Four Presentations: 1) Findings from the 2021 Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts Report 2) Building Resilience In Southeastern Wisconsin 3) Monroe County Climate Change Task Force 4) Adapting to Climate Change through Natural Flood Management
Stream: Hot Topics (will also be available via Zoom)
10:40 AM - 12:00 PMThu
Expo 1
Also VirtualClimate ChangeStream: Hot Topics
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Presentation #1: Findings from the 2021 Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts Report
Wisconsin is getting warmer and seeing more extreme precipitation events. In December 2021, the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts released a new report summarizing the impacts of climate change and offering adaptation strategies. I will briefly describe how Wisconsin’s climate is changing, what this means for Wisconsin’s water resources, and what we can do to make our water resources more resilient in the face of change.
Presenter: Katie Hein
Presentation #2: Building Resilience In Southeastern Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) serves 28 municipalities in southeastern Wisconsin. In 2019, MMSD led the development of a regional resilience plan that identified environmental, economic, and social risks that threatened the region and action strategies to reduce those risks. MMSD is now working to implement these actions with partners to reduce risks associated with climate change, critical infrastructure, financial constraints, and equity. Strategies range from adjusting internal approaches to spearheading the development of a reforestation and wetland restoration program.
Presenter: Nadia Vogt
Presentation #3: Monroe County Climate Change Task Force - A Proactive Approach
Monroe County has a history of flooding and intense rain events that has ravaged the southern portions of the county, since 2007. In response to the destruction of infrastructure, private property, an agricultural has led to the development of the Monroe County Climate Change Task Force (CCTF) in 2019. Hear from a county in the driftless area of Western Wisconsin taking the initiative on climate change. Bob Micheel will share how Monroe County not only passed a proactive resolution recognizing climate change while supporting the efforts of the newly created Climate Change Task Force. The CCTF will seek local, state, and federal assistance to implement their 10 objectives to address the symptoms of climate change while implementing mitigation practices to reduce the counties impact.
Presenter: Bob Micheel
Presentation #4: Adapting to Climate Change through Natural Flood Management
Natural Flood Management (NFM) emphasizes strategic hydrologic restoration practices within a catchment area to restore the landscape's natural ability to capture, infiltrate, and slowly release runoff. In this session, participants will learn how restoring wetlands and reconnecting floodplains to streams can help communities reduce flood risks and the hazards associated with the projected increases in severe storms. The speaker will highlight multiple Wisconsin communities and how they are exploring and utilizing wetlands as solutions to their land and water management challenges. Additionally, there will be a discussion of assessment methods and tools that can be used to better understand degraded hydrologic conditions and to prioritize where hydrologic restoration actions can build climate resilience and reduce vulnerabilities on watershed scales.
Presenter: Kyle Magyera