USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center Tour

We recently attended the Wisconsin Library Association's Annual Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  One morning, along with a group of fellow attendees, we boarded a bus and headed to the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) for a tour.  The UMESC works with a wide range of partners to conduct applied research essential to solving natural resource management problems.  UMESC is also the science leader of the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP), the Nation's largest river monitoring program with six remote state-operated field stations.

Our tour presented a fascinating overview of their facilities, their various research projects underway, and resources available to environmental scientists, educators, librarians, and the public.  The Center maintains a research fishery with representatives of every species of fish known in the Upper Midwest region held in large tanks.  A separate secure room houses tanks with Asian Carp, as they are conducting research to develop new methods for controlling  and mitigating the effects of these aquatic invasive species through chemical, biological, or physical means.  Our tour concluded with the center's library and a presentation by their Librarian, Lisa Hein.

A fascinating tour and all are encouraged to schedule their own visit of the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and to use their numerous online resources.

Wisconsin's Water Library's Facebook Photo Album from the tour here
UMESC Aquatic Invasive Species Control Programs webpage here
Consult our Water Research Guide on Invasive Species here