KBIC and Michigan Tech Celebrating World Water Day Tomorrow

Water is life, and a more than well known aspect of living around the great lakes. Tomorrow is the United Nations world water day. This year’s theme aims to celebrate an invisible and seldom thought of source of h2o. Ground water and its importance, is what many organization around the world will talk about tomorrow. Including local groups from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and Michigan Tech. Many local area students will learn about ground water this year too, as Clare Fidler, a student at Tech will travel to Chassell, Hancock and Lake Linden schools to show students how important keeping ground water clean is for various regions around the world and right here in the copper country.  KBIC and Michigan Tech will also have virtual events take place tomorrow.

Tribal Water Day (via Zoom):
March 22 – 2:00pm:
Introduction by Doreen Blaker, KBIC Tribal Council Member.
Development of Locally-appropriate Water Quality Criteria for KBIC, presented by Cory McDonald, Assistant Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Tech.
Community Services (Beach and Groundwater), presented by Dylan Friisvall, Water Quality Technician at KBIC.
Overview and Updates on the KBIC-Natural Resources Department (NRD) Fisheries Program, presented by Patrick LaPointe, KBIC-NRD Field Fisheries Technician.
KBIC Wetland Monitoring Program, presented by Erin Johnston, Wildlife Biologist/Wildlife & Habitat Section Lead for KBIC-NRD.
Citizen’s Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP), presented by Shannon DesRochers, KBIC-NRD; Geraldine Grant, Superior Watershed Partnership; Amanda Zeidler, Eagle Mine
Closing Ceremony

World Water Day (via Zoom):
March 22 – 4:15pm:
Welcome and Introduction by Timothy Havens, Director of the Great Lakes Research Center
3M Thesis award winners announcement
4:30pm – Keynote Speakers:
Making Groundwater Visible: Education and Outreach Programs for Sustaining our Drinking Water Resources, presented by Ruth Kline Robach,  Institute of Water Research & Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University
Protecting our Groundwater from Emerging Contaminants: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future, presented by Gavin Dehnert, Emerging Contaminants Scientist, University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center, WI Sea Grant and Water Resources Institute