Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact:  Kayla Bromelkamp  651-757-2468

Saint Paul, Minn. -- The 12th annual “Protecting the St. Croix Basin” conference will be held Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at the University Center in River Falls, Wisc.  The conference is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the St. Croix Basin Water Resources Planning Team.

This year’s conference features a celebration of the 100-year history of the St. Croix River Association.  The conference will also explore phosphorus reduction, which is necessary to bring cleaner water to Lake St. Croix, a 25-mile stretch of the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minn. and Prescott, Wisc.  This year, the conference will feature a musical tribute, keynote speaker Tia Nelson and an art exhibition called “In a New Light.”

The conference is open to the public.  Advance registrations will be accepted through March 25.  See www.stcroixriverassociation.org/  or call 715-635-7406 for further information and registration.  The cost is $50.00, with a special $25.00 rate for students.  Breakfast and a buffet luncheon are included.

Lake St. Croix was designated an impaired water in 2008 due to excess phosphorus.  While phosphorus is an essential nutrient in lakes, it is considered a pollutant when high levels of phosphorus stimulate excessive growth of algae or aquatic plants and impair water quality.  The states of Minnesota and Wisconsin are working together with groups in the basin to improve water quality in this important scenic and recreational lake.