2011 What Next!

Even in winter, the water flows. We may not be as aware of it, because we stay indoors more these cold, winter days where we live. But water sustains our lives, it lives within us, it is too important to ignore. With that---the Central Wisconsin Riverkeepers are attuned to---“What Next?”

Planning for next year’s water monitoring events has already been begun!

Remember we stated at the start of this year we wanted to involve a few more teams (Six to be precise!) for next year? We looked at our existing inventory and considered what we will need to affect this. A shopping list was prepared and purchases were made. We have the items we’ll need for these “new” teams now at hand. That was the easy part.

Of course, equipment is only a part of the mix. What about the necessary citizens who will provide the “waders-on, in stream” data collection, computation and data entry into the citizens-based WAV database? This is the most important part of work, true!

First, we need to assess who’s coming back for another season of monitoring. Will you be joining a team this year? Will you lead a new team? Do you want to be more involved? How can you help?

Those are good questions, don’t you think!

How many of our current leaders are up to the challenge to repeat as Stream Team Leaders? Is everyone on board to delve into this again? Were you able to accomplish your goals as a team leader? Were there any difficulties in performing this task as you wanted? I know you were asked this several times this past season because we were desperately trying to assess whether we were on target with our training and your comfort with the work.

We were told mostly, “we find this work enjoyable---the camaraderie fun---and pretty easy to accomplish.” The Group Coordinator reported, “Everyone performed the tasks without exception!”

These are good things. Now the hard question---will you return and continue your efforts for another season of WAV Level One water monitoring? Are you interested in forming one of the new teams? (I understand we’re going to have at least two school groups join us this next year and wow, are we excited about that!---More about this as it develops).

Lastly, you may have had a chance to review the Stream Data from the 2010 session. Did you have any questions relative to the data? A good place to enter your questions would be our wiki found at http://cwriverkeeper.wikispaces.com just head to the 2011 Planning Tab and feel free to add to the list there. And if you’re interested in being involved with us again, add your name to the list or contact one of the members if you don’t know how to do this. Thanks for your involvement! Happy holidays.

Wisconsin's Clean Water Future

On Thursday, a small group gathered to discuss “Wisconsin’s Clean Water Future” at Bubolz Nature Preserve Center in Appleton, sponsored by the local chapter of Trout Unlimited. The discussion was led by Melissa Malott of Clean WI, a resource protection advocate group who tries to maintain the balance between the environment and the industrialization of nature. It’s a Rubric’s cube that has many moving parts and on many levels is difficult to accomplish within the time we have in the delicate environment where we live.

Ms. Malott has been speaking out for environmental protection since I’ve known her. She gives well thought out testimony at Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) hearings when public comment is necessary to balance injustice and industry, like when corporatists inauspiciously attack the environment---or as the English philosopher, John Locke, wrote that

God gave the earth and its resources to “the Common” to use to sustain himself and to enjoy. But whatever is beyond this and more than his share; nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy.

This night her topic was water. Further, clean water will be necessary to sustain life and we need to protect its accessibility and sustainability for future generations beyond our own.

Facts and figures of degradation and depletion afford one the sense that our water is being taken for granted. Vegetable growers in Wisconsin, (It takes 52 gallons of water to grow 1 potato), Industry and agriculturists are putting straws (High Capacity Pumps) into the groundwater and returning the water worse than how they found it.

Ms. Malott. showed plenty of slides which supported her view point. Our water is filled with toxic pesticides, antibiotics, and other pharmaceuticals. Moreover, it is transferred from its natural form through cows into dairy products and hauled away by truck to other markets while nearby neighbors’ wells go dry or worse fill with E.coli bacteria (Kewaunee County, 2005).

Questions from the group were raised. How do you sell a house that’s been changed from "country living" to an industrial zone? Another, what is the value of a property after its well has been determined unsafe? Or sell a house with well-water tests resulting high in herbicides? What is the deleterious cost to our State’s economy for lost manufacturing, lost tourism, and lost home value? Many questions came regarding the CAFO at Rosendale. How do you get business with so little regard for the resources to understand that their “bad apple” behavior is adversely impacting the State’s economy?

The conversation switched to 303d-listed waters, a definition by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relative to impaired waters of the State. Lake Winnebago and the Lower Fox River are among these. And although about 1.5 million (depending on the current Census) get their drinking water here, it is listed as a “low priority” with the WDNR.

