This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June 2026 eNewsletter.
Warden Meghan Jensen: Conservation Congress Waterfowl Officer Of The Year
Warden Meghan Jensen of the Mississippi River Warden Team is active in wetlands protection and waterway enforcement — and that is only part of the reason she was honored as the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Waterfowl Officer of the Year for 2025.
During 2025, Warden Jensen investigated a variety of wetland-related violations and conducted a longer-term investigation into a business dumping raw sewage directly into a waterway to avoid the cost of septage services.
Warden Jensen incorporates education into her field contacts and the public events she attends. She takes time to educate and interact with traditional and non-traditional outdoor users during her patrols. She educates them on the laws and best practices, and seeks their assistance in monitoring the area for any issues they see.
She annually assists with a Women’s Learn-to-Waterfowl Hunt event and is the lead coordinator for our division’s new warden “Duck School” scenario day.
Warden Jensen is responsible for enforcing the fish/game, recreational vehicle, state lands, and environmental laws in her administrative area, which is just north of an urban area and contains vast public lands, including the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge.
Warden Jensen also has a solid waterfowl enforcement program. She takes pride in catching those who need to be caught and is willing to put extra time into ensuring they are brought to justice.
She regularly works collaboratively with federal officers and our Minnesota counterparts to patrol the Mississippi River and adjacent public lands.
During the past waterfowl season, she took enforcement action or assisted with investigations as a Regional Internet Investigator (RII) for failure to retrieve waterfowl, operating without navigational lights, hunting waterfowl with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, personal flotation violations, bag limit violations for waterfowl, and waterfowl baiting.
Warden Jensen is a team player and is always willing to assist her teammates. She also serves the DNR as a new-hire background investigator, field training officer, academy instructor, regional internet investigator (RII), and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) grant team member. Additionally, she regularly takes individuals on ride-alongs and speaks at school job exploration programs.
Congratulations to Warden Jensen for this honor she richly deserves.
