Water Monitoring Strategy

The DNR’s Water Resources Monitoring Strategy (Strategy) directs our monitoring efforts to efficiently address the variety of management information needs, while providing adequate depth of knowledge to support management decisions.

This Strategy employs a staged approach to information gathering, outlined below. This careful investment in monitoring insures that the status of Wisconsin's aquatic resources can be determined without depleting research capacity for in-depth analysis and problem solving in critical areas.

Tier 1 – Statewide Baseline Monitoring

Tier 1 employs an initial economical set of standardized sampling protocols used to collect statewide data. This ensures broad spatial coverage of all our aquatic resources, and is designed to identify broad trends and waters with environmental problems.

Tier 2 – Targeted Evaluation Monitoring

Where environmental problems are found, more intensive sampling then occurs under Tier 2 to determine the cause and extent of the problem. This site-specific monitoring of targeted areas can be used to develop management plans for corrective action.

Tier 3 – Management Effectiveness and Compliance Monitoring

Tier 3 employs follow-up studies on targeted waters to determine the success of management actions. Tier 3 monitoring is also used to evaluate levels of compliance of facilities regulated for effluent discharges to waterways, and determine effectiveness of permit conditions in protecting water quality.

Monitoring to Achieve Water Objectives

Wisconsin DNR water monitoring reflects the Water Division’s overall objectives for supporting the Clean Water Act, Fisheries Acts, and the Public Trust Doctrine. The Strategy helps bridge the WDNR's programs and information needs with the state's overarching Water Program objectives.

Citizen Volunteers Critical Partners

Wisconsin's citizen monitoring volunteers help meet the state's water monitoring goals by participating in one or more of three levels of investigation. Lakes, streams, wetlands, aquatic invasive species, and loons are just a few of the resources we know more about today due to the exemplary efforts of Wisconsin Volunteers. Citizen monitoring programs require use of standardized protocols and appropriate training. This ensures that DNR and other agency staff, citizen monitors, consultants, and others contribute consistent, quality-assured data.

The Strategy is meant to be dynamic, with continuing investment in research to better understand our aquatic resources. Improvements are incorporated into our sampling design on an as-needed or annual basis. The Strategy also requires regular review of all monitoring efforts, evaluating success of the design in satisfying management information needs, and seeking efficiencies where possible to integrate sampling effort for multiple purposes.

Complete Water Monitoring Strategy v3 (PDF, 1.2 MB, opens in new window)

Return to Water Monitoring Home

Contact

For more information contact:

Kristi Minahan
Watershed Management