The Data Analysis and Monitoring Crew: A model for public-private partnerships that train the next generation of river restoration professionals

The Data Analysis and Monitoring Crew (DAM Crew) is a student training experience supported by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FCW). The University of Wisconsin River Falls (UWRF) hosts the program and collaborates with the environmental consulting firm Interfluve, local non-profits Trout Unlimited and the Kinni Corridor Collaborative, and the Wisconsin DNR and City of River Falls to provide undergraduate students with professional training in river restoration practices. The setting for the DAM Crew is the Kinnickinnic River (the Kinni) that runs through River Falls. The Kinni is an Outstanding Resource Water and a Class I trout stream in western Wisconsin. As the Kinni flows through River Falls it encounters 2 run-of-the-river dams. The dams were originally constructed over 100 years ago and generate hydroelectric power for the city. After an extensive community engagement and planning process, the decision was made to remove the dams and ecologically restore the riverway. A 10-year monitoring plan was developed for the Kinni to track changes in the ecology and geomorphology of the river before, during, and after dam removal. The DAM Crew is a model for a virtuous cycle of collaboration between university, local government, and the private sector. Students collect stream monitoring data during their training, which in turn implements the monitoring program adopted by river stakeholders, and UWRF serves its students and community. The role of FCW, considerations in program development, and student feedback will be discussed.

Primary Presenter: Jill Coleman Wasik, University Wisconsin River Falls (jill.colemanwasik@uwrf.edu)

Authors:

Jill Coleman Wasik, University of Wisconsin, River Falls  (jill.colemanwasik@uwrf.edu)

Heather Davis, University of Wisconsin, River Falls  (heather.sumnerdavis@uwrf.edu)

Kelsey Cowart, University of Wisconsin, River Falls  (kelsey.cowart@uwrf.edu)

Sean Morrison, Trout Unlimited, Kiap-Tu-Wish Chapter  (morrisonseanm@gmail.com)

Kent Johnson, Trout Unlimited, Kiap-Tu-Wish Chapter  (d.kent.johnson@gmail.com)