovers of all ages gathered for a one-day statewide aquatic invasive species (AIS) scavenger hunt as a part of the 10^th annual AIS Snapshot Day. This event is coordinated by UW Extension in partnership with River Alliance, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and Extension Lakes. Volunteers met at different local rendezvous sites across the state to learn how to identify AIS such as Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife, and New Zealand mudsnails, and then searched for them in the field at pre-selected locations. Initially focused on rivers and streams, Snapshot Day has expanded to include lakes and wetlands. Findings from Snapshot Day are uploaded to the statewide water quality database, SWIMS, where they can be used to track the spread of invasive species and develop management plans.

Every year, Snapshot Day provides a vast amount of AIS data to the WDNR to assist in management decisions, and this year was no exception! 145 participants gathered across 22 meeting locations and monitored 131 sites across 102 different waterbodies in Wisconsin. 48 of those waterbodies had no AIS detected. At 83 sites, volunteers located 15 different AIS species, including purple loosestrife, curly-leaf pondweed, Asian clams/freshwater golden clams (Corbicula), and faucet snails.

Snapshot Day’s community-based science approach maximizes the number of sites being checked across the state, and the free event allows volunteers to learn about their local waters and how to keep them healthy. As one volunteer stated, “I enjoyed the hands on learning approach. It was helpful to have well informed guides and samples of the invasive species to get a close look at. Once we had a good understanding of what to look for, it was fun to go out and collect samples of what we were finding.”

We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers, partner organizations, and site leaders who made this event possible.

And don’t forget to follow Snapshot Day on Facebook for future updates! https://www.facebook.com/aissnapshotday

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf), Emily Heald (Water Action Volunteers)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on X! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

Winnebago Waterways and Keepers of the Fox are Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance programs. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization working to protect and restore water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.

The post AIS Snapshot Day 2023; 115 volunteers Search 102 Different Waterbodies appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/09/25/ais-snapshot-day-2023-115-volunteers-search-102-different-waterbodies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ais-snapshot-day-2023-115-volunteers-search-102-different-waterbodies

Chris Acy

Shoreline Planting Tour in Menasha on Sept. 9, 2023 at 9am!

On: August 28, 2023

In: conservation, erosion, Event - FWWA, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, Healthy Lakes, healthy lakes and rivers, Lake Winnebago, menasha, Outreach, Outreach and Education, shoreline, shoreline property, shoreline property tour, Shoreline Restoration, Shoreline Tour, soil, tour, watershed, watershed recovery, WDNR, WI DNR, Winnebago Waterways

Thanks to a generous shoreline property owner, we will be touring a shoreline planting on his property in Menasha on September 9, 2023 starting at 9am. Interested in attending? Click here to learn more and sign-up! Please provide your contact info if you plan on joining us so we can keep you updated on any changes due to weather. Thank you!

Tom Mace, longtime supporter of the Winnebago Waterways Program and of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, has generously offered his property for a tour for interested visitors to learn about native shoreline plantings! Meet us at the property to learn about a shoreline planting seeded with native plants in fall, with growth seen in the following spring. The property also features an upland prairie planting that is very effective at attracting all sorts of pollinators. The property combines the native plantings with a more formal garden and a few orchard trees. Learn about the process of preparing, installing and maintaining these plantings and about the benefits to the property and water quality!

We expect the tour will last about an hour. If you plan on joining us, please dress for the weather and let us know to expect you by clicking the image below!

The post Shoreline Planting Tour in Menasha on Sept. 9, 2023 at 9am! appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/08/28/shoreline-tour-sept_9_2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shoreline-tour-sept_9_2023

Katie Reed

Fox-Wolf, Partners Tackle Invasive Plant in Green Bay

On: August 22, 2023

In: 2023, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, control, EFB, European Frogbit, fox-wolf, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Green Bay, Keepers of the Fox, Video, WI DNR

Invasive European Frogbit Mapping and Control Work Ongoing

The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Brown County, and other local partners to confront an invasive species in the Bay of Green Bay. European frogbit was first discovered in the wild in Wisconsin late last summer and the known general extent at that time ranged from the City of Marinette to the City of Oconto. Additional monitoring by partners found additional populations within and beyond that range reaching all of the way to the Brown and Door County.