Slides of puddles of manure spread on fields near Paint Creek, (Manitowoc County) and more conversation about the Cladophora, a naturally occurring algae in Lake Michigan that incurs super-growth status and becomes noxious when charged with non-point polluted runoff nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from nearby farm fields, here’s a picture of a man in waders waist-deep in Cladophora near the shoreline of his home on Lake Michigan.

There is a plethora of problems within the natural topography—Karst—and slope to waterways in many parts of the State and the old farming practices of placing tiles in fields to get the water away from plant roots so crops would grow. Wisconsin is water. But potable drinking water is a luxury; not a given. Why is this happening here?

The Clean Water Act is enforceable. Big farms, specifically CAFO-type are only 1% of all farms in Wisconsin. They are permitted to have zero discharge. They are governed by strict Nutrient Management Plans. They have rules. But what are the consequences when things go awry? Like the Stahl Brothers farms in Door County who had a “minor manure spill” like 200,000 gallons into the Kewaunee just after 250,000 trout fingerings were planted into the same river? What was the fine? What did the owner mean when he said he was “Sorry?” And later it was disclosed that this wasn’t the first occurrence for his behavior. Why is he always “sorry” but his problems to properly manage nutrients are a burden to everyone else? What is the penalty? One pound of Phosphorus equals 500 lbs. of algae. CAFO-RD generates 60,000 lbs. of phosphorus. Hmmm.

Ms. Malott said, “Most farms have good intentions.” There’s just a few bad apples. 80 percent of the problem comes from 20% of the polluters. In Dane County 99% of the farmers are good producers. 15% of mismanaged phosphorus comes from just 4 farms in the County. One of these is a 300 to 600 cow dairy. When does the “bad apple” have to “cease-and-desist?” After all, if your business is a nuisance and a threat to public health, should you be allowed to operate that business?

So seriously, what’s the solution to all this? Where’s the outcome from all the “outrage and dread? “

The Adaptive Management Option allows all stakeholders---Farmers Bureau and Municipal support---to work together for flexible, cost effective rules that are amenable to The Clean Water Act. Such activity is being fostered today in our State’s Capitol. Perhaps we’ll be hearing more on this in the coming months. Then we can tout something positive coming out of Dane County that will impact us all.

Thank you to all who attended this program. As always, I learned something. I hope this summary is useful to those who were unable to attend. I welcome your comments.

End of Summer Projects

Whoops! Summer in Wisconsin goes by like the blink of an eye. Wow, where did it go?

So now we are at the end of summer. Our Water Monitoring Projects are at or near completion for another year. Were we successful? Did we accomplish what we set out to do?

Of course, I have less than a worldview of success. I'm told by Professor Murphy of Murf's Muddpuppy Water Monitoring Team and head Water Action Volunteer Coordinator for our CWRiverkeeper Association that 14 teams successfully updated the documentation on the WAV website for 20 locations in Central Wisconsin at a near 100% rate. (That was two weeks ago--near Labor Day.)

Our CWRiver Keepers network of enthusiastic volunteers can be proud of the effort put forth to achieve our goals. I'm also told our volunteer list of participants has grown to 109 persons. Wow. Thank you to everyone who is stepping forward to do this activity.

A few of the leaders have been meeting on a most regular basis sharing ideas about where we're headed with our organization for the upcoming monitoring season. Of course in order to finalize plans we need your input. Can you take a moment to comment here:

How many times did your team monitor?
How many teammates attended your sessions on a regular basis?
What equipment (Hach or LaMotte) did you use to collect Dissolved Oxygen?
Which test was the easiest to accomplish?
Which test do you feel most competent in performing?
Conversely, Which test is the most difficult for your team?

And if you could add any suggestions to amend the way we handle this activity.
(You can comment here below or send an email to this blog's host, we'd like to hear from you.)

Lastly, there's a CWRiverkeeper Appreciation Banquet being held on Monday November 8th at the Fin & Feather in Winneconne...details will follow. But please put this date aside. It will begin approximately at 5 PM. An RSVP is requested. (Please contact JGremmer as soon as you can about your intentions to attend.) We hope everyone can make it!

Thank you again for your efforts at Water Monitoring this season. 2010 will be remembered as the Year of the Water, no doubt! The CW Riverkeepers are off to a great start. Thanks to YOU!

Invasive Plants in our Rivers and Lakes

Today we had a workshop at Hartman Creek State Park. Though it was chilly and damp for a mid-June-end-of-spring day, it was cozy and warm inside the pavilion.

