The 13th Annual Freshwater Summit is on, with a robust series of roundtable sessions to be held this year virtually on October 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 10am to 11:30am.

“We were unable to host an in-person event this year, but still wanted to gather as a community of learners,” said Christine Crissman, executive director of The Watershed Center. “We are looking forward to tapping into state and local expertise to discuss current challenges and opportunities facing local and regional freshwater efforts.”  

The Freshwater Roundtable's 2020 presentations include permitting, planning, and stabilization of shorelines during high water levels; quagga mussel, lake trout, whitefish, and avian botulism research in Good Harbor Bay; equity concerns with water access and management; and lightning talks about local initiatives. 

An agenda for each session and registration information is available online. Registration is free and open to the public. Here is the full lineup of speakers:

GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS
Friday, October 2丨10am to 11:30am

EGLE Water Resources Division’s Response to Great Lakes High Water Levels
Robyn Schmidt, Water Resources Division-Cadillac, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy

Planning to be a Resilient Great Lakes Community
Dick Norton, Professor, University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Utilizing Natural Shorelines to Reduce the Ecological Footprint of Shoreline Properties
Nate Griswold, Founder and President, Inhabitect

GOOD HARBOR BAY RESEARCH
Friday, October 9丨10am to 11:30am

What Lies Beneath: How Quagga Mussels Have Re-Engineered Lake Michigan
Harvey Bootsma, Professor, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Freshwater Science

Lake Trout and Whitefish Spawning Site Selection on Good Harbor Reef
Ben Turschak, Research Biologist, Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Avian Botulism Mortality Patterns and Citizen Science Program
Erica Plesha, Avian Botulism Crew Lead, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

WHOSE WATER IS IT ANYWAY? EQUITY CONCERNS WITH WATER ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT
Friday, October 16丨10am to 11:30am

Water for All of Michigan: Infrastructure Challenges and Access to Clean Drinking Water
Janet Meissner Pritchard, Interim Legal Director, For Love of Water (FLOW)

Learning from Collaborative Watershed Networks
Lina Zuluaga, Program Director, La Gran Cuenca del Rio Teusaca (Bogota, Colombia)

LOCAL INITIATIVE LIGHTNING TALKS
Friday, October 23丨10am to 11:30am

Protecting and Enhancing Water Quality through Restoration and Green Infrastructure Projects
Sarah U’Ren, Program Director, The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay

Grand Traverse Community Scorecard: Advancing Sustainable Regional Growth through the Power of People and Metrics
Will Aycock, M.S. Candidate in Environmental Informatics, University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability
Tori Graves, M.S. Candidate in Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability
Megan Houle, M.S. Candidate in Conservation Ecology, University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability
Christine Purdy, M.S. Candidate in Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability

NOAA’s B-WET Program
Juliana Lisuk, Volunteer Coordinator, Inland Seas Education Association

NMC Freshwater Studies Program
Constanza Hazelwood, Program Coordinator, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute

Life at the Top – Lake Michigan’s Water Levels
Mark Breederland, Extension Educator, Michigan Sea Grant

Wild Roots for Wild Waters – Reducing Runoff with Green Infrastructure
Michael Seefried, Field Technician/Operations Assistant, Conservation Resource Alliance

The Boardman River Uncovered
Steve Largent, Boardman River Program Coordinator, Grand Traverse Conservation District

“In Michigan, and especially in this region, our lives are defined by water; commercially and recreationally,” said Dennis McCauley, president of the Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc., sponsor of the Freshwater Summit. “We feel it is valuable to bring together professionals and interested residents alike to talk about water quality and water use issues that are impacting our economy, our shorelines, and our lives.”

The Freshwater Summit is a product of the Freshwater Roundtable and is organized by The Watershed Center, NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, Michigan Sea Grant Extension, Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc., Inland Seas Education Association, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, Grand Traverse Conservation District, Conservation Resource Alliance, and Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council. The 13th Annual Freshwater Summit is sponsored by the Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc.