Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership

06/19/2026

💧💙 Protect what you love this weekend! 💙💧

June 20–21 is Wisconsin’s 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱. It's a perfect time to get outside and take action to slow the spread of invasive species!

Zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, and spiny water fleas are just a few of the aquatic invasives that threaten water quality, recreation, and native wildlife across Wisconsin. But small steps make a big difference:

✅ 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧 your boat and gear.
✅ 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 plants and mud before leaving a waterbody.
✅ 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 all water from your boat and equipment (i.e. livewells, motors).
✅ 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 live fish or plants away from a waterbody.

Whether you're fishing, paddling, or enjoying the shoreline, you play a key role in protecting our waters! Let’s keep Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers healthy today and into the future.

💧 To find an event near you, check out the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "Invasive Species Events And Volunteering" webpage for a complete list of events: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/eventsandvolunteering

06/17/2026

📚It's Trivia Tuesday!💡
What is the area in the lake called that remains underwater for the entire year?

Check next week for the answer to this week's question! If you can't wait, follow us on Instagram and get immediate gratification by swiping for the answer!

Purchase the Wisconsin Lakes Trivia Game from our bookstore: https://cnroutreached.asapconnected.com/ =LAKE

06/15/2026

Did you know June is Invasive Species Action Month? Learn a little bit more from our friends at UW-Madison Extension Aquatic Invasive Species Program about what makes a species invasive and what you can do to help slow the spread in our shared waters.

06/12/2026

A couple of weeks ago, Extension Lakes had the opportunity to take an underwater drone into the Waupaca Chain of Lakes and explore some Fish Sticks (clusters of 3-5 whole trees that come from upland areas and are anchored to the shoreline). Fish sticks provide feeding, breeding, and nesting areas for all sorts of critters (think fish, turtles, songbirds); they can also prevent bank erosion which protects lakeshore properties and the lake.

Check out some cool clips from the underwater video (see if you can find the turtle at about 4:40): https://youtu.be/LQxXyo86sUM?si=_BFN9NnCp7Ruwjky

Find out more about Fish Stick on the Healthy Lakes & Rivers Website!
https://healthylakeswi.com/best-practices/

Thanks to Mark Kunstman for providing water transport!
Photos by Amy Kowalski
Underwater Video by Paul Skawinski

06/12/2026

🦋🐛 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹: 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 🐛🦋
Big Wings - Big Impact!
The Tiger Swallowtail is a symbol of summer in Wisconsin and one of our largest butterflies. These big-winged beauties rely on clean, healthy waterways to thrive. From the trees along our rivers to the native plants near our lakes, water quality shapes the habitats they depend on.
💧𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀.💧

06/10/2026

If you live or recreate in Northwest Wisconsin, go check out the Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference - walk-ins welcome!

Get ready for a great day of networking and learning from experts in their field!

Join Us at the Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference!
https://nwwislakesconference.org/

Check out the website above to see a full schedule of topics/speakers.

06/03/2026

Want to volunteer to help our lakes and rivers, but don't have a lot of time? Here is a great one-day event that gives you all the tools you need to make a big difference, collectively. Get it on your calendar!

05/27/2026

There are a couple of regional lake conferences coming up, no matter if you live "up north" on in southern Wisconsin. You can learn more from Wisconsin Lakes.

05/27/2026

Answer to last week's TRIVIA TUESDAY question: What helps a deer swim easily?

ANSWER: Hair that is hollow and filled with air

05/23/2026

Crew 16 of the Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute met this week for their first of three sessions at Daycholah Center in Green Lake. These lake volunteers and professionals are enhancing their skills and broadening their network to help protect and preserve our shared waters.