Fox River Summit

Fox River Summit, Burlington, WI
The Fox River Summit, first held in 2013, has become an annual event with our fellow Fox River stakeholders in Wisconsin,  Unfortunately, the 8th annual Summit in March 2020 had to be cancelled. Our 9th Summit for 2021 was held virtually as part of the Wisconsin Water Week event. We look forward to planning  an in-person event for March 2022. 

This page provides  information about the ongoing relationship with our Wisconsin partners and presentations from the past summits.

One major project that came out of these Summits has been the Fox River Trail Initiative, begun after the presentation by Angie Tornes of the National Park Service, Rivers & Trails Program (see presentation below, from 2014. 

We are thrilled that the National Water Trail status was announced in June 2023. For more information:

FREP Water Trail Page, and on the website   The Fabulous Fox! Water Trail Website

Watch for links to the presentations from the 12th Annual Summit
 held Thursday, March 14, 2024 in Burlington, WI

To be posted at this LINK soon:  https://www.southeastfoxriver.org/2024-fox-river-summit
             

Fox River Summit 2023 --- Thursday, March 16      Burlington, WI
             

Fox River Summit 2022 --- Thursday, March 17       Burlington, WI

John Jansen, P.G., P.Gp., Ph.D. Senior Geophysicist/ Hydrogeologist
Collier Geophysics

Keynote Address:  
Chloride in groundwater; a rising concern

Chloride levels in groundwater are rising and are reaching problematic levels of concern in many areas.  Though there are many causes, road salt is the major factor in many aquifers in Wisconsin and the northern tier states.  This presentation will discuss the magnitude of the problem and the limits in the current level of monitoring.  The long term consequences will be discussed with potential opportunities to reduce the impacts.​John has a B.S. in Geology and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences with an emphasis in hydrogeology and geophysics, all from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He is a Senior Geophysicist and Hydrogeologist for Collier Geophysics. 

John works on a wide variety of ground water projects around the country specializing in high capacity wells, aquifer recharge, and groundwater resource management.  He received the NGWA Keith A Anderson Award in 2012 for service to NGWA and the groundwater industry and was the NGWA McEllhiney Distinguished Lecturer in Water Well Technology in 2013.  John was an invited speaker at the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers at their annual convention in Barcelona in 2018, the Keynote speaker at the Symposium on Geophysics to Environmental and Engineering Problems in 2013, and a guest lecturer on managed aquifer recharge and groundwater geophysics for the Geoscience University of China in Beijing in 2018.
Frank Veraldi, Restoration Ecologist
US Army Corps of Engineers,
Chicago District

US Army Corps of Engineers Ecosystem Restoration Programs & Partnership Opportunities

This presentation will provide information on US Army Corps’ Authorities that support non-Federal ecosystem restoration planning, design and implementation. Elements covered include types of projects and examples, qualifying partners, cost sharing requirements, time frames, and project initiation. The presentation will also give a brief update on the Section 519 Fox River Connectivity & Habitat Study.​

Frank received his Bachelor’s in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution (EEE) from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 1998, with a focus on ichthyology. That same year he began working for the USACE, Chicago District as an Invasive Species Technician. In 2000 Frank took on the role of restoration ecologist for the planning, design and implementation of ecosystem restoration projects. In 2016, Frank was selected as the USACE Lakes & Rivers Division Regional Technical Specialist for Ecosystem Restoration, where he supports the Great Lakes and Ohio River Corps Districts in their mission to implement ecosystem restoration programs.
2021
This year the Fox River Summit was part of the week-long Wisconsin Water Week's virtual event.

Our breakout session day was Thursday, March 11th
8:15 AM to 3:45 PM
The Fox River Summit has always been an opportunity to share and connect, discuss issues and successes, and most importantly have fun. This year was no exception.

