Community Conversations: Water Quality in the Coulee Region

Join us for our next Community Conversations which will be held at English Lutheran Church on Wednesday, February 21. The upcoming Conversation is with Karl Green. We will meet from noon until 1:00 p.m. and a box lunch is served (with a free will offering for the lunch).

If possible, please pre-register here so we know how many lunches to prepare. These monthly conversations are sponsored by the Interfaith Leaders’ Coalition and hosted by English Lutheran Church.

The theme for this conversation is “Water Quality in the Coulee Region”. Water quality issues plague many portions of the world and La Crosse County is no different.  Urban municipalities have begun reducing runoff from municipal streets and storm sewers, but as you will see, this is only a portion of the concerns affecting water quality in our region.  Karl will speak on some of the prevalent issues impacting La Crosse County’s water quality, as well as review the local geography and geologic factors which also influence water quality.  Please join Karl Green in this discussion that will bring international issues down to the local level, and provide attendees with possible action steps to take that would assist in improving local water quality.

Karl Green, Community Development Natural Resource and Economic Development Educator, University of Wisconsin-Extension, is a Professor with the Department of Community Resource Development for UW Extension La Crosse County.  While Karl spends a significant amount of time working with housing and neighborhood data analysis, he also has focused on storm water issues in La Crosse County.  In 2006, Karl organized and convened a group of 8 local municipalities and La Crosse County in an intergovernmental agreement for storm water public education and outreach. Eleven years later, this agreement stills exists and allows La Crosse municipalities to unify with one voice on storm water management. Karl uses his background in hydrogeology to illustrate the important role rain gardens play in sustaining the local aquifer.