Yellow River Protection Conservancy
The Yellow River Protection Conservancy (YRPC) is dedicated to protecting the Yellow River watershed in Burnett and Washburn Counties in northwest Wisconsin for future generations.
YRPC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our Vision
A healthy Yellow River Watershed in perpetuity
Our Mission
We protect the Yellow River Watershed’s land, water and heritage through advocacy, education, working partnerships and action.
Our Methods
- Protect Yellow River flora, fauna, water quality, and habitats
- Enhance appreciation of the Yellow River, its history, and people
- Realize the Yellow River’s potential as an ecologically resilient land and water corridor to help mitigate the effects of climate change
- Respect the rights of private property owners
YRPC believes the Yellow River watershed is a critical resource that must be protected. What are other reputable conservation focused organizations saying?
Landmark Conservancy
Landmark Conservancy established 17 focus areas that met their conservation objective of Ecological Resiliency in the face of a challenging climate. The St. Croix River Watershed including the Yellow River Watershed was chosen as one of the top 3 areas to prioritize new landowner outreach.
Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin DNR expanded their water quality program beyond repairing impaired waters to include protecting Healthy Watersheds and High-Quality Waters (HWHQW). A river, or lake must meet 2 out of 3 criteria to be a High-Quality-Water. The Yellow River meets all 3 criteria and is on the DNR’s list of Healthy Rivers that need to be protected.
The map of Burnett and Washburn Counties in Wisconsin displays High Quality Rivers and Streams in blue and High Quality Lakes in magenta. These waters were classified as High-Quality Waters by the Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin DNR
The Yellow River Watershed is part of the larger St. Croix Watershed. Within the Yellow River Watershed there are eleven Sub-Watersheds. The Wisconsin DNR assess the condition of Sub-Watersheds on a regular basis to determine overall Watershed Health. Sub-Watershed Health Scores and rankings within Wisconsin’s 1744 Sub-Watersheds are listed in the table under the map. The Yellow River Watershed ranks in the top 30% of Watersheds in Wisconsin and therefore is considered a priority for protection by the Wisconsin DNR.
Wisconsin DNR
Assessing the condition of a Watershed and determining a Watershed Health Score is a complex process. The DNR focuses on six key categories as is explained in the diagram.
Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy views the Yellow River area, particularly its ecologically resilient landscapes and Northwoods forests, as critical for mitigating climate change by storing carbon and providing wildlife corridors for adaption, using climate-smart forestry, and protecting habitats like bottomland forests to build a network of connected lands that absorb greenhouse gasses and help species adapt to warming temperatures.
What is YRPC Doing to Protect the Yellow River?
YRPC leads programs designed to enhance its mission while also actively participating in collaborative projects with partner organizations that share common goals. Through both leadership and partnership roles, YRPC works to leverage collective expertise, resources and perspectives to achieve greater impact than any single organization could accomplish alone.
YRPC Led Programs
YRPC buys property in the Watershed, places protections on the property, sells the property and repeats the process.
Individual Landowners take actions on their land parcel(s) to be better stewards of the Watershed.
A team of YRPC volunteers monitors the Yellow River May-Oct taking measures on items critical to the health of the river.
YRPC Collaborative Projects
Project: Spooner Storm Water Run-off
“In the end our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.“
John C Sawhill, President, The Nature Conservancy, 1990-2000
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