Student Researchers Investigate Galloway Creek Health

Clearer Waters Ahead as UW-Stout Undergrads Dive Into Watershed Research. UW-Stout’s LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) aims to better understand the root causes of phosphorus pollution and solutions while offering undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research.

UW Stout students are investigating water quality, insect communities, and sedimentation processes in the heavily urbanized stream of Galloway Creek. LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Cherry, Shires, and seven other students representing nine universities from across the country are working to improve the health of the Red Cedar watershed. The project will run from June 7th to August 8th, 2026. Led by UW-Stout Polytechnic professors, the students are collaborating across disciplines in environmental science, biology, anthropology, and psychology as they seek to develop sustainable solutions with community and government partners, local citizens, and policymakers.

The following video was made in 2017

According to a WisPolitics article about the recent research being conducted, LAKES co-director Tina Lee, program director of applied social science, has been involved in the federally funded program, part of UW-Stout Polytechnic’s experiential learning, since its inception in 2014. Source https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/uw-stout-polytechnic-creek-restoration-data-center-viewpoints-sustainability-researched-by-lakes-reu-students/

Lee told WisPolitics, “Our interdisciplinary approach seeks to better prepare students with the analytical skills needed to address complex environmental issues. They are really helping to build knowledge for improving our local environment, water quality, and eutrophic lakes – where phosphorus and nitrogen pollution causes blue-green algae blooms and low oxygen levels – particularly in the Midwestern U.S. Students get the opportunity to see their research directly impact the community around them and make important contributions to new science and policy.”

Norah Shires uses a DO meter at Galloway Creek to measure temperature and oxygen levels. Photo credit: WisPolitics

UW-Stout Polytechnic biology Associate Professor Keith Gilland and students Abi Cherry and Norah Shires trekked to the mouth of Galloway Creek, where it meets the Red Cedar River in Menomonie.

“This project is the next step in a long history of Stout faculty and students studying and stewarding Galloway Creek and its watershed,” Gilland told WisPolitics

“Water is our most important natural resource; everything living relies on it. Creeks provide water for several ecosystems and contribute to the large bodies we drink from; protecting them and restoring them to good condition will ensure that we get to drink from and recreate in our waters for millennia to come. The most challenging part of restoration, I think, is public education. Without voters to voice their concerns, funding for restoration projects isn’t placed where it is needed.” Student researcher Norah Shires told WisPolitics

Reaseach is ongoing, and results will be available at: https://www.uwstout.edu/outreach-engagement/research/nsf-reu-site-lakes-undergraduate-research-experience

To learn more, go to: https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/uw-stout-polytechnic-creek-restoration-data-center-viewpoints-sustainability-researched-by-lakes-reu-students/

Summaries of research conducted by LAKES REU students across all years of the program can be found below: https://www.uwstout.edu/outreach-engagement/research/lakes-undergraduate-research-experience/lakes-research

Rachel Tilseth is a Menomonie, Wisconsin-based environmental writer, filmmaker, and owner of Wolves of Douglas County WI Films & Media. Lead writer at The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger. Her work explores the intricate relationships between humans, wildlife, and local ecosystems.

Jan O’Neill-editor at large. Jan edits the blog for grammatical accuracy and contributes story ideas.

Given Jan’s extensive 45-year nursing background, protecting the health and well-being of the Menomonie area has been her life’s work. With deep local roots in the Red Cedar River Watershed, she views environmental conservation as a natural extension of public health. Jan is dedicated to halting the proposed mega data center to preserve the community’s natural resources, advocating instead for sustainable, community-driven economic development that protects the long-term quality of our watershed.

The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger is based in Menomonie, Wisconsin, in the historic Red Cedar Basin.

Discover how our local economy can thrive without leaving the planet behind. We cover news and stories on sustainable economic development, highlighting initiatives that boost community prosperity, foster equity, and protect our local ecosystems.

We are producing a series of educational articles and interviews featuring city leaders, scientists, and residents to explore sustainable economic development in the region. What began as a grassroots effort by Menomonie residents to successfully pause a controversial data center has evolved into a broader mission championing environmentally conscious, community-driven economic growth.”

The Red Cedar Watershed Ledger, Menomonie, WI

Wolves of Douglas CO WI Films & Media, LLC