By Jeré Mohr
Hello, everyone! Fall is most definitely in the air in Duluth as I write this letter, and I find myself wondering how the summer went by so fast! With many activities that had been on hold the last couple of years happening again and work taking place both at the office and at home, I found that my summer schedule filled up fast, and I imagine many of you had a similar experience. I hope you had time to enjoy your favorite activities with friends and family this summer. As I enter my final few months as MGWA president, I am excited about what our organization has accomplished and what is to come for the remainder of the year.
While the spring conference seems like it was only a short time ago, preparations are in full swing for the fall conference on November 17th. The conference will be held in person for the first time since November 2019 and it will be great to connect (without Zoom!) after a long hiatus from in person gatherings. Due to changes at the University, the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul campus was not available, and the conference will be taking place at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. It is timely that we will be able to gather in person because 2022 is MGWA’s 40th anniversary, giving us an opportunity to celebrate together after the conference. Following an engaging conference program that will wrap up a little bit earlier than usual, please plan to stay for informal social time to connect with colleagues over appetizers and beverages. Admission to the social event will also be available for those not able to join us for the conference. You will also have an opportunity to contribute to the MGWA Foundation during the social event.
The theme of the upcoming fall conference is “Minnesota Mining and Water Resources.” While I must acknowledge some bias because much of my work in recent years has focused in this area, I think that anyone with an interest in the state’s water resources will find the conference to be interesting and relevant. Mining of industrial and metallic minerals contributes significantly to Minnesota’s economy and large mineral reserves position the state to continue to play a key role in meeting future global demand. Understanding, predicting, and managing the potential impacts from mining on the state’s water resources presents complex challenges that lie at the intersection of science, engineering, and public policy. While the final agenda is still being developed, the conference will feature presentations from those working on these challenges – from characterizing the complex hydrogeological and geochemical settings encountered during mining, to using site data and models to assess potential impacts from mining activities, to identifying approaches to address water quality concerns. I hope you’ll join us on November 17th to learn more and contribute to the conversation.
I would like to take a moment to thank Bruce Olson, Jeff Stoner, and Paul Wotzka for working with the Minnesota Well Owners Organization to coordinate well water quality screening clinics across the state this summer and early fall. In addition, thank you to the MGWA members who volunteered at the clinics and helped make them a success. These clinics are a great outreach opportunity for MGWA and support our mission to educate the public on groundwater resources. Thank you all!
Thank you for your continued support of MGWA. I hope to see you at the conference and the 40th anniversary celebration this fall!
MGWA is committed to developing a just, equitable, and inclusive groundwater community. Click on the button below to read MGWA’s full diversity statement.
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