Urban Stormwater

https://fwwa.org/2025/10/23/join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt-3

Jessica Schultz

The Storm Drain Leads Where?! Why What You Do at Home Matters Downstream

On: June 2, 2025

In: Fox-Wolf Basin, Gardening Practices, grass clippings, Home Gardening, Lawn Care, low-mow lawn, no mow may, northeast wisconsin, pollinators, stormwater, Urban Stormwater, Water Protection, Water quality

When it rains, it runs off. That might sound simple, but what that runoff picks up along the way can have a big impact. Rainwater that falls on your yard or roof is one thing. But when it hits hard surfaces like streets, sidewalks, and driveways, it doesn’t soak in. It travels. Fast. Carrying [...]

The post The Storm Drain Leads Where?! Why What You Do at Home Matters Downstream appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2025/06/02/the-storm-drain-leads-where-why-what-you-do-at-home-matters-downstream/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-storm-drain-leads-where-why-what-you-do-at-home-matters-downstream

Protecting Our Waters: Fox-Wolf’s Chloride Monitoring Program

On: January 31, 2025

In: Bay of Green Bay, chloride, community, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, iwl, local, Lower Fox River, monitor, monitoring, NEWSC, opportunity, Outreach and Education, public, salt, salt watch, stormwater, streams, testing, Upper Fox River, Urban, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, volunteers, water, Water quality, Winnebago Waterways, Wolf River

Help Protect Our Waters: Fox-Wolf’s Chloride Monitoring Program Did you know that just one teaspoon of salt can permanently pollute five gallons of freshwater? Unlike other pollutants, chloride from road salt doesn’t break down—it stays in our waterways, impacting aquatic life and even our drinking water. That’s why the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is continuing [...]

The post Protecting Our Waters: Fox-Wolf’s Chloride Monitoring Program appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2025/01/31/chloride-monitoring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chloride-monitoring

The Hidden Cost of Winter Salt: Protecting Wisconsin’s Waterways

On: December 19, 2024

In: 2022, 2023, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, NEWSC, Outreach and Education, renew our waters, road salt, salt, seasonal, stormwater, sweep the salt, Urban Stormwater, Water quality, watershed, winter

In Wisconsin, winter means snow, ice, and inevitably, salt. De-icing salt is a common sight on sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways, helping to prevent slips and falls during the coldest months. However, this winter staple comes with an environmental cost: our local rivers, lakes, and streams are suffering from the overuse of salt. Why [...]

The post The Hidden Cost of Winter Salt: Protecting Wisconsin’s Waterways appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2024/12/19/the-skinny-on-salt-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-skinny-on-salt-2

Join Fox-Wolf and Help Monitor for Chlorides(Salt)

On: October 28, 2024

In: announcement, Bay of Green Bay, chloride, community, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, iwl, Keepers of the Fox, local, Lower Fox River, monitor, monitoring, NEWSC, opportunity, Outreach and Education, public, salt, salt watch, stormwater, streams, testing, Upper Fox River, Urban, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, volunteers, water, Water quality, Winnebago Waterways, Wolf River

Join the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, partners, and volunteers this winter to monitor for chlorides in streams throughout the Fox-Wolf River Basin!

Road salt (sodium chloride) is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish, wildlife, habitats, and more. Overall it impacts both the environment as well as human health.

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes.

Please join us at one of our training November 14th at Noon or 6 p.m. at the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Click the button to fill out our sign-up form for the training event. A free Salt Watch kit will be provided to those who attend. Monitoring is easy and a great way to help your community!

You can use your kit any time you can safely approach a waterway. But it’s especially important to test salt levels around the time of events that cause those levels to change. Those times are:

Before a winter storm, to find out the “normal” level of salt in your stream
After salt has been applied to roads
After the first warm day or rainstorm following a snow or freeze
After the next rain event

We could use more volunteers throughout the basin. Monitoring efforts are best done on smaller waterbodies, streams, rivers, and more. Please reach out to Alyssa Reinke, Alyssa@fwwa.org with more questions, comments, or concerns.

FREE Salt Watch kit available from at the training thanks to the Izaak Walton League!

