The Fox-Wolf Watershed is located in northeast Wisconsin and stretches from Crandon to Fond du Lac and from Portage to Green Bay – nearly 10% of the state. The Fox-Wolf basin breaks down into three smaller basins: the Wolf River basin, the Lower Fox River basin, and the Upper Fox River basin.
what is a watershed?
A watershed is an area in which all water drains to the same place. In the Fox-Wolf Watershed, our water drains to the Fox and Wolf Rivers, through the Winnebago Pool Lakes, out to the bay of Green Bay, and then to Lake Michigan. But if a drop of water falls just a bit to the west of our watershed, it will make its way to the Wisconsin River, down the Mississippi, and out into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Fox-Wolf Watershed stretches from Crandon to Fond du Lac and from Portage to Green Bay – nearly 10% of the state. The Fox-Wolf basin breaks down into three smaller basins: the Wolf River basin, the Lower Fox River basin, and the Upper Fox River basin.
After studying water quality across the region, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has established two main work areas where we can have the biggest impact. These regional recovery areas bring together local stakeholders to increase the impact of all contributors.
Winnebago Waterways
The Winnebago Waterways recovery area is at the intersection of the Upper Fox and Wolf River Watersheds. It includes the Winnebago Pool Lakes and immediate surrounding area. This includes Lake Poygan, Lake Winneconne, Lake Butte des Morts, and Lake Winnebago. These large, shallow lakes contain approximately 17% of Wisconsin’s inland lake surface water. Winnebago Waterways includes both urban areas along Lake Winnebago and rural areas to the west. Priority projects are outlined in the Winnebago Waterways Lake Management Plan and the draft Healthy Land, Healthy Water: A Strategic Watershed Plan for the Winnebago Waterways.
keepers of the fox
The Keepers of the Fox recovery area includes the lower Fox River and immediate surrounding area. The Lower Fox River originates at the outlet of Lake Winnebago, flows through Little Lake Butte des Morts, and continues 40 miles north, eventually draining into the bay of Green Bay. Many smaller tributaries drain across the land into the Lower Fox.
This area is home to nearly half a million people in four counties (Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago) and most of the Oneida Nation. It is the most urban area in the Fox-Wolf basin and water quality is impacted by urban development, industry, and agriculture.
basinwide work
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance takes a holistic approach to watershed management. Although the majority of our projects are connected with one of our recovery areas, we know that water doesn’t stop at the border of a city, a county, a region. What happens in one part of our watershed impacts the whole. We have programs that aren’t limited to a particular recovery area, but span across the entire basin.
