Winchester Academy presents virtual program on high-capacity wells
George Kraft will present “Record Rain, the Hydro-Illogical Cycle: More Study on High Capacity Wells” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, Hosted by Winchester Academy, this program will be virtual. It will not be held at the Waupaca Area Public Library as in the past.
The broadcast can be heard on WILW 96.3 FM or viewed on WIN-TV, Facebook Live or YouTube. Viewers can visit www.winchesterwaupaca.org for a hotlink to the program.
Questions to the speaker may be submitted via Facebook or phoned in to 715-942-9917 during the program.
The last six years have been the wettest on record. Though the excess precipitation has driven water levels and streamflows to historic highs in some places, Kraft maintains that people will have to worry about how high-capacity well pumping is drying lakes and streams when rains become normal.
Wisconsin may be on the verge of a new era of managing groundwater pumping amounts for healthy water bodies.
“But don’t count on it yet – there’s politics here,” Kraft said.
Kraft is a hydrologist and water policy expert working on groundwater sustainability.
He is an professor emeritus of water resources and former director of the Center for Watershed Science and Education at UW-Stevens Point. His ongoing research and outreach are devoted to how unmanaged groundwater pumping is drying Central Wisconsin lakes, streams and wetlands.
Kraft’s program is sponsored by Vance and Ann Linden.