Do you want to learn about restoring and protecting your local stream and groundwater in your watershed? If you do, the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association (LSRWA) invites you to its Annual Member Meeting and public forum on Saturday, April 9, 2016, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Brodhead Memorial Library.

The event will honor this year’s Water Resources Stewardship Award recipient, announce the winners of the “Where in the Watershed” contest, and feature raffled prizes, free refreshments and lunch provided by Java House—LSRWA asks that you help them be “green” and bring your water bottle or favorite coffee mug!

The program, Sugar River Watershed Summit 2016—Charting a Course to Clean Water, will explore and broaden the conversation in our community about the potential for a coordinated strategy and innovative solutions for addressing water quality issues in cities, small towns, back yards, and rural settings in the Sugar River Basin.

Speakers and panelists, representing a broad spectrum of state and regional partners, will talk about what it means to have “impaired” waters in our landscape (the Sugar River Basin currently has 213 total river miles classified in the state and nationally as “impaired”) and what innovative steps some are taking to remedy the problem, including forming coalitions and partnerships with multiple citizen, landowner and producer stakeholders.

This open forum will be your opportunity to come together with others from your community to talk about how we can work together to have clean water now and for future generations.

Posters and exhibits will be on display, along with a 3D topographic model of the Sugar River Basin, created by LSRWA members and volunteers, supported by donations and a WDNR River Planning Grant. Raffle prizes include an expert-guided fly fishing outing with Todd Polacek, a tour of local organic CSA Sandhill Family Farms, a guided kayak outing on the Sugar River with Sweet Minihaha outfitters, and more!

LSRWA is a not-for-profit conservation organization based in Brodhead, WI, dedicated to empowering citizens with experience and knowledge to steward land and water resources in the Lower Sugar River Watershed. To learn more about LSRWA, visit their website at http://www.lsrwa.org/ or contact Program Director, Bethany Emond Storm, with questions at programdirector@lsrwa.org or call (630) 770-8446.