To help reduce the population in the Green Bay area, Fox-Wolf is assisting in monitoring and control work for European Frogbit (EFB). Our aquatic invasive species coordinator Chris is joining partners on large group work days to find and remove EFB. One of the recent large group work days was filmed by Dan Larson from Com-Video Productions as part of a documentary on Green Bay; the same producer that brought you the documentary Power of the River. Check out his clip of our European Frogbit monitoring days below!

European Frog Bit Survey – Green Bay Documentary Featured Clip

The free-floating European Frogbit is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. It likes slow-moving habitats like sheltered inlets, rivers, and ditches. The plant resembles native water lilies but is much smaller and doesn’t root in the lake bottom. The plant forms dense mats that can interfere with boaters and shade-out native plants. If you see European frog-bit, take a few photos, make note of the location, date and time of the finding, and report to Amanda Smith, WI DNR Regional Invasive Species Coordinator.

Video Credit: Dan Larson (Com-Video Productions)

Photo Credit: Chris Acy (Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

The post Fox-Wolf, Partners Tackle Invasive Plant in Green Bay appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/08/22/fox-wolf-partners-tackle-invasive-plant-in-green-bay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fox-wolf-partners-tackle-invasive-plant-in-green-bay

Chris Acy

Volunteers Needed! Shoreline Buffer Demonstration Site Set To Be Installed at Marble Park, Winneconne

On: August 9, 2023

In: Butte des Morts, columbia park, cost share, county, demo site, diversions, fish sticks, Fond du Lac County, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, grant, habitat, Healthy Lakes, katie reed, korin doering, Lake Management, lakes, lakeshore, lwcd, native plantings, Poygan, rain gardens, restoration, shoreland, shoreline, Watershed Project, WI DNR, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Winneconne, Wisconsin, Wolf River

Visitors to Marble Park in Winneconne, Winnebago County can soon stop by three native plant beds to enjoy beautiful native plants! Installation is scheduled to start on August 22, 2023. We anticipate needing volunteers to help the remainder of the week (Aug 22-23). If you are interested in volunteering to help install and plant these beds, please fill out the following form and select “Shoreline Planting/Work Crew”. We look forward to seeing you at the park!

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance partnered with the Village of Winneconne to install the native plant beds. The goal of this project is to increase the adoption and installation of native shoreline plantings around the Winnebago System. We are excited to see the project come together and watch the plants grow!

Shoreline property owners are eligible to receive reimbursement of up to $1000 to install this type of best management practice through a Wisconsin DNR Healthy Lakes and Rivers grant by partnering with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Come check out what this shoreline best management practice looks like, what the requirements are for the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant, and what shoreline property owners can expect from the process of planning, installing, and maintaining the native plant beds.

Under a Healthy Lakes and Rivers grant, native plantings must:

Total 350 contiguous square feet,
Be at least 10 feet wide in any direction,
Be adjacent to the shore,
Follow the Healthy Lakes requirement for number of native plants and species.

A Healthy Lakes native planting project can augment an existing area of shoreline vegetation under certain circumstances.

The demonstration site at Marble Park will meet all of these requirements, and is intended to give shoreline property owners a good idea of what to expect from their native plantings, while also educating visitors about how native plantings can improve wildlife habitat, natural beauty, and decrease runoff into the Wolf River.

The Demonstration Site will showcase three different plant lists: a low-growing bed showcasing species that grow <5 ft tall, a shoreline edge bed with species that thrive close to the water and a pollinator bed which will showcase species specifically intended to attract pollinators.

If you have any questions or are interested in installing a Healthy Lakes native plant bed on your shoreline property, please contact Katie Reed at katherine@fwwa.org or 920-851-6472.

Funding for this project was provided by the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and the WI Department of Natural Resources. Project partners include the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and the Village of Winneconne.