Author: Heidi Jeter

Mussels play a critical role in the health of Wisconsin’s rivers and streams, but according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, nearly half of Wisconsin’s native mussels are listed as endangered or threatened, with even more listed as species of concern.  

Wisconsin conservation groups and resource agencies have implemented stream restoration projects to help conserve the mussels, but their capacity to assess, monitor and survey the numerous streams and communities in the state is limited. 

Throughout the summer 2022, a team of undergraduate students from UW-Platteville helped fill the void. With a grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, seven students worked with faculty mentors to conduct fish, mussel and habitat surveys at eight different stream sites in the Grant, Platte and Blue River watersheds to help assess stream restoration efforts of the Harry and Laura Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited and WDNR. 

“We got so excited when we found mussels. We went to all these backroads and to river crossings not knowing if we’d find anything,” says Lindsey Ockerlander, criminal justice and biology double major who will graduate in December 2023 and begin working at Prevention Genetics. “For two weeks we found nothing, and on the last day we found 10 different species of mussels. We were on cloud nine.”

In addition to documenting mussel species, students had a unique opportunity to participate in a mussel relocation effort that was part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to mitigate bank erosion on Goose Island in the Mississippi River.

“Prior to any bank work, the mussels in the area needed to be relocated out of harm’s way,” says Kristopher Wright, biology professor at UW-Platteville and lead researcher on the Freshwater Collaborative grant. “We joined the collaborative team that included the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wisconsin DNR and Minnesota DNR.”           

The mussel work built upon previous undergraduate research, including that funded by the Freshwater Collaborative in 2020 and 2021. This grant provided the opportunity to integrate fish surveys to supplement Trout Unlimited’s management and restoration efforts. 

The students presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited and contributed to a report that was provided to the Nohr Chapter, WDNR and local landowners. 

Carol Murphy, president of the Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited, says the students’ research will help them in their mission to conserve, protect and enhance the cold water streams of southwest Wisconsin. 

“The monitoring and evaluations provide essential data on the health of our streams, before, during and after our restoration efforts,” she says. “This project collaboration with UW-Platteville continues to be an invaluable and enjoyable highlight to our chapter!”

Not only will the data provide valuable insight into local watershed management, but the students gained hands-on field experience that will prepare them for the workforce. For biology majors Myah Sierens and Chloe Mellody, fish shocking was one of the most interesting skills they learned. They were surprised to find so many different types of fish, even in narrow spots of the rivers. 

“I really love fish, so I think the most useful skills that I learned were fish identification, how to handle fish, how to find fish, and what signs to look for in an environment when you’re looking for fish,” Mellody says. “The most important thing for me was learning how to do formal surveying when it comes to habitat and invertebrates. It will make it a lot easier for me to learn how to do field work.” 

Tyler Vargas, who graduates in December, says the experience went beyond research skills.

“The most important thing I gained was learning the value of teamwork while doing field research and taking advantage of every team member’s strengths,” he says. “The research project helped me discover new career paths that I didn’t even know existed before. It also gave me skills that I can translate to future tasks and opportunities when working with others. ”

Read more about the student’s experiences: UW-Platteville Students Spotlight: Mussel and Fish Surveying

Wisconsin’s abundant rivers, lakes and streams helped the state become an agricultural leader. Yet agricultural processes, including irrigation and pesticide use, also greatly impact our state’s water quality and quantity.

One of the biggest challenges facing Wisconsin is determining how to maintain the state’s agricultural prominence while also ensuring plenty of safe water for drinking, recreational use, manufacturing and other uses.

Wisconsin’s diverse geographic areas further complicate the water challenges at the nexus of agriculture and water. Interdisciplinary teams are needed to identify opportunities that improve both agriculture processes and water health.

The Wisconsin Agriculture-Water Nexus Network (WAW2N), established with funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, is a cross-campus network of water researchers who are developing educational courses that will train students in agriculture-water management.

“We thought it would be good to introduce students to the water management issues across the state so they can be prepared to be employed anywhere in the state,” says Stephan Gunn, assistant professor at UW-Green Bay and lead researcher on the WAW2N project.

In 2022, faculty from UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point developed a pilot three-day field trip course built around regional variations in Wisconsin agriculture. The 21 students who enrolled in the course met with professionals in water and agricultural industries in three areas of the state.

