Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council

Subcommittee Activities

The GCC is directed to "serve as a means of increasing the efficiency and facilitating the effective functioning of state agencies in activities related to groundwater management". The Subcommittees of the GCC carry out this charge by regularly bringing together staff from over 15 different agencies, institutions, and organizations to communicate and work together on a variety of research, monitoring, data management, mapping, educational, planning, and local government issues.

In 2011 the GCC streamlined its subcommittee structure to more efficiently carry out its charge. The following two subcommittees perform the functions that the four previous subcommittees carried out.

Research & Monitoring Subcommittee Activities

1. Evaluate proposals received through joint solicitation process (A standing workgroup will be named to do this).
2. Identify gaps in existing research based on agency needs/priorities.
3. Provide research and monitoring needs to the GCC for inclusion in Report to the Legislature and Joint Solicitation.
4. Track ongoing GCC-coordinated research as well as non-GCC research that addresses priorities and provide updates to GCC.
5. Review accessibility and quality of data to meet agency needs.
6. Recommend improvements to existing monitoring and data management systems to address agency needs.
7. Recommend new issues to the GCC.

Outreach & Partnership Subcommittee Activities

1. Assure coordination of outreach efforts to the public.
2. Review existing communication strategies and identify audiences to meet public information needs.
3. Make research and monitoring findings more accessible to the public and decision makers e.g. work with researchers to present short webinars on priority issues and related research.
4. Support efforts to integrate groundwater protection and management into local planning e.g. provide educational materials to local stakeholders through email and Internet links.
5. Recommend new issues to the GCC.

Contact Information

Jeff Helmuth
(608) 266-5234