Training Sign-Up

Past Testing Locations

The training will cover monitoring process. However, for more information, check out this video explaining the monitoring process from the Izaak Walton League:

The post Join Fox-Wolf and Help Monitor for Chlorides(Salt) appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2024/10/28/join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt

Alyssa Reinke

Stormwater Week 2024 | NEWSC

On: September 23, 2024

In: 2024, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Lake Poygan, Lake Winnebago, Lake Winneconne, NEWSC, stormwater, stormwater pollution, Urban Stormwater, Winnebago Lakes, Winnebago Waterways

Protecting Northeast Wisconsin’s Waterways: Stormwater Management with NEWSC

At the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, we’re excited to highlight the great work being done by the Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC). NEWSC is dedicated to stormwater management and reducing pollution in our local rivers, lakes, and streams, like the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. By working with municipalities, businesses, and the public, they play a big part in keeping our waterways clean and healthy across Northeast Wisconsin.

Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC) is all about keeping local waterways clean and healthy by managing stormwater runoff. They work with municipalities, businesses, and the public to help reduce pollution that can end up in rivers, lakes, and streams.

Here’s What They Do:

Education & Outreach: NEWSC runs programs to help people understand how stormwater impacts the environment and what we can all do to help. This includes public campaigns, workshops, and simple tips for homeowners and businesses.
Technical Support: They help cities and towns with stormwater plans to make sure they’re following the rules and doing what’s best for the environment.
Collaboration: NEWSC brings different groups together to share knowledge and work on stormwater issues as a team.

Here’s Who they serve:

Municipalities that need to manage stormwater runoff according to regulations.
Businesses that want to be more environmentally friendly.
Homeowners and the public who can help by taking small steps like using rain barrels or reducing chemical use in yards.
Schools where students can learn about stormwater and how to protect water quality.
Municipalities, including cities like Green Bay, Oshkosh, and Appleton, that need to manage stormwater runoff according to state and federal regulations.

By working together as a region, NEWSC is able to take on stormwater challenges in a more impactful way. Protecting water quality helps reduce flooding, keeps pollutants out of our waterways, and preserves the natural environment in Northeast Wisconsin. Whether it’s cities, businesses, schools, or individual homeowners, everyone has a part to play in keeping our waters clean and healthy for future generations!

NEWSC’s efforts make a big difference in protecting our water resources and reducing the impact of stormwater runoff. By working together, we can all do our part to keep our waterways clean and healthy for future generations. Whether you’re a city, business, or homeowner, there are simple steps everyone can take to help protect water quality in Northeast Wisconsin!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance on our Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Facebook page or @fox_wolf_watershed_alliance on Instagram! You can also sign-up for email updates at fwwa.org.

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.

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 Stormwater Week 2024 | NEWSC appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2024/09/23/stormwater24newsc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stormwater24newsc

Dan Beckwith

Doing the Right Thing: An interview with a 5th Grader

On: November 12, 2023

In: 2023, cleanup, oshkosh, student, TFW, trash, trashfreewaters, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, Volunteer Spotlight, Winnebago

Most kids are not too excited about cleaning. I know my kids groan when I remind them of their daily chores. That’s why it was remarkable, and certainly noteworthy, to see a fifth grade student cleaning up litter on their own. Meet Rean: Rean is a fifth grade student in elementary school in Oshkosh. The crossing guard at her school had noticed that she was picking up trash around her school and neighborhood both before and after school hours. Her good deeds were reported to the school’s counselor and from there, I was contacted at the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance because the Trash Free Waters program loves to highlight those who help protect our waters from trash and debris.

This past week, I was able to sit down with Rean and learn more about her and why she believes it’s important to keep her neighborhood clean. When asked why she started picking up trash on her way to school, she said,

“I saw so much trash on the ground, and saw it every day. I started picking it up because nobody else would.”

Since she started cleaning up, she has been accompanied by her friend and fellow 5^th grader, Vicky. When asked about her favorite lake or river, she said she loves all water bodies, but she especially loves spending time at Menominee Park–located along Lake Winnebago’s east shore. I wanted to get her thoughts on how she believes littering can be reduced and prevented. She reponded,

“People could have trash cans they bring along with them. We need more trash and recycle cans in more places. I want to make biodegradable plastic that grows trees if thrown on the ground.”

Finally, I told her she’s doing something that not many adults are doing, and asked her if she had any advice for adults. Rean responded,

“Please don’t litter, it’s bad for the planet. Make sure it goes in the trash can, [and] please use reusable items. You should join the watershed cleanup event in the spring.”

