Addressing the regulatory and capacity barriers that hinder floodplain restoration efforts are a key priority of the WWA’s policy agenda because healthy well-connected floodplains are integral to wetland and river systems.
The 2025 Wetland Science Conference included multiple elements of joint programming designed to encourage participation by fisheries managers and to promote networking and collaboration between wetland and stream restoration practitioners.
Governor Evers recently joined Wisconsin Emergency Management in announcing grant awards to flood prone local governments under the new Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant Program.
The connection between wetlands, streams, and floodplains and flood risk reduction is clear: in a healthy and well-connected state this natural infrastructure captures and reduces the energy and velocity of floods. New reports that summarize work done in the Marengo River Watershed demonstrate this connection.
Wisconsin’s Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant Program is in the process of accepting its first round of applications—and WWA is encouraged by the high level of interest.
A recent update to a DATCP rule is a major step forward in breaking barriers to wetland restoration by enabling the use of state funding for hydrologic restoration and stream restoration.