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Water in Wisconsin's Northwoods and Michigan's Upper Peninsula serves as the basis of life and health. With countless lakes, rivers, springs, and aquifers, water is also linked with the very identity of this region. As a service to our listeners, WXPR is pleased to announce the creation of a new reporting position with a specific focus: water.

WXPR Public Radio


    • Dec 19, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 5m AVG DURATION
    • 79 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from WXPR The Stream

    Waterfowl create new challenges in effort to restore wild rice on Spur Lake in Oneida County

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 4:04


    Before the ice moved in, the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community and Wisconsin DNR staff spread more than 400 pounds of wild rice seed on Spur Lake in Oneida County. Part of the strategy with this year's seeding was how to best protect against waterfowl.

    People from around the world come to Rhinelander to learn how to best use plants to clean up waste

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 5:39


    Phytoremediation is the process of using plants to clean up waste.It's been used across the U.S. on sites like landfills, mines, and urban brownfields.The U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Lab in Rhinelander has become a leader in a specific phytoremediation method. It's been working to share that method with Forest Service partners around the world.

    The Lac Vieux Desert Tribe will grow culturally significant plants at Forest Service nursery as part of unique partnership

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 5:40


    The Lac Vieux Desert Tribe will begin growing medicinal and culturally significant plants at the J. W. Toumey Nursery in the Ottawa National Forest.It's a first-of-its-kind partnership in the U.S.

    Lac Vieux Desert Tribe works to restore wild rice and walleye on Lake Lac Vieux Desert

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 5:35


    The Ojibwe have long looked to Lake Lac Vieux Desert for its food sources.But there's been major declines in wild rice and walleye in recent years that impact the Lac Vieux Desert Tribe's food sovereignty.The tribe is now working with the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest on a project to help improve the two species populations.

    Researchers are working towards more accurate wildfire smoke forecasting to help improve health and air quality

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 5:31


    Dozens of wildfires burning hundreds of thousands of acres are currently burning out west in both the U.S. and Canada.The last few summers brought smoke from fires just like them to the Northwoods, dropping air quality to some of the worst levels seen in the region in years.

    Burned out: why (and how) northern Wisconsin will soon abandon coal as a power source

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 5:09


    In April, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules that will force American coal plants to either close or cut back 90 percent of their carbon emissions.

    How to save a park: the rebirth of Town Line Lake Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 4:22


    Just a few years ago, the very existence of Town Line Lake Park was in jeopardy.

    'No Mow May' can be successful, but maybe not in the ways you think

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 5:16


    Habitat destruction is the driving force behind pollinator population decline.In response, the No Mow May movement started about five years ago to encourage people to leave some flowers for the bees in early spring.

    Supporters gather to celebrate Pelican River Forest conservation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 4:41


    Nearly 70,000 acres in Oneida, Forest, and Langlade Counties are under conservation easements to be protected in perpetuity.The Pelican River Forest is praised by conservationists for protecting increasingly rare contiguous forestland in the state.

    Hitting the ‘sweet spot': how the environment aligns to produce Northwoods frog melodies

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 4:14


    The time of year - spring - is but one important factor playing into the intensity of frog calls.

    Blackwell Job Corps pilots conservation education program for students

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 4:14


    Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River has several invasive species it's working to remove from its campus.The work happened to align with a new program Blackwell Job Corps in Forest County is piloting.

    Gile Flowage to be protected in perpetuity with NOAA grant

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2024 5:37


    In northern Iron County sits more than 3,000 acres of a largely undeveloped flowage along the west branch of the Montreal River.The Gile Flowage will remain that way after the county is set to receive more than $4 million in federal funding to conserve it.

    Old growth forest and logging concerns at the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2024 3:34


    For WXPR's The Stream, Hannah Davis-Reid spoke with environmental experts about how the USDA's land management plan revisions impacts the Chequamegon- Nicolet National Forest.

    growth concerns stream usda logging national forests chequamegon nicolet national forest
    Emerald Ash Borer is here to stay. These researchers are working to control the population and protect ecosystems.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 6:13


    Emerald Ash Borer has decimated ash tree population in the U.S. since the early 2000s.The invasive species has slowly been making its way north in Wisconsin and Michigan.Researchers with the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station are working to get the species under control while also trying to restore ecosystems that have been destroy by them.

    Ottawa National Forest creates shaded fuel brakes to help protect communities from wildfires

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 4:00


    The upper Midwest rarely sees the type of high-intensity, destructive wildfires that the west coast sees, but that doesn't mean it can't happen here.The Ottawa National Forest works to make sure if such a fire happened in the U.P., people and homes have the best chance of surviving.

    Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Winter Games go on despite little snow on the ground

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 5:33


    For more than a decade now, the Lac du Flambeau School District has brought back a piece of Ojibwe culture that had been missing for nearly two centuries. The Winter Games give students a chance to learn about their culture while having some fun. But a growing concern is how climate change may impact the games.

    Wisconsin winters have been getting warmer, then came this year's strong El Niño

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 5:26


    while the higher than average temperatures we've been experiencing this winter are because of El Niño, Vavrus says Wisconsin has also been experiencing warmer winters due to climate change, with the last 25 years generally well above normal compared with previous years.

    Visiting students explore the Northwoods to develop the connection between art and science

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 5:35


    A group of college students from Milwaukee are spending this week at Kemp Natural Resources Station at Woodruff.They're collecting data and testing their hypotheses.The catch? They're not science students.

    Using trees to remediate and stabilize mining waste

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2023 5:31


    For decades, the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P. was home to more than 100 copper mines.One of the byproducts of that is stamp sands, the practice of crushing rock and extracting heavy metals.Remnants of it are still found throughout the peninsula.

    Mapping tools could help forest managers get ahead of invasive species

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 4:08


    There are numerous insects that threaten the health of forests.One of the greatest challenges is finding them fast enough to stop the pests before they do irreversible damage.For WXPR's The Stream, Katie Thoresen spoke with a Rhinelander-based scientist leading a project to try and meet this challenge.It's part two of our series highlighting local researchers who have received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.

    Study focused on creating tools needed to restore and manage resilient forests

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2023 5:10


    As the Earth's climate changes, scientists are figuring out how to best protect and preserve our natural resources.In Northwoods, that means how to make our forests more resilient.A local researcher has been awarded more than 1 million dollars in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to help solve that problem.

    There's hope of recovery in Trout Lake as parasite causes major drop in invasive Rusty Crayfish population

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 5:42


    Aquatic Invasive Species are some of the greatest threats to lake health in the Northwoods.Once an invasive establishes itself in a water body, it can cost thousands of dollars to remove it, if removing it is even possible at all.Rusty crayfish has been one such invasive species.First introduced to Trout Lake in Vilas County in the late 70s and 80s, the crayfish quickly settled in with population estimates in the thousands by the late 2000s.But now it seems nature is correcting course.

    PFAS contamination in Stella among highest in the country, the forever chemicals are now being found in nearby lakes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 5:40


    Further testing for PFAS in eastern Oneida County has revealed contamination in some lakes in the area.WXPR's Katie Thoresen attended Tuesday's town hall meeting with DNR staff. She gives us an update as part of WXPR's The Stream.

    UW Trout Lake Station's Drawing Water program brings artists and scientists together

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 5:23


    Many people often split the sciences and arts as using two different halves of their brains.But a group of scientists and artists working in Vilas County argue there's a lot of overlap between the two disciplines.

    ‘Once in a career' Northwoods lakes study lays the groundwork for future research on air and water quality

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 9:47


    A major lakes study in the Northwoods will be used as a baseline for research in the decades to come.Last year, 250 lakes across northern Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota were sampled.WXPR's Katie Thoresen spoke with some of the scientists involved about what this project will mean for air and water quality in the Northwoods.

    Wisconsin DNR fish surveys help determine effects of Boom Lake panfish regulation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2023 5:45


    Anglers are always hoping to reel in that big musky or walleye in the Northwoods.To create a healthy habitat for those fish to grow, the Wisconsin DNR needs to know how fish populations are doing.

    Organizations and volunteers help replant trees in Eagle River after 2021 storm damaged Trees for Tomorrow campus

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 5:46


    A 2021 storm took down hundreds of trees in the Eagle River area.Some of those damaged areas are still being repaired.

    Eating your PFAS? Study warns freshwater fish could be source of the 'forever chemicals'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2023 5:04


    A lot of focus surrounding PFAS has been on how it contaminated drinking water, but a new study is focused on how we may be consuming it in our food.

    Rising chloride levels in Lake Julia spur action by Lake Association members to reduce salt use in the area

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 5:37


    Slick ice has covered roads and sidewalks across much of the Northwoods in recent days. This also means more salt is being used to melt that ice.That salt has been making its way into lakes in southern Wisconsin for decades. The City of Madison says the chloride levels in Lake Mendota have been increasing by about one milligram per liter a year since 1962.While chloride level data is lacking on many Northwoods lakes, data collected from one local lake makes it clear that water bodies here are not immune.

