Freshwater grants <p><a id="grants"></a></p> <p>UW-Whitewater participates in a variety of grant-funded water research projects, from creating a Freshwater Summer Camp to developing a toolkit designed to measure the effects of water cleanup and restoration projects on a community's economic vitality.</p> <p> </p> <p><img src="images/colleges/cls/Audience%20Page/About%20us/freshwater-body.jpg" alt="A young boy fishing at a pond." width="100%" /></p> <p> </p> <h3>Grant-funded water research projects at UW-Whitewater</h3> Aquatic Biogeochemistry of Wisconsin Waters <p>Faculty developed an interdisciplinary course in aquatic biogeochemistry utilizing UW-Whitewater’s analytical instrumentation and equipment and blending the expertise of current faculty (in limnology, wetlands, stream ecology, marine biology, aquatic toxicology and fluvial geomorphology) to offer hands-on training and immersion in aquatic biogeochemistry. The course was specifically designed to bring local government and organizations into the classroom and field to help students connect with the community.</p> Arrow Environmental and Health Effects of Water Pollution: A Transformative Experience for Undergraduates <p>In this collaborative project with UW-La Crosse and UW-Milwaukee, Faculty developed a two-course series focused on water pollution and its effects on environmental and human health, including an online, two-credit, introductory-level course and a three-credit field and lab course. Students learn about major contaminant classes and methods for testing contaminant toxicity, including those contaminants associated with agricultural water management and wastewater treatment. They will also learn how environmental legislation relates to water-quality criteria, Superfund sites, and mitigation and restoration of contaminated sites.</p> Arrow Effects of a Mixture of Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Reproduction of "Ceriodaphnia dubia" Water Fleas and Growth of "Gammarus pseudolimnaeus" Amphipods <p>Biology faculty member Elisabeth Harrahy received two grants to work with undergraduate students on toxicity tests to determine the effects of a mixture of two neonicotinoids on two aquatic organisms. The data were added to a larger collaborative project with UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison and summarized in a report to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.</p> Arrow The Cost of Cleanwater: An Efficiency Analysis of Wisconsin’s Water Utilities <p>Students in the UW-Whitewater <a href="https://www.uww.edu/cobe/knowledge-centers/fiscal-and-economic-research-center">Fiscal and Economic Research Center</a> conducted research through the Institute for Water Business on the efficiency of water utilities, leveraging previous research to identify how costs incurred by water districts in cleaning water leads to inefficiency and increased prices. This research sought to identify the cost of remediation to provide regulators the information necessary to make informed determinations regarding contaminant assessments. <a href="https://www.uww.edu/cobe/knowledge-centers/fiscal-and-economic-research-center#x341979">Read about FERC water-related research</a>.</p> Arrow Freshwater Camp: A Summer Field Experience for High School Juniors <p>UW-Parkside and UW-Whitewater created a program highlighting important freshwater habitats, building participants’ confidence and skills with hands-on field and laboratory activities, and presenting information on freshwater career and training opportunities to an initial cohort of high school juniors from southeastern Wisconsin. Students collected fish and macroinvertebrate samples, measured water-quality parameters, learned about shoreland restoration and went paddling (many for the first time). They also learned about a variety of careers associated with the water sector and discussed how some businesses involve the use of water. <a href="https://freshwater.wisconsin.edu/high-schoolers-explore-freshwater-research-and-careers-at-freshwater-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more about the program</a>.</p> Arrow Economic Impacts of Wisconsin Fishing Supported by the Freshwater Resources of Lake Michigan and Bay of Green Bay <p>In collaboration with UW-Green Bay, economics faculty led this effort to quantify the total economic value of the freshwater fishery resources of Lake Michigan and Bay of Green Bay to the state of Wisconsin, analyzing how different fishery management strategies and climate change scenarios may affect the quality, and therefore economic value, of these resources. The team engaged external constituencies, including the WDNR, the Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board, recreational anglers, charter guides, and private companies, in real-world applied research relevant to the management of the fisheries. External stakeholders, such as the WDNR and state legislature, will use this research to help inform and guide future management and policy.</p> Arrow