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Lectures to explore future of state’s groundwater

August 20, 2001 By Tom Sinclair

Could Wisconsin one day face serious shortages of ground water? A series of free public lectures at the university this fall will consider that possibility.

“Will the Well Run Dry? Ground Water Management in Wisconsin” is the title of the seven-part series, which begins Wednesday, Sept. 12. All lectures start at 7 p.m. in 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive.

Some scientists and resource managers worry that ground water shortages may occur as the state’s population grows and global warming alters the state’s climate, according to engineering professor Ken Potter, lecture organizer.

Ground water is the primary source of drinking water for half of Wisconsin’s citizens, including virtually all Dane County residents, and a critical source of water for the state’s streams, lakes, and wetlands, says Potter. Shortages would create hardship and major public-policy headaches.

Lectures will address ground water flow and quality; issues in Dane County, southeast Wisconsin, and the Green Bay area; conflicts over high-capacity wells such as that recently sought by the Perrier Group in Adams County; and ground water management. Here is the schedule of topics and speakers:

  • Wednesday, Sept. 12: A Ground Water Primer. Professor Jean Bahr, Department of Geology and Geophysics, UW–Madison; and Randy Hunt, research hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 25: Ground Water Issues in Dane County. Ken Bradbury, hydrogeologist, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Madison.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 3: Ground Water Issues in the Lower Fox River Valley. Jim Krohelski, chief, Hydrogeologic Studies and Data Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 17: Ground Water Issues in Southeastern Wisconsin. John Jansen, senior geoscientist, Aquifer Science and Technology, Waukesha.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 30: The Perrier Example. Speaker(s) to be announced.
  • Thursday, Nov. 15: Ground Water Management: A Statewide Overview. Professor Steve Born, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UW–Madison.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 20: Managing Ground Water in a Changing Environment, a discussion of future management needs and approaches.

The series is cosponsored by the Institute for Environmental Studies and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.