    Felzkowski talks with WXPR about Pelican River Forest conservation project concerns

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 11:56


    State Senator Mary Felzkowski spoke with WXPR about her concerns with the Pelican River Forest and why she held up funding for conservation easements on the property.

    Pelican River Forest in limbo after lawmaker anonymously objects to funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2023 6:01


    The 70,000 acres of woods, wetlands, and rivers meant to be a crown jewel of conservation in Wisconsin are now in limbo because of an anonymous lawmaker on the state's Joint Finance Committee.

    Private well testing in eastern Oneida County reveals extreme levels of PFAS contamination

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 5:24


    PFAS levels hundreds of times higher than what is considered safe for drinking water has been found in private wells in eastern Oneida County. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to adverse health effects like high cholesterol, infertility, and lower immune response to vaccines. The news of contaminated wells in the Starks and Stella area, which is about 10 miles east of Rhinelander, has left many residents angry, worried, and with more questions than answers at this moment.

    As the Forest County Potawatomi Community revives tanning traditions, teachers worry environmental concerns threaten their continued practice

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 4:52


    Forest County Potawatomi tribal leaders are trying to revive traditional practices like brain tanning, the process of making leather by using a deer's brain to tan its hide. The practice has been around for centuries, but some worry environmental concerns could put a stop to it for future generations.

    How 50 years of the Clean Water Act changed the Wisconsin River

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2022 5:42


    This October marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act — a federal law that promised to restore fishable, swimmable water to shores across the country. What's changed since then? And what's in store for the future?

    Northwoods Alliance secures federal grant to establish Headwaters Cedar Community Forest

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 5:22


    A local conservation group is a step closer to opening its second community forest in the Northwoods. If it's successful, the Headwaters Cedar Community Forest will open 200 acres of land to the public and preserve it for future generations.

    Locally Grown: How eating food grown close to home contributes to the health of people and the environment

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 5:42


    The growing season may be on the short side in northern Wisconsin, but that doesn't mean it can't be bountiful.Whether you're growing your own food or buying from local farmers, there's plenty of benefits of eating locally grown food.

    Rhinelander Area Food Pantry leads by example reducing food waste while supporting food insecure homes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2022 5:31


    One third of the food produced in the United States is never eaten.Instead, it often winds up in landfills where it produces methane gas and contributes to climate change.

    Rice Creek Watershed Research to be used as pilot for maintaining healthy lakes

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 5:20


    Typically, when you hear about research projects being done, it's scientists trying to figure out what went wrong.A new study in Vilas County is flipping the script. It's looking at a healthy watershed in an effort to keep it healthy.

    Hodag Solar Park is now generating electricity for hundreds of homes in the Rhinelander area

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2022 4:18


    Hodag Solar Park is capable of producing 7.5 megawatts. It's enough to power more than 2,000 homes according to Wisconsin Public Service who has now taken ownership of the solar farm built by One Energy.

    A bill would give landowners more flexibility to sell land bought with Knowles Nelson dollars, conservationists fear it will undermine the entire program

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 4:11


    Senate Bill 802 would allow owners to sell the land to a potential developer so as long as the sale is approved by the DNR and the DNR is reimbursed for the grant money, plus interest.

    Conservation Fund buys 70k acres of land in Oneida County to fill ‘conservation gap'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2021 5:15


    Looking at a map, the land is located just north of Pelican Lake. The Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest is to its northwest and Oneida County Forest Land sits to its southeast.

    land fill buys acres conservation fund chequamegon nicolet national forest
    Hodag Solar farm, set to power 1,500 Rhinelander-area homes, nears completion

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2021 4:58


    The 50-acre project will help Wisconsin move toward energy independence.

    Northwoods researchers collect lake-bottom muck, seeking an explanation for wild rice decline

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 4:57


    Where has all of the wild rice gone? Researchers seek clues for the drastic drop in crop acreage over the last several years.

    Tribal hatchery raises, releases thousands of walleye, seeking healthy lake populations

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2021 4:47


    The tribal fish hatchery in Mole Lake raised an released 65,000 walleye this fall. The fish it raised are healthier than ever.

    PBS Wisconsin sends cameras airborne, underwater to capture Northwoods natural beauty

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 5:29


    Filming in the Northwoods started this fall for the next edition of the popular documentary series Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures. Hundreds of hours of field work go into making the hour-long show.

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