Sawyer County's Grindstone Lake project has UWSP students taking part in GIS research

June 3, 2010

A student and recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will spend the summer conducting a systematic analysis of Grindstone Lake in the Town of Bass Lake in Sawyer County using geographic information systems (GIS) technology offered through the GIS Center on campus.

Corinna Neeb of Amherst, currently an intern in the GIS Center, and Jon Galloy, a native of Tomahawk who now lives in Stevens Point, will prepare detailed maps of the ecological and aesthetic indices for Grindstone Lake and its watershed, according to Doug Miskowiak, GIS outreach specialist in geography and geology in the College of Letters and Science, and leader of the $10,000 project funded by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Planning Grant Program sponsored by the Grindstone Lake Association. 

“Our mission is to engage citizens in a process to assess the characteristics (flora and fauna) of this 3,117-acre lake,” said Miskowiak. “Local residents and the lake association want to map and analyze the ecological and aesthetic characteristics of Grindstone Lake. In a GIS, these spatial indicators will be used to recognize exceptional and degraded riparian and littoral areas.” Once we leave this project local citizens will be able to utilize these GIS data to make well-informed lake management decisions.”

The GIS Center, located in the science building, offers students training and research opportunities in cutting-edge GIS technology for cartography, spatial analysis and resource prioritization. The center offers a variety of learning pathways available to UWSP traditional students, post-graduates, students pursuing a GIS certificate, and student’s seeking continuing education. Research conducted at the center is designed to serve the educational interests of the program and students. Applied research projects complement GIS coursework and ensure the timeliness and practicality of the GIS curriculum. 
 
For more information on the GIS Center and its faculty,
Contact: Doug Miskowiak, 715-346-4789 or dmiskowi@uwsp.edu.