Rean received some trash bags, trash grabbers, and gloves from Fox-Wolf to make her efforts cleaner and more efficient. Thank you Rean for your hard work and for inspiring others to do the same.

Written by: Kelly Reyer, Trash Free Waters Program Coordinator
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, kelly@fwwa.org.

The post Doing the Right Thing: An interview with a 5th Grader appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/11/12/doing-the-right-thing-an-interview-with-a-5th-grader/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=doing-the-right-thing-an-interview-with-a-5th-grader

Support Trash Free Waters
Join the Trash Free Waters Email List

Volunteers Remove Over 100 Pounds of Trash During Focus on the Fox Event in Kaukauna

On: September 26, 2023

In: 1000 islands, 2023, Event - FWWA, Event - Non-FWWA, focus on the fox, fox river, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, kaukauna, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox, Lower Fox River, Outreach, Outreach and Education, september, TFW, trash, trash free waters, trashfreewaters, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, Volunteer Spotlight, volunteers, Watershed Project

For the second year, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has partnered with 1000 Islands Environmental Center for their Focus on the Fox event. Focus on the Fox is a family-friendly event that celebrates World Rivers Day and the Fox River. Activities offered during the event include guided crayfish and critter hunting, guided nature hikes along the Fox River, fishing instructions for children with the KHS Fishing Team, Fox Lock demonstrations – Lock #3 with shuttle available, paper making, photo scavenger hunt, viewing of “The Power of the River” documentary, and river cleanup with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf’s Trash Free Waters program began recruiting cleanup volunteers for the event back in July and we were excited to see that registration filled during the week prior to the event. Amcor employees made up a majority of the group, along with a Boy Scout troup and other conservation-minded volunteers.

During the cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon, volunteers worked hard cleaning up trash and debris from sites within 1000 Islands and nearby locations in downtown Kaukauna. In total, volunteers removed 27 bags of trash, 1,034 cigarette butts, 130 plastic bags, and 53 straws. After weighing up all of the trash, the total was 134 pounds of trash and debris! Other interesting finds include: a tire with rim, orange cone, metal trash can lid, fireworks, baseball, tarp, and a container with two hard-boiled eggs from Costco. Check out the infographic!

All of us at Fox-Wolf appreciate the continued partnership with 1000 Islands Environmental Center in Kaukauna. To learn more about 1000 Islands, visit https://1000islandsenvironmentalcenter.org/

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Reyer
Trash Free Waters Program Coordinator
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
kelly@fwwa.org
920-915-1502

The post Volunteers Remove Over 100 Pounds of Trash During Focus on the Fox Event in Kaukauna appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/09/26/onhs-students-improve-water-quality-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=onhs-students-improve-water-quality-2

Click to Get Started on your Next Team-Building Event!

Team-Building Mini Cleanups are a Win-Win-Win

On: July 10, 2023

In: business, cleanup, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Give Opportunities, Outreach, Outreach and Education, team, team building, TFW, trash, trash free waters, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, volunteers, Watershed Project

Have you ever heard of a win-win-win? Well, scheduling a team-building cleanup with the Trash Free Waters program does just that. This private cleanup event will help to strengthen employee relations, clean up our natural environment, and support continued Trash Free Waters efforts in northeast Wisconsin. It’s lots of fun too! There are several options to choose from. Strengthen employee relations, connect outside the office, and make an impact by protecting our water resources! Let Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance host your next team building event. Click to get started!

All team-building events include:

Snack
Event Coordination
Team-building exercise
All cleanup supplies (gloves, bags, grabbers, etc.)
Post-event graphic to share with event attendees and on social media

Option 1
On-Land Collective Cleanup (up to 10 participants per business)
This collective option allows small groups to join a mini-cleanup. Fox-Wolf staff may partner you with up to two additional organizations.
Cost: $400 per business

Option 2
On-Land Cleanup (up to 25 participants)
Cost: $1,000

Option 3
On-Land Cleanup (up to 50 participants)
Cost: $1,500

“I was one of about 14 participants in an event to clean up our riverside parks in Neenah! It was a beautiful day, made even better by the camaraderie and good deeds for the community. Kelly was super upbeat and helpful throughout the whole event! Really enjoyed spending time with my coworkers, cleaning up the parks in the city I call home.”