Videos of the presentations for the Fox River Summit Day are on YouTube

The presentations included:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources: A State Partner Perspective​
  John Rogner - Assistant Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources​
Promoting Soil Health -On-Farm Costs, Risks, and Rewards
  Jamie Patton - Senior Outreach Specialist, Northeast Wisconsin, Nutrient and Pest Management
    Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Vegetation Management​
  Keir Peckham, President -Vegetation Management Specialist, Natural Landscapes, Inc. (NLI)
100 Years Later: Fox River Photo Canoe Trip​
  Scott Johnson - Science Teacher, Oswego East High School​
Development of Water Quality Model to support Fox River Implementation Plan
  Rishab Mahajan, Geosyntec Consultants andCindy Skrukrud, Fox River Study Group
Fox River & Total Phosphorus; a status update from Wisconsin DNR
  ​Nick Lent - Wastewater Engineer, Wisconsin DNR
It's Our Fox River Day Saturday - September 18th, 2021​
  Gary Mechanic - Friends of the Fox River
Snapshot Wisconsin:A trail camera project to monitor wildlife
  ​Claire Viellieux, Snapshot Wisconsin Volunteer Coordinator
    Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Salt in the Environment:Water Quality Update for the Fox River Basin
  ​Justin Poinsatte, Senior Specialist-Biologist,
    Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Links to our Wisconsin partners:

Southeast Fox River Partnership
Fox River Summit Webpage


Main Contact:     Tom Slawski   
tslawski@sewrpc.org
Presentations from Past Summits:

2019
2018
2016
See below for 2015 & 2014

2015 Summit Presentations:

Southeastern WI Fox River Commission Update Jim Pindel, Secretary SEWFRC
Fox River Study Group Update Cindy Skrukrud, Chair, Fox River Study Group
The Fox Chain O’Lakes Health Report for 2014
  Kathleen Paap, Water Quality Specialist, Lake County Health Department’s Environmental Services Unit
Using Geomorphology in Stream Assessment and Restoration Andy Selle, Inter-Fluve
Nippersink Creek Watershed…Getting projects done! Randy Stowe, Nippersink Watershed Association
Fox River Water Action Volunteer Monitoring Program on the Wisconsin Side
  Jayne Jenks, Program Coordinator, Waukesha County Parks and Land Use
Meeting Municipal EPA Responsibilities With Students & Social Media
  Gary Swick, Friends of the Fox River & Deb Perryman, Elgin High School Teacher
The Rock River Trail Initiative: Its History, Vision and Goals Frank Schier, Founder and Coordinator of the Rock River Trail Initiative
Establishing and Promoting a System of Recreational Trails for the Rock River
   Greg Farnham, Coordinator of the Rock River Trail Initiative
•  USEPA 9-Element Watershed Management Planning
    9 Key Elements Andrew Craig, WDN
    Watershed Planning in Northeast Illinois, Holly Hudson, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
    Watershed Guide Andy Yencha, UW-Extension
How to Talk To and Engage Farmers in Watershed Planning Buzz Sorge, Program and Policy Analyst, WDNR
Clear Choices Clean Water Jill Hoffmann theWhiteRiverAllliance.org
Conserving Cranes, Waters, Landscapes and People Worldwide Jeb Barzen, International Crane Foundation, Director of Field Ecology
 
Article about the 2015 Summit in Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine

2014 Summit Presentations:

Summit Overview Tom Slawski, SE WI Regional Planning Commission, Southeast Fox River Partnership
FREP Presentation Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller, President
How Green Infrastructure Can Protect Water Quality Tom Price, Conservation Design Forum
• Kane County Green Infrastructure Plan  Karen Miller, Kane County & Dennis Dreher, Geosyntec Consultants
    Miller Link     Dreher LINK
Streambank Stability & Riparian Buffer Inventory and Prioritization on the Middle Fox River Geoffrey Parish, GRAEF
Fish Populations in the Lower Fox River Steve Pescitelli, Region II Stream Specialist with the IDNR
Nutrient Reductions and Dam Removal: Developing an Implementation Plan to Address Dissolved Oxygen and Algae Problems in the Fox River Rob Linke, P.E., Fox River Study Group, Inc. Board of Directors
Habitat Management Guidance for Amphibians and Reptiles Bruce Kingsbury, Indiana-Purdue University
• National Water Trail Systems & technical program assistance to help communities develop water and land trails  Part 1   Part 2
   Angie Tornes, National Park Service, Rivers & Trails Program
USGS' WaterSMART initiative program Eric Evenson Coordinator, USGS National Water Census LINK


Search