Lakeshore Water Institute Interns Present Their Findings at the 2021 Lakeshore Water Summit

LNRP and local partner Friends of Hika Bay, in collaboration with faculty from UWGB-Manitowoc Campus, formed the Lakeshore Water Institute. A core activity of the institute involves undergraduate research students collecting and analyzing water quality data from watersheds in southern Manitowoc County.

Since 2010, funding support for this work has come from the DNR Surface Water Grant Program, the West Foundation, the Fund for Lake Michigan, and the DNR Great Lakes Protection Fund.

With oversight and advice from faculty supervisors and community-based mentors, this year’s student interns reported their field work and data analysis to the public at an annual Lakeshore Water Summit on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021. 

This year, the project focused on Centerville (11 sites), Fischer (2 sites), Point (2 sites), Pine (2 sites) and Calvin (2 sites) creeks. The Little Manitowoc River (4 sites) was also sampled and analyzed this year. From May through August, students collected water quality data from the 23 sites on the 6 creeks, weekly and within 24 hours of at least 0.5” of rainfall. Data collected includes physical parameters (dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity, flow velocity), nutrient indicators (ammonia, total phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus), and biological indicators (E. coli concentration).

As the interns benefit from community engagement and hands-on research, their work elevates citizen awareness of local watershed issues and provides data for evidence-supported decision-making at the local and state level, including evaluation of restoration projects and contributing to the development of the DNR’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan for the region. 

The DNR, together with partners throughout the county, are working to improve surface water quality of tributaries, streams, rivers and lakes within the Northeast Lakeshore (NEL) TMDL basins. The NEL TMDL is focused on addressing surface water quality impairments from phosphorus and total suspended solids. The TMDL study and implementation plan will provide a strategic framework and prioritize resources for surface water quality improvement across the basins that make up Wisconsin's northeast lakeshore.

For more information please contact Russ Tooley at the Friends of Hika Bay (rtooley@lakefield.net) or Jim Kettler, Director of Projects, LNRP (jim@lnrp.org).

 
Newsletter, ReportLakeshore Natural Resource PartnershipFriends of Hika Bay, FOHB, UWGB, Lakeshore Water Institute, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, WDNR, DNR, Lakeshore Water Summit, Students, Winter Newsletter 2022