Building Trust and Finding Common Ground with Todd Feenstra
Pumping from groundwater and surface water sources is increasingly restricted in Michigan and often inspires concerns and even heated rhetoric in meetings and the news media. The ability to be an effective participant in Site-specific Reviews, Water User Committees, and in legal mediation depends on building communication skills and trust. Growers need to be equipped with knowledge, tools, and data to navigate even tense meetings with confidence and calm. We will equip the attendees with real-world data on pumping impacts, simplify the technical jargon to improve their understanding and ability to communicate, discuss frequently used arguments and strategies we’ve encountered over the past 15 years, and provide an update on proposed changes to the Mi-WWAT and what to expect in the near future.
Thursday, January 30
11:00am-11:45am
Traverse City/Saugatuck Room
About the Speaker
Todd Feenstra
- President and Owner of Tritium, Incorporated (hydrogeologic consulting)
- Director of Midwest Water Stewards
- LPG, Licensed Professional Geologist (Indiana)
- CPG, Certified Professional Geologist (Michigan/Indiana)
Mr. Feenstra has nearly 25 years of experience in developing, managing, and protecting high-capacity groundwater supplies in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. He has worked with groups of growers across all of Michigan and Northern Indiana since 2009 to monitor and model groundwater-surface interactions and the environmental impact of irrigation wells. He has testified to both the Indiana and Michigan Congress and helped craft groundwater legislation. He serves a board member of the Michiana Irrigation Association and as a technical advisor to the Michigan Water Use Advisory Council. He oversees the monitoring well and stream monitoring network of Midwest Water Stewards which currently operates over 225 active monitoring wells and monitors nearly 350 stream sites across Michigan and Indiana.