In northeastern Wisconsin, one of the most intensive dairy regions in the United States, students talked with farmers about phosphorus and agricultural runoff treatment and monitoring. In central Wisconsin, an important vegetable-growing region, they learned about irrigation and how it affects groundwater. And in southwest-southcentral Wisconsin, they discussed best practices for grazing along streams as well as processes that remove harmful nutrients from wastewater before it’s released back into urban watersheds.

“Seeing the different soil and water issues across the state gave myself and other future natural resource managers a better feel for how certain issues carry over and differ from region to region,” says Dane Friis, who is majoring in Land Use Management and Planning at UW-Stevens Point.

Friis found the interaction with students and faculty at other UW schools to be beneficial. He particularly enjoyed talking with agronomy majors from UW Platteville, noting that their insight helped him understand what farmers need to grow viable crops while implementing management practices.

With a second round of funding, the WAW2N will expand to include UW-River Falls and UW-Stout. Faculty at the six institutions will offer learning modules that dive into the specific challenges of each of the three regions through an online course. The online course will be open to students on any of the campuses. A one-credit course offered each semester will include a three-day field trip during which students will come together to explore a specific region in Wisconsin and meet farmers and people from organizations working in the area.

Students will be able to take one or more of the courses, giving them a greater understanding of the geographic issues and connections between agriculture and water.

“Wisconsin has very different water quality issues depending on the specific region,” says UW-Madison student Micah Robinson, who participated in the pilot course. “Getting to see various regions gave me a broader understanding of water quality issues in the state, and better prepared me to solve unique water quality issues.”

A new companion course and the three-day field trip will be offered in spring 2023 at UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout. View course descriptions.

An Nguyen is an international student originally from Vietnam who is majoring in Environmental Science at UW-Stout. After graduation, she hopes to get a job in conservation and restoration areas that need testing and research.

Through the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, she had the opportunity to complete an internship at the Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) at UW Oshkosh. From May to September 2022, 22 students from UW-Eau Claire, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater worked in the ERIC and its community embedded labs, analyzing 2,200 water samples for business and community partners.

Here’s what Nguyen said about her experience at the ERIC lab.

Why did you want to work in the ERIC?

I was looking for a summer internship because I want to gain professional skills as well as figure out if I would like to work in a lab in the future.

What projects did you work on and what skills did you gain from that work?

I took part in biogas testing, compost testing, bacteria testing and hydroponics. For biogas potential testing, I read gas volume and analyzed the portion of the gases in the eudio tubes. Regarding compost testing, I did total solid and volatile solid testings. To test for bacteria, we used media to examine the presence of coliforms in drinking water and surface water.

I grew tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and lettuce on a hydroponics system and learned how to set up the system and keep track of its pH, electronic conductivity, temperature, nitrate and nitrite frequently in order to adjust the amount of nutrients added.

Throughout these projects, I gained research skills, data management practices and applied theory to real-life testing. I am also aware of lab safety, quality assurance and quality control when carrying out tests.

Were there benefits to working in a lab at a different university?

I had the chance to work with students from different universities. They created and encouraged diversity in the workplace, letting us exchange ideas and build networks.

What was your favorite part about this research experience?

The favorite part is that I did not only take part in the lab procedure but was also involved in the sampling process and outreach activities, such as being a teaching assistant and boat inspector to act on invasive species. 

How will the skills in this internship help you attain your career goal?

Working in the lab helped me have a better idea of how real-life research takes place, increased my communication skills and expanded my networking.

The FreshWater@UW Summer Scholar Research Program has 31 paid undergraduate research positions open at multiple UW System campuses. The program will run from May 31 through Aug. 5, 2023. Accepted students receive a $6,000 stipend, $600 meal allowance and provision of housing.

Find details and apply at this link: https://water.wisc.edu/wateruw-madison-undergraduate-research-experience The deadline is Feb. 15, 2023. 

These are unique opportunities for undergraduates to work closely with water-related faculty mentors and graduate students in their major discipline. There will be professional development and cross-campus programming, concluding with the chance for students to present results of their individual projects in a group setting.

Descriptions of each available project are posted on the FreshWater@UW project page. Applicants will be asked to identify their top five project preferences on the SROP application.

In-state undergraduate applicants are encouraged to select opportunities that are not on their home campus. Participating campuses for 2023 include Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Manitowoc-Green Bay, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Superior.

The 2023 freshwater science experiences are funded by the UW Water Resources Institute, the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.