Field season preparations are well underway in the Driftless Area and we wanted to reach out with an update on our WiseH2O water sampling program.
More than 2,600 observations have been recorded through WiseH2O since the program began in 2019. We appreciate all the volunteer time and effort that has gone into this data collection.
We plan to continue collecting data this summer, using our existing inventory of test strips with our seasonal technicians who will be taking culvert inventories in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area.
We encourage chapters to either us all on-hand supplies before they expire or pass them along to an educational group (with instructions) to be used for youth outreach. We are working with WiseH2O to get a fall data dump so we can add this year’s data to our existing database (linked below).
TU incorporates the WiseH2O data into our Conservation Portfolio process. This data helps fill a gap from our previous landscape analysis and will provide additional local information in our new portfolio. (Check out our Great Lakes conservation portfolio for an example .)
We are also exploring other mapping and dashboard options, perhaps similar to the water temperature data visualization developed by TU’s Science program. There will be a summary report available for the project and data collected to date by summer 2026.