Where We Work

The Fox Demo Farms Network works in the Lower Fox River Basin…

So, what is a river basin?

A river basin, or watershed, is an area of land that drains water, sediment, and dissolved materials to a common outlet at some point along a stream channel. We all live within a river basin and although they may vary in size and location, it is important to understand that what we do on the land directly impacts the health of our local waterways.

Figure 1: Graphic by Fox Demo Farms. A river basin is an area of land that drains water, sediment, and dissolved material to a common outlet.

Lower Fox River Basin: 

The Fox Demo Farms Network is located in the Lower Fox River Basin, which starts at the outlet of Lake Winnebago and flows northeast for 39 miles where it empties into Lower Green Bay.

As shown on the map, there are several small creeks that drain into the Fox River and ultimately, into the bay of Green Bay. These smaller creeks are known as “sub-watersheds” and together they make up the Lower Fox River Basin.

tmdl-map
Figure 2: Courtesy of the Lower Fox River TMDL. The Lower Fox River Basin starts at the outlet of Lake Winnebago and stretches 39 miles northeast to the mouth of the Fox River, where it empties into Lower Green Bay.

Activities that take place on the land, directly impact the water quality. The streams highlighted in red indicate “impaired” waters, which means that the water does not meet the water quality standards set by the Clean Water Act, due to high levels of phosphorus and/or sediment loading.