Laura from the Wisconsin River Alliance and Paul, the Regional AIS Education Specialist of Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council gave an outstanding presentation relative to PROJECT RED. (Riverine Early Detection)

Their conversation centered around Invasive Plants in our waterways, how to identify them and what to do when you find them. This is a huge topic in our pristine environment which has been invaded for years by citizens introducing invasive plants into our neighborhoods.

I had no idea that so many “aquarium items”…yes, items sold for aquariums…could find their way into our lakes, rivers and streams. More people have to understand the balance of nature, the penalties for putting “foreign materials” into the water, and the consequences of their actions. It was suggested some people actually put these types of plants into their lakes at the end of the pier to give “an aquarium appearance.” OK. That’s a NR40 violation. A 2^nd offense within 5 years is a crime with a minimum fine of $700 and a maximum of $2,000! That should get someone’s attention.

Who’s going to do something like that--probably someone who doesn’t know the rules and doesn’t understand the consequences; that’s who. Like someone buying Japanese Knotwood and planting it on their property to provide privacy in their backyard; only to find that once it takes hold it spreads and takes over the area in no time as there are no bugs (or other predators) that will keep it in check. This is NOT a good thing.

Or like Curly-leaf Pondweed that was accidently introduced when common carp were stocked in North America, who knew it would spread throughout the upper Midwest like magic: again, no predators to keep it check.

We learned a lot about invasive plant species today. Thanks to Laura and Paul for their enthused, intelligent presentation. You can check out their information at this website: www.wisconsinrivers.org

Let’s go paddling to see what we can find.

It's May, the Windy Month of May

So here we are in Camolot, King! What do you think of it?
It's May, it's may, the merry, merry month of May!

I think we should change that to the Windy, Windy Month of May! Wow. Did you ever try to flyfish in fifty mile-an-hour winds! Hold on to your hat!

It remends me of a float trip down the Green River, WY once as the drift boat was being pushed upriver above the Flaming Gorge. The boat was actually going backwards upstream! The wind was obnoxious.

My fishing partner brought along his 4-weight for catching large 'bows and browns and the sport of it. The wind hardly allowed him to cast beyond the bow of the boat. The all day float was horrendous.

That night we felt as though we had been beaten and whipped by weather so hard we couldn't wait to get out of the wind. Okay, this May seems like that! A lot like that!

If you're looking for Central Wisconsin River Keeper Water Monitoring Activities head over to here.

You'll get all the latest news from the Team Leaders and Fearless Followers who are working to monitor our waterways in Central Wisconsin.

April 25 Water Monitor Training is Postponed!!

Yes. Mother Nature decided to bless us with her presence today. She is providing much needed rain to our watershed.

Therefore, we will not be having the water monitor training at Riverview Park as planned. My, my but it is nasty out there.

Today's training in POSTPONED until next Sunday, May 2nd, same time, same place. The CWTU Riverkeeper Committee wants to provide a safe, relaxing water monitoring training. So please plan to be there next week. Thank you for your interest!

Everything's Up-To-Date with WAV Water Monitoring Kits

WHOOPS! ATTN: Team Leaders with HACH Kits!

Hello everyone: This week we received a new shipment of chemicals for the HACH Dissolved Oxygen Kits. These chemicals are new DO1, DO2 Packets and DO3 “pillows.” And a 3 500 ml bottles of Sodium Thiosulfate to replace the Sodium Thiosulfate that you have in the 3 ml bottles in your kits.

All the essential dissolved oxygen chemicals have expired within the last few months or so. So for the 2010 monitoring season, you’ll want to have these chemicals before heading out into the field for your water monitoring activities with your team members.

Yes, if you look in your existing Hach Kits, you’ll see these same items with EXPIRATION Dates--all in the past. If that isn’t true, leave a comment here or send an email because we want to be sure we’re measuring the same things as you.

So, when to exchange the ‘old’ for the ‘new?’

We’ll be collecting the old chemicals and sending them back to the UW Extension in Madison for proper disposal. (Please Don’t dump them on the ground or into the water!)

We’ll exchange them at the Training Session at Riverside Park on the East Side of Waupaca, 2 PM on SUNDAY, the 25th. We’ll try to be there early if you want to take care of this prior to the training session.

Lastly, if you notice other issues that need to be resolved please contact Central Wisconsin Riverkeepers so all can be ready for the field work that begins shortly.

Thank you for being an important of our WAV Water Monitoring efforts this year.

For the Committee, The Streamer