Name
Solving water management concerns by repairing watersheds: Information and tools we need AND Lake Nicaragua water education project: a Wisconsin-Nicaragua partnership
Date & Time
Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 10:00 AM - 10:40 AM
Description

Two Combined Sessions

Title: Solving water management concerns by repairing watersheds: Information and tools we need
Speakers: Erin O'Brien, Amber Saylor Mase, Anders Shropshire
Across Wisconsin, communities are struggling with water management concerns including water quality, stream bank erosion, flooding, and groundwater depletion. Hydrologic restoration—repairing how and where water moves across the landscape—is an essential but underutilized tool for helping to address these challenges. Many states have robust programs to help communities assess and address degraded hydrology, but Wisconsin does not—yet. In this session, hear about findings from a series of focus groups planned and facilitated by UW Extension and Wisconsin Wetlands Association to identify and evaluate opportunities to better integrate hydrologic condition assessment and support for voluntary wetland and floodplain restoration into Wisconsin’s land and water management policies and programs. Focus groups were planned in collaboration with Wisconsin DNR, DATCP, and Wisconsin Land+Water. The findings will be used to support longer-term efforts to build state and local capacity for hydrologic assessment and restoration programming.


Title: Lake Nicaragua water education project: a Wisconsin-Nicaragua partnership
Speakers: Patrick Goggin, Claudia Taleno, and Kristen Schmitt
Patrick, Claudia, and Kristen will provide information on a new Lake Nicaragua water education project, a collaboration involving the Wisconsin-Nicaragua Partnership, the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, and other partners. It strives to build a community-based water quality monitoring program for the largest lake in Central America and the 19th largest lake in the world, Lake Nicaragua. Elements of how the new program will be initiated at the Tipitapa Learning Center outside of the capital, Managua will be highlighted. Ways you can lend your support to the project will also be shared. Each of the Learning Centers maintains the common goal of providing opportunities for skill enrichment and development.