Natural Resources

Water Programming

  • Many of Washburn County’s rivers, lakes, and natural areas are supported by small conservation organizations working to preserve their slice of natural landscape, protect wildlife habitats, and promote sustainable practices. All of these organizations have unique missions and challenges that need support to be at their best and amplify their efforts.
  • While some of these groups are well-established with good internal systems in place, many others struggle with burnout among volunteers, aging leadership teams, and a lack of direction. Washburn County Extension offers facilitation and strategic planning services that can be hugely beneficial to help refresh and reorganize groups into the future at low or no cost to the organization.
  • If your conservation organization is interested in learning more about Extension’s guided facilitation and strategic planning services, contact Natural Resources Educator Sarah Brown to schedule a meeting and talk through your group’s needs.

Demonstrations and Programs

Enviroscape Demonstration

This model demonstrates how surface water moves throughout a watershed and how runoff affects water quality. The Enviroscape model is a suitable tool for teaching all ages about how our water resources are impacted by daily activities.

Groundwater Model Demonstration

The groundwater model shows how water moves below ground and through our aquifers.  This educational demonstration is suitable for private well users, youth grades 5-12, local leaders, and members of the community.

Score My Shore Workshop

Score My Shore is shoreline evaluation tool that is intended to be used in place of an in-person site visit of a shoreline property, determining how well the characteristics of the individual shoreline protect the water resource. If your lake group is interested in learning how to use the Score My Shore tool, this workshop might be great fit.

Score My Shore Evaluation Tool –  https://survey.healthylakeswi.com/

Macroinvertebrate Sampling

Macroinvertebrates are an important indicator of water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams.  Learners of all ages may benefit from a demonstration of macroinvertebrate sampling.  It is a fun and interesting way to become well aquainted with the wildlife within and water quality of our local water resources.

If you are looking for a presentation or workshop on other natural resources subjects or content, contact Sarah Brown to see how she can help.

Washburn County Water Quality Roundtable

The Washburn County Water Quality Roundtable is a loosely defined group, primarily of lake associations, lake districts, and river conservancy groups that convene 2-4 times a year to provide updates of what water quality related intiatives are taking place around the county, to discuss challenges that are being faced by certain water resources, and to learn about resources available for groups that seek to improve and maintain water quality.

Who should attend?

  • Lake group board members
  • River conservancy group members
  • Lakeshore property owners
  • Conservation professionals
  • Anyone concerned for water resources

If you are interested in attending the next Washburn County Water Quality Roundtable, contact Sarah Brown.

Additional Resources

Water Resources

Groundwater and Drinking Water

Surface Water (lakes, streams, rivers, springs and wetlands)

Meet the Educator

If you have any questions regarding Natural Resources in Washburn County, please contact:

Sarah Brown, Natural Resources Extension Educator
Washburn County – Extension
304 2nd Street, PO Box 305
Shell Lake, WI 54871
Phone: 715-635-4444