Team-Building Cleanup Volunteer, Plexus Corporation

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Reyer
Trash Free Waters Program Coordinator
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
kelly@fwwa.org
920-915-1502

Support Trash Free Waters
Join the Trash Free Waters Email List

The post Team-Building Mini Cleanups are a Win-Win-Win appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/07/10/volunteers-play-cleanup-bingo-at-23-walleye-weekend-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=volunteers-play-cleanup-bingo-at-23-walleye-weekend-2

Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop June 17th, 2023

On: May 23, 2023

In: Barrel, Bay of Green Bay, build, community, Event, Event - FWWA, EVENT - NEWSC, Fox-Wolf Basin, Green Bay, Keepers of the Fox, Keepers of the Fox Event, NEW Water, NEWSC, northeast wisconsin, opportunity, Outreach and Education, project, rain, rain barrel, stormwater, Upper Fox River, Urban Stormwater, Watershed Project, Workshop

https://fwwa.org/2023/05/23/build-your-own-rain-barrel-workshop-june-17th-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=build-your-own-rain-barrel-workshop-june-17th-2023

Alyssa Reinke

Trash Free Waters & Oshkosh North Communities Students Partner for Litter Prevention

On: April 26, 2023

In: 2023, communities, fishing, fishing line, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, litter, Litter Prevention, oshkosh, Oshkosh North High School, Outreach and Education, project, receptacles, Students, trash, trash free waters, Upper Fox River, Urban Stormwater, Volunteer Spotlight, volunteers, Winnebago County

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has partnered with Oshkosh North Communities students for several years. Our previous projects included a kayak cleanup of Miller’s Bay, shoreline restoration plant maintenance, and a cleanup of Asylum Point Park. When we were contacted earlier this year to continue this partnership, we jumped at the chance to work with students on a litter prevention effort. The plan was to have Communities students build and install fishing line receptacles at public fishing locations in the greater Oshkosh area.

Fishing line left as litter in our watershed has devastating effects on wildlife and can become entangled and difficult to remove. Fishing line receptacles offer anglers the opportunity to properly dispose of their used fishing line before it becomes a problem in the environment. These containers also bring awareness to a major litter issue in our lakes and rivers.

Seven students chose the Eco Pod consisting of three earth-friendly projects, including the pollution prevention project with Trash Free Waters. Kelly Reyer who runs the Trash Free Waters program at Fox-Wolf, met with the students several times throughout the semester, setting a project schedule and helping to coordinate with the Winnebago County Parks Department.

The students researched the best receptacle design, created a budget, submitted their budget request, and bought the needed supplies, and then worked together to built three receptacles. The three receptacles were installed at:

Asylum Point Park
Ken Robl Conservation Park
Butte des Morts Landing

The Trash Free Waters program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is proud to work with Oshkosh North High School Communities students on this litter prevention project. Thank you to the students, Sawyer, Blake, Shawn, Hammza, Katie, Keira, and Emily.

A quote from Katie Wetterau, Oshkosh North High School Communities Student:

“Fishing line is not biodegradable. When the monofilament is left in our waterways it stays there for hundreds of years harming the environment and its wildlife. For the future that I and many other children will grow up in, I am glad to have made an impact to help our earth with our partner Kelly Reyer from Trash Free Waters.”

A celebration of the project took place at Asylum Point Park on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 in the afternoon. In attendance were school officials, family members, other Communities students, project partners, and local TV media. The students shared their experience working on this project and were interviewed about their experience by both WLUK Fox-11 and WBAY TV-2.

Here are links to both TV news stories:

Trash Free Waters is a program of the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance that works to prevent and reduce trash and litter on our lands and in our waters through targeted campaigns, cleanup events, and outreach and education.

The mission of the Oshkosh North High School communities program is to create a better community through content, communication, collaboration, commitment, creative thinking, and critical thinking.

To learn more about our Fox-Wolf’s Trash Free Waters program, visit: www.trashfreewaters.org or contact Kelly Reyer – 920-915-1502 or kelly@fwwa.org.

The post Trash Free Waters & Oshkosh North Communities Students Partner for Litter Prevention appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

https://fwwa.org/2023/04/26/fishing-line-receptacle-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fishing-line-receptacle-project