Waters of Wisconsin:

The Future of Our Aquatic Ecosystems and Resources

The Wisconsin Idea at the Wisconsin Academy

Mission

The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters’ water initiative will, through a process of informed discussion, examine and analyze the current state of Wisconsin’s waters and recommend strategies to promote their long-term sustainability.

September 12 in La Crosse, WI

The project will provide a forum for citizens, policy-makers, the private sector, and academic and governmental leaders to: undertake a comprehensive and integrated review of the state of Wisconsin’s waters; identify and assess present, emerging, and future demands for the goods and services these waters provide; and examine various strategies for addressing water management and conservation issues and ensuring a high-quality economic and environmental future for the state. The project will be pursued in a manner sensitive to concerns for sustainability, equity, and interdependencies; issues of scale, including transboundary issues; and the need for adaptive management of Wisconsin's water and related resources.

Project Objectives

In pursuing its mission, project organizers and participants will seek to:

· Describe the present state of water quality and quantity in Wisconsin, including consideration of water both as a commodity and as an intrinsically important part of our environment.

· Identify the major stresses/factors affecting Wisconsin's water quality and quantity.

· Examine the interactions among the stresses/factors.

· Examine the impact of these stresses/factors by region and by land use type.

· Develop scenarios describing alternative futures for Wisconsin's water quality and quantity over the next three human generations.

· Prepare a report that outlines an action plan for a sustainable future for Wisconsin's waters, including recommendations and strategies needed today to achieve this vision by ca. 2075.

Project Products

The Wisconsin Academy's water initiative will yield the following products:

Report. The committee will produce a report that summarizes the current state and potential future of water quality and quantity in Wisconsin. The report will include:

· a review of the status of Wisconsin's waters, based primarily on synthesis of existing data and information;

· a concise history of Wisconsin's waters and of state water policy;

· an assessment of our current knowledge base;

· a review of the value of water and current allocations of water for varied uses;

· a series of illustrative case studies (or "white papers") involving key water issues;

· an array of short- and long-term demand scenarios;

· explorations of strategies for promoting sustainable management of the state's water resources;

· a statement of emerging priorities based on our current knowledge.

Additional public participation and outreach activities. In addition to its primary report, the committee will pursue further opportunities for gathering and disseminating information. These will include: development of a project website; additional publications, including general audience booklets and teaching guides; outreach through the public media; and opportunities for public interaction and comment.

Statewide conference. The committee will promote more informed dialogue on the future of Wisconsin's waters through organization of a statewide conference on the issues and opportunities affecting the long-term well being of Wisconsin's water resources. The conference will seek to address such issues at various scales, and will explore future needs, courses of action, and policy options.

The project mission, objectives and goals were developed out of conversations with many members of the water resources community in Wisconsin and with the leadership of Steve Born, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Urban and Regional Planning; Pat Leavenworth, Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist; and John Magnuson, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Emeritus Zoology and Center for Limnology, who have agreed to serve as the co-chairs of the water initiative’s committee.

Committee Members

Todd Ambs, Wisconsin Rivers Alliance, Executive Director

Anders Andren, Director of Water Resources Institute and Sea Grant Institute; University of Wisconsin-Madison

Bruce Baker, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Lisa Conley, Wisconsin Association of Lakes

Mike Dombeck, Former Chief of U.S.D.A Forest Service, 1997-2001

Nancy Frank, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Professor of Urban Planning

Victoria Harris, UW Sea Grant Institute, Green Bay

Barry Johnson, US Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Paul Kent, Davis & Kuelthau, s.c., Water Law Attorney

George Kraft, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Director, Water Resources Outreach; Professor of Water Resources

Jim Meeker, Professor of Natural Resources and Biology, Northland College

Judy Pratt-Shelley, Tribal Council member for the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, Treaty/Natural Resources Division Chief, Environmental Programs Director

Ken Potter, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering

Jeff Schoepke, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Environmental Policy Director

Pam Selz-Pralle, Dairy Farmer, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Humbird, WI

Bron Taylor, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Director, Environmental Studies Program; Professor of Religious, Social, and Environmental Ethics

Advisory Network

Critical to this project is the advisory network that includes many members of the water resources community in Wisconsin. We encourage all interested parties to join the network for regular email updates and participation in the Waters of Wisconsin project. Please contact Shaili Pfeiffer, Project Coordinator (smpfeiffer@facstaff.wisc.edu) or Curt Meine, Director of Conservation Programs (curt@savingcranes.org) to participate or for other project information.