Fermanich helps shed light on area “dead zone” during boat tour

UW-Green Bay Prof. and resident “dead zone” expert Kevin Fermanich offered his expertise for a Sunday (Sept. 21) Green Bay Press-Gazette story on the relative health of — and challenges facing — the Fox River and the Bay of Green Bay. Fermanich and Prof. John Katers were among those aboard last week’s Fox River boat cruise, which was arranged to give local stakeholders, politicians and members of the news media an up-close look at the area. The Press-Gazette reports that while the tour’s tone was mostly positive, underlying concerns about the area’s “dead zone” — difficult to see but present nonetheless — persist. Fermanich told the paper that storm water and farm runoff are dumping nutrients in the watershed, encouraging algae growth and creating problems that lead to the growing hypoxia zone. “The condition of the bay reflects the condition of the land,” Fermanich said. Full story.