Wisconsin’s Potato and Vegetable Growers Working with Neighbors to Protect Environment

The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is working in conjunction with the Village of Plover and other stakeholders to develop and implement a Little Plover River Flow and Watershed Enhancement Plan. The plan will identify and implement solutions to improve Little Plover River stream flows and increase water retention within the Little Plover River Watershed.

“We welcome the opportunity to develop voluntary measures to improve flow in the Little Plover River watershed,” said Tamas Houlihan, Executive Director of the WPVGA. “ The potato and vegetable growers look forward to building strong working partnerships with the broader community. We appreciate the fact that the Village of Plover has initiated this project that recognizes both the importance of stream flow enhancement and the real value and needs of agriculture in the area.”

The Little Plover River Flow and Watershed Enhancement Plan will be prepared and implemented in three phases.

• Phase 1 is underway and includes data collection, site investigation and identification of potentially restorable areas and will be completed in March.
• Phase 2 will identify a wide range of solutions to improve stream flow and other conditions in the watershed, and will identify priority actions for implementation and is anticipated to begin in April.
• Phase 3 will include project development, design and implementation and is tentatively scheduled to begin in the fall of this year.

“The WPVGA recognizes that the Little Plover River is an ecological, aesthetic and recreational asset to the Portage County community,” Houlihan said. “We also recognize that there are concerns related to the long term viability of the river, and we support assisting in efforts to ensure the community’s values related to the river including fishing, scenic beauty, habitat protection and water quality are maintained.”

The WPVGA was founded in 1948 to assist its members to be successful through education, information, environmentally sound research, promotion, governmental action and involvement. The members of the WPVGA are good stewards of the environment. The WPVGA is committed to engaging in continuous improvements in agricultural environmental stewardship. WPVGA members are devoted to developing science-based solutions to environmental concerns, and firmly believe that science is a critical guide to the development of effective water policy in Wisconsin that science is a critical guide to the development of effective water policy in Wisconsin.

For more information, visit WisconsinWaterFacts.com.