Faculty researchers and students presented at American Water Resources Association Conference (Wisconsin Section)

UW-Green Bay faculty, staff, and current and former students gave five presentations at the March 3-4, 2021 virtual conference for the Wisconsin Section of the American Water Resources Association.

Prof. John Luczaj also participated in organizing the virtual conference as the technical co-chair, which was a new format this year due to COVID-19. The conference was a success with 215 attendees, a number that exceeded recent registrations. Professor Luczaj’s research projects involved two current undergraduate students (Water Science/Environmental Science) and four former graduate student coauthors (ES&P graduate program). Two other UW-Green Bay members presented talks at the conference: Kevin Fermanich (Professor, Geoscience) and Paul Baumgart (NAS; Watershed Scientist), along with coauthors that include a former graduate student, as well as a colleague from the US Geological Survey.

These research projects provide a deeper understanding of the chemical and physical processes that affect important surface water and groundwater resources across northeastern Wisconsin. Students participated in collecting water samples, working with well construction reports, developing monitoring sensors, and interpreting data, all of which allowed them to gain valuable experience in research related to water science, soils, and geoscience.

UW-Green Bay presentations and authors:

1. Tracking Recharge and Sources of Sulfate Using δ34S (Sulfate) and 14C age dating in the Confined Sandstone Aquifer of Northeastern Wisconsin Authors: John Luczaj (Dept. of Natural and Applied Sciences); Olukayode Akinkuehinmi (ES&P); Amanda (Amy) Hamby (ES&P); Alex Hein (Geoscience; ES&P); Abby Shea (ES&P)

2. A Regional Groundwater Isoscape for δ2H and δ18O in the Silurian Aquifer of Northeastern Wisconsin Authors: Tyler Kunze (Water Science; Environmental Science majors); John Luczaj (Dept. of Natural & Applied Sciences)

3. An Updated Potentiometric Surface for the Confined Sandstone Aquifer in the Northeast Groundwater Management Area of Wisconsin (2019-2020) Authors: Ross Koester (Water Science major); John Luczaj (Dept. of Natural & Applied Sciences)

4. Big Acute P Losses Test an Ag Runoff Treatment System in 2019 Authors: Kevin Fermanich (UW-Green Bay & Wisconsin Extension); Paul Reneau (USGS-Middleton); Paul Baumgart (UW-Green Bay)

5. Low-cost Turbidity Sensors for Field and Watershed Monitoring Authors: Paul Baumgart (UW-Green Bay: Dept. of Natural and Applied Sciences); Andrew Schmitz (ES&P); Kevin Fermanich (UW-Green Bay).