In Wisconsin, you're never far from water. Water carves our borders, defines our view. Great Lakes horizons, Northern oasis, nation's mightiest river. A place for play, tremendous power, unsurpassed beauty. The variety abounds, the vistas are endless, Wisconsin Water From the Air Funding provided in part by Travel Wisconsin, Ron and Colleen Weyers, Roger and Lynn Van Vreede, Francis A and Georgia F. Ariens Fund within the Brillion Area Family of Funds, Holiday Vacations, Slater Family Fund, Stanley J. Cottrill Fund, with additional support from Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, John E. Kuenzel Foundation, The Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television. The Wisconsin River, our state's defining waterway. Springing from northern headwaters, flowing ever south, to a big meet-up with the Mississippi. A journey through the heart of the state. The Wisconsin River.

birds and insects chirp

From a remote northern edge of the state, the waters flow. A quiet beginning, among the marshlands and the forests, for our namesake river. The Wisconsin River's journey will travel a course longer than any other in our state; a lifeline stretching hundreds of miles. And it all begins here. Flowing from the waters of Lac Vieux Desert, a lake straddling the border with Michigan, the Wisconsin appears more stream than river. A seemingly endless ribbon of twists and turns as it embarks on its journey, a journey that weaves through the entire length of the state. Flowing south, the river will grow in size, scope, and strength, but its northern origins remain wild and untamed.

birds chirping

rushing water current

water roaring

music slowing down

music pace quickens

music slows and mellows

energetic music

water splooshes

screaming at top of lungs

paddle splashes against water

music tempo picks up

voices in background

motorboat engine

Great waterway, namesake river. The Wisconsin has traveled a course over 400 miles across the state. A winding journey past prairie, through forest, flowing border to border. It continues on south. Continues on through a wide-bluffed valley

to its final destination

Meeting the waters of the Mississippi. Ever-flowing, ever-moving, this river, this Wisconsin. Miles of shoreline embrace the inland sea. A journey of harbor towns and limitless views. Wisconsin's eastern edge... Lake Michigan. The pull of an endless horizon, the sweeping expanse of a big sky. The Great Lake calls, the water awaits. From the harbor's edge to the endless blue vista, Lake Michigan's shoreline creates Wisconsin's 'East Coast'-- home to a great city on a great lake.

rock music

whistle blows

to its final destination

excited chatter and screeches

engine rumbles

to its final destination

waves breaking

to its final destination

seagulls caw, children clamor

to its final destination

waves lap gently at the shore

waves splash softly

water gently burbles

to its final destination

Shimmering reflections against an endless sky. Exploring a world of ports and parks, sandy dunes and rocky shores. The lure of Lake Michigan's vast waters-- an adventure upon an inland sea. Two great waterways define Wisconsin's western edge. Carving through northern forests to create a mighty channel-- The St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. This mesmerizing view. This wild gem. A dazzling array of emerald and sapphire. Arising from one of the most scenic regions of our state, the waters of the Namekagon, along with the St. Croix, create a national treasure-- America's first wild and scenic River National Park. A designation that protects and preserves the beauty and free-flowing nature of this precious waterway. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway-- over 200 miles of pristine water gliding through a forested landscape. Few dams, few diversions, encumber these waters as they flow south to form the state's western border.

rushing water current

to its final destination

rushing water current

to its final destination

energetic music

to its final destination

Prescott marks the journey's end for the St. Croix as it merges with the muddy waters of the Mississippi. Here, the wild & scenic waterway converges with the nation's mightiest river. The towering bluffs of the Mississippi river valley define Wisconsin's Western edge from Prescott on south. A vital channel for trade and travel, recreation and scenic escape. From here, the big river flows on, continuing a momentous journey through the heart of the nation, a powerful passage onward for these great waters.

water lapping at shore

to its final destination

Mike Eicher

Water is Wisconsin's identity. It seemed like only a natural fit that we do a program about this wonderful resource that Wisconsinites have.

Air Traffic Control

Clear for take-off.

Pilot

Six-Golf-Lima is on the go.

Grant Fenster

It's a chance for people to discover something new, go somewhere they haven't seen before, and to see it in a new light.

Pilot

A lot of sailors up here in Wisconsin.

Laurie Gorman

You know we all have a connection to water in Wisconsin, whether it's the local fishing hole or your annual getaway to Door County, we all have memories and connections to Wisconsin's water.

Pilot

That's the shot.

Laurie Gorman

So, I think these aerial programs really connected with our viewers because of the way we've been able to capture these treasured locations of the state of Wisconsin.

Pilot

We'll call that good.

water gurgling

Pilot

Funding provided in part by Travel Wisconsin, Ron and Colleen Weyers, Roger and Lynn Van Vreede, Francis A and Georgia F. Ariens Fund within the Brillion Area Family of Funds, Holiday Vacations, Slater Family Fund, Stanley J. Cottrill Fund, with additional support from Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, John E. Kuenzel Foundation, The Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.