How to Get Involved in River and Stream Cleanup in Wisconsin

Are you looking for a way to give back to the community?

Water Action Volunteers (WAV) is a statewide program for Wisconsin citizens who want to learn about and improve the quality of Wisconsin's streams and rivers, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.

Volunteers can help cleanup rivers and streams through several different programs:

River Cleanup – Coordinate a river cleanup, obtain free garbage bags and report a river cleanup is completed.  Several clean up options along the St. Croix River took place earlier this year.

Storm drain stenciling – Volunteers can obtain stencils free of charge from the DNR and “mark the street next to drains. To indicate not to dump wastes there to help protect water quality,” according to the Wisconsin DNR website.

Stream monitoring - Start by learning to monitor different aspects of water quality and continue by learning about stream help. Many training courses are held during the summer months.

To learn more about volunteering to help with Wisconsin Rivers, visit the Wisconsin DNR website or call 608-264-8948.