Take an active
role in improving the quality of the Wisconsin River by attending a symposium at
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The fourth
Wisconsin River Water Quality Improvement Symposium, themed “Progress Through Partnerships,”
will be held Friday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event provides an
opportunity for citizens, educators, legislators and representatives from
municipalities, industry, stewardship groups and agencies to learn about the
Wisconsin River, the monitoring effort that is underway, and the water quality
improvement project.
Attendees
will receive updates on water quality conditions and the process for finding
the total maximum daily load (the maximum amount of pollutant a body of water
can receive while still meeting water quality standards) for the Wisconsin
River, its tributaries and reservoirs. They will also discuss case studies on
the formation and successes of water quality partnerships, obtain topic-specific
advice from "Ask an Expert" discussions and have networking
opportunities.
The symposium is
part of the Wisconsin River Water Quality Improvement Project, a collaborative
effort between UW-Stevens Point and the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources to address blue-green algae that commonly occur in many of its
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 the health of humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. The water
quality study aims to identify areas within the basin where phosphorus
reductions are necessary to improve conditions in the river and its tributaries
by focusing actions to reduce algae blooms and pollution.
Register at www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/Registration.
For more information, contact Nancy Turyk, water resource scientist, at
715-346-4155 or email wisriver@uwsp.edu.