Northern County Water Groups to Meet on “Clean Waters: Our Mission, Our Legacy”
Meeting set for Friday, July 12, 2019 in Rhinelander
By Wisconsin Lakes staff
Wisconsin Lakes is proud to support lake events across Wisconsin, and we’ll be headed to Oneida County next month to participate in the annual meeting of north central countywide lakes and rivers associations at Nicolet College in Rhinelander. Executive Director Michael Engleson will be giving an update on current lake policy issues and initiatives of Wisconsin Lakes. The event is free and no pre-registration is required. All are welcome – you need not be a member of one of the groups to attend, so we hope to see you there!
Here’s more information about the event from the chief organizers, Oneida County Lakes & Rivers Association and Vilas County Lakes & Rivers Association.
Natural shorelines and water resource protection will be the focus of the annual meeting of lake group leaders and members from six northern Wisconsin counties on Friday, July 12, at Nicolet College auditorium in Rhinelander.
“Clean Waters: Our Mission, Our Legacy”is the theme for the meeting, from 9 a.m. to noon. Attendees will explore ways to encourage lake residents and lake users to take actions to protect lakes and streams and the scenic values of the Northwoods. Attendees are expected from Oneida, Vilas, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, and Iron counties.
“The single best and simplest measure people can take to protect their lakes is to keep the shoreline habitat natural or restore it to a more natural condition,” says Bob Martini, president of the Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association, which is organizing the event with the Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association.
The main speaker, Patrick Goggin, lakes specialist with the UW-Extension Lakes team, will discuss shoreland buffers and other forms of shoreline protection as a way to help prevent runoff of nutrients and sediment into lakes.
Other speakers include Michael Engleson, executive director of Wisconsin Lakes, giving an update on state government policies affecting lakes; Dave Noel, presenting summaries of studies linking lake quality to regional economies and property values; and Bob Martini, reporting on the Wisconsin’s Green Fire organization promoting sound science as a basis for public policies. Dane Whittaker, a graduate assistant at Arizona State University, will report on a Northwoods Fishery Study now underway. A discussion and feedback session will follow the program. The event will include exhibits from water-related organizations. Annual meetings of countywide lake associations will follow. For more information, contact Martini at 715-282-5896 () or or Steve Budnik at 715-686-7852 ().