Northeastern Wisconsin citizens have access to many fresh water resources. The area’s many lakes, rivers, ponds and streams allow residents to enjoy opportunities to fish, boat, and swim during the summer months. Although we generally consider the area’s waterways to be safe, people that use recreational water resources must be aware that water-borne illness is always a possibility. Avoid swimming after rainfalls or in areas identified as unsafe by the local health departments.
The Winnebago County Health Department has been monitoring the recreational water quality at several locations in the Lake Winnebago/Poygan basin. The Health Department contracts with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh ERIC lab to have UWO students collect water samples from public access points, and then analyze the samples for total coliform and E. coli bacteria. The samples are collected and analyzed weekly throughout the swimming season.
Information on Recreational Waters in Winnebago County:
