World Water Day

Keeping Water on the Landscape

World Water Day is celebrated annually on March 22nd. It’s a day to unite around efforts to advocate for change to solve water issues. Our rivers, lakes, and wetlands are an extraordinary resource that provides everything from habitat for wildlife and plants, drinking water for people, and water to grow our crops. These freshwater ecosystems are threatened world-wide. Right here in northern Wisconsin, we’re entering a fifth year of drought in which conditions have been rated from abnormally to exceptionally dry – exceptional for the first time since drought records were recorded.

Since we live near a lake that holds 10% of all the world’s fresh water, drought conditions on the mainland are easy to overlook. The increasing annual average temperatures in Wisconsin are, however, leading to significant changes in precipitation patterns. Northern Wisconsin is experiencing longer dry periods between precipitation events and increasing numbers of extreme weather episodes – such as unusually heavy rains and more frequent flooding. Water rushes downstream during these heavy rain events, with less soaking into the soil and refilling aquifers.

Keeping water on the landscape is a high priority for our state and region on World Water Day. Beavers’ ecosystem engineering efforts result in water being stored on the land’s surface and the recharge of groundwater, so let’s recognize the increasing ecological importance of this industrious keystone species as we celebrate World Water Day.