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The Center for Water Policy along with the 51ÁÔĆć Black Student Cultural Center and the Alliance for the Great Lakes hosted a free virtual webinar to discuss systematic barriers to outdoor recreation for Black and People of Color, and possible remedies.

Sarah Martinez, a former Water Policy Specialist at the Center for Water Policy presented her research uncovering the historical exclusion and environmental justices challenges faced by Black and People of Color in her recently published law review article, ““.

This research talk was complimented by a panel of students sharing their experiences, thoughts, and ideas in confronting these barriers moderated by Crystal Davis from the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

You can view a recording of the full webinar here:

The Great Salt Lake is shrinking – dramatically – and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment and others are litigating to get Utah to act as a trustee to stop and reverse the damage. Director Melissa Scanlan weighed in to Samantha Hawkins to discuss how the public trust doctrine can protect the Great Salt Lake.

Read the article here:

Doctrine – Bloomberg Law

Waukesha recently became the first community outside the Great Lakes Basin to access water from Lake Michigan at a cost of over $250 million. Director Melissa Scanlan emphasized the growing importance of fresh water in the 21st century to Vince Vitrano with Wisconsin’s Morning News. The Great Lakes Compact (GLC) largely prevents water removal from its natural watershed, but exceptions exist for communities like Waukesha, and there may be future challenges to the Compact if a Great Lakes state with a community outside the basin faces a water crisis. You can listen to the interview on our .

Read the full article:

– Wisconsin’s Morning News

The Center for Water Policy enters an exciting phase as it welcomes three new staff: Cora Sutherland and Rajpreet Grewal, the third cohort of postdoctoral water policy specialists through the UW Sea Grant Water Science-Policy Fellows Program, alongside the appointment of Erin Cross as the Center’s inaugural full-time Assistant Director. “We’re really excited to continue expanding our research capacity with Cora and Rajpreet joining the team while also increasing our ability to compete for grants, improve community engagement, and pursue our mission with Erin as Assistant Director,” said Melissa Scanlan, director for the Center and the Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair and professor in water policy.  

Over the next year, Cora and Rajpreet will produce original legal research and work with the Center’s external partners to analyze U.S. water issues to evaluate policy options and inform decision makers. This fellowship is intended to provide recent law school graduates with critical experience in the field of academic research and water policy development.  

Cora earned a Juris Doctorate at the University of Oregon Law School and Rajpreet earned a Juris Doctorate and Master of Science in Water Management at the University of Wisconsin. Cora is excited to bring her prior experiences in renewable energy and environmental policy to create equitable solutions to emerging water and energy challenges in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins. 

Rajpreet will be managing the Freshwater Collaborative System Water Policy Network, with support from the . “I’m eager to bring my connections within the University of Wisconsin System to expand collaboration within the Water Policy Network,” said Rajpreet.

Erin Cross brings her impressive 20-year background in management and administration to the Center as the Assistant Director. She previously served as the director of the Recreation Department with the City of New Berlin. Her extensive leadership experience, coupled with a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, positions Erin well to manage the Center’s operations. “I’m excited to bring my experiences developing inclusive programs and managing to accomplish strategic visions to a higher education environment dedicated to protecting freshwater,” said Erin.   

Together, their collective expertise and varied backgrounds promise to elevate the Center’s research capacity, grant competitiveness, and community engagement.  

The Supreme Court’s Sackett v EPA decision has resulted in a significant reduction in the scope of federal protections for wetlands. Under this ruling, wetlands are now required to exhibit a continuous surface connection to traditional water bodies such as navigable rivers and lakes to fall under federal jurisdiction. This legal development has raised concerns about potential wetland loss, which EPA is estimating to impact 63% of all wetland acres.

Director Melissa Scanlan and Water Policy Specialist Rajpreet Grewal emphasized the need for state-level policymakers to reconsider and possibly reinstate wetland protections, acknowledging the broader implications of this legal shift – in an interview on W51ÁÔĆć 89.7 FM – Milwaukee’s NPR’s Morning Edition and Lake Effect.

You can read & listen to the W51ÁÔĆć Lake Effect story and the Morning Edition interview .Ěý

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin hosted a free virtual Great Lakes Freshwater Symposium on October 3rd at noon CT where experts from Canadian and U.S. universities, including Director , discussed the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s decision’s impact on wetlands protections, research, policy, and the EPA/Corp’s WOTUS Rule revisions.

View the webinar here.

Melissa Scanlan, Director of the Center for Water Policy along with a panel of legal experts, addressed the impact of the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on wetlands protections, scientific research, legal analysis, and policy, including updates on the EPA/Corp WOTUS Rule revisions. 

This free, virtual Great Lakes Freshwater Symposium: Protecting Wetlands Post Sackett Decision brought together water researchers and students from Canadian and American universities. The Great Lakes Research Symposium, hosted by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, is a quarterly webinar series aimed at fostering collaboration, sharing scientific insights, and addressing real-world water-related challenges.

You can view the full symposium below:

Director Melissa Scanlan was interviewed by Ěý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚý to discuss how the Great Lakes Compact can be a model for approaching water management and control among states interested in pursuing a Mississippi River Compact.

– Minnesota Public Radio/Associated Press