Planning Committee

Educational Partners

Engineering

Local and state government

Other local representatives

The Department of Natural Resources, the counties of Richland and Sauk, the towns of Spring Green and Buena Vista, together with the engineering firm of Jewell and Associates have partnered with the Nelson Institute of the University of Wisconsin – Madison to explore, and discuss the water issues associated with the western basin of Spring Green. This cooperative endeavor brings together governmental, educational, and private industry partners with local farm representatives and environmental activists to address the as of yet unresolved issues surrounding the western basin.

Educational Partners

The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies fosters interdisciplinary scholarship consistent with the ideals of the Wisconsin Idea - the boundaries of the university are the boundaries of the state where there is an obligation to solve the problems for all citizens of the state. It is in the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea that the Nelson Institute is partnering with local government and citizen groups to deal with issues that have eluded resolution to date. The Nelson Institute has been a pioneer in interdisciplinary studies, and it has been an incubator, laboratory, and model of collaborative education, inquiry, and public service for over 40 years.

Peter Nowak, Professor of Environmental Studies will lead a team of professionals, researchers, and educators from the Nelson Institute to explore this issue. Steve Pomplun, Assistant Director for Community and Alumni Relations; and Fred Madison, Professor of Soil Science at the Wisconsin Geological Natural History Survey round out the educational partners on the planning committee. 

Engineering

Jewell Associates Engineers, Inc., is a professional engineering, planning and surveying company founded in 1993 in Spring Green, Wisconsin. In 2008 they opened an office in Wisconsin Rapids to better serve an expanding group of clients in central and northern Wisconsin. Over the years the company has grown to become a leading regional provider of transportation, civil and structural engineering services. Their surveying and land planning services provide developers and local units of government with the tools they need to move their projects forward from the planning stages to design and construction. Site design, stormwater management, renewable energy site assessments, water system and wastewater treatment improvements are among their other areas of expertise.

Greg Jewell, founder and lead engineer, and Don Greenwood, grant specialist join the planning team. Jewell Associates has extensively studied the water basin issues in Spring Green with their project partner Montgomery Associates.

Rob Montgomery founded Montgomery Associates: Resource Solutions, LLC in 1998 to specialize in water resources engineering and management. Through a multi-disciplinary staff combined with a think-tank atmosphere, MARS provides a flexible, diverse, and experienced approach to difficult water resources problems, especially those that require "connecting the dots" between different technical areas and regulatory programs.

Montgomery Associates service areas include stormwater management, erosion and restoration, rivers and streams, lakes and wetlands, and groundwater. They are involved with projects that require public participation, and are experienced in communicating complex information and working with a wide variety of people in high profile and emotional situations to develop mutually agreeable solutions.

Local and state government

Martin F. Krueger, Sauk County Board Chair
Don Stevens, Sauk County Supervisor, District 22; and Chair of the Drainage Board
Ann Greenheck, Richland County Board Chair
Dennis Polivka, Town of Spring Green Chair
Ken Johnson, Regional Water Leader, South Central, DNR
Andy Morton, Basin Supervisor, DNR
Joe VanBerkel, Sauk County Land Conservationist

Other local representatives

Mark Cupp, Executive Director, Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board
Don Hartung, Owner, Operator, Local Farm