Take
an active role in improving the water quality of the Wisconsin River basin by
attending a symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The
fifth annual Wisconsin River Water Quality Improvement Symposium, themed
“Making Connections for Clean Water,” will be held Thursday, March 19, from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dreyfus University Center.
Keynote
speaker Mark Cupp, director of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board, will present
“Finding Common Ground: 25th Anniversary of the Lower Wisconsin
Riverway.” New to the event are breakout sessions to encourage conversation and
share information among participants of various backgrounds.
The event is for members of fishing, hunting, lake and river stewardship groups; waterfront
homeowners; professionals in recreation, agriculture and tourism;
representatives of industry and natural resource agencies; legislators and
elected officials and anyone interested in the Wisconsin River, its reservoirs and tributaries.
The
symposium is part of the Wisconsin River Water Quality Improvement Project, a
collaborative effort to address blue-green algae commonly found in many
Wisconsin River flowages, including Lake Wausau, the Big Eau Pleine, Petenwell
and Castle Rock flowages and Lake Wisconsin. Blue- green algae produce toxins
that can be harmful to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. The water quality
project aims to identify areas within the basin where phosphorus reductions will
improve conditions in the river and its tributaries, and where focused action
will reduce algae blooms and pollution.
To
register or become an event sponsor, go to www.tinyurl.com/wisriver2015. For more information, contact
Nancy Turyk, water resource scientist, at 715-346-4155 or wisriver@uwsp.edu.