Newsletter devoted to Stewardship of the Lower Red Cedar River Basin

Transcription

1 Lake Talk Newsletter devoted to Stewardship of the Lower Red Cedar River Basin Tainter/Menomin Lake Improvement Association, Inc. (TMLIA) P. O. Box 185, Menomonie, WI Fall 2016 Zerr receives Good Neighbor Award UW-Extension Educator Dan Zerr was honored with the 2016 TMLIA Good Neighbor Award at the Annual Meeting on Oct. 15, Zerr is recognized as a dedicated educator, inspired leader and friend of TMLIA for his contributions to our water resources in the Red Cedar Basin and across Wisconsin. Zerr facilitated the successful development of A River Runs Through Us the EPA approved TMDL Implementation Plan for Lake Menomin, Tainter Lake and the Red Cedar Basin to reduce phosphorus by 65 percent. He was instrumental in expanding collaborations with upstream partners in the effort to improve water quality. Since the beginning, Zerr contributed to the success of the Red Cedar watershed conference and supported the $600,000 Red Cedar Assessment for Water Quality Improvement Grant (Army Corp of Engineers, Barron County, Dunn County, TMLIA, UW-Stout, UW-Extension, WDNR and West Central Wisconsin Planning Commission). Inside This Issue... 2) Annual Meeting Wrap Up and Photos 3) Lake Currents & Ripples 4) Message from TMLIA President 5) TMLIA s Actions & Accomplishments 6) Menomonie Rotary Gives Grant to TMLIA 6) Membership Calendar Available for ) Business Responds to Runoff Concerns 7) County Land and Water Plan Completed 8) Lakeside Park s Rain Garden Installed TMLIA president Ron Verdon presents Dan Zerr with the Good Neighbor Award on Oct. 15 at the organization s annual meeting. He also supported and shared his extensive knowledge on Red Cedar Erosion/Habitat Project and Civic Organizing for Watershed and Lake Management Project. Zerr s also a contributing member of the Chippewa Valley Storm Water Forum-Rain to Rivers and frequently presents on water quality and civic governance topics throughout Wisconsin. Zerr recently initiated and supported video documentation of the Lakeside Rain Garden on Lake Menomin (see more information on page 8) and helped with the installation of the infiltration garden. Zerr is a key player in improving water quality in the Red Cedar Basin. He has helped shape a brighter future for Lake Menomin, Tainter Lake and the Red Cedar Basin.

2 Meeting format makes for good conversation TMLIA s Annual Meeting organizers changed the event s format this year. Nels Paulson, TMLIA s vice president said they wanted to make it less presentation heavy and more focused on dialogue amongst all the people who attended. It seemed like many new, productive conversations emerged among a lot of people, both board members and regular members, said Paulson. Around 40 people attended the meeting on Oct. 15, at the Stout Ale House in Menomonie. This kind of format will not only help the board be more innovative and productive but it will help usher in a more social component to TMLIA that people seem excited about, said Paulson. The organization offered childcare during the meeting to encourage people to attend and engage. We might have otherwise missed out on their insight, said Paulson. He hopes that the organization can continue with this format on a regular basis, perhaps beyond annual meetings. Lake Talk 2

3 Lake Currents & Ripples TMLIA helps with Water Pollutions and Solutions film TMLIA was contacted by Jim Vandenbrook, Executive Director of Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation, to assist with the development, interviews and filming of a documentary Water Pollutions and Solutions about Tainter Lake and two other Wisconsin locations. The film, produced by Discover Mediaworks, featured local residents and WDNR staff regarding water quality on Tainter Lake. Local science teachers, Dunn County Land and Water Conservation staff and TMLIA members served as resources to get the content of the video into the curriculum of schools in our state. Included in the discussions were Amber Georgakopoulos, Sarah Freeman, Dick Lamers and Ron Verdon of TMLIA; Paul Verdon, Menomonie Middle School; Mark Mosey, Colfax High School and Lindsay Olson, Dunn County Water Quality Specialist. You can see the video here: Organization develops plans for state water efforts The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association has put together a steering committee that will develop direction for state efforts related to water. Dick Lamers is representing TMLIA and the Red Cedar watershed conference. Four sub-committees have been developed with about 25 people from across the state. Lamers is one of three co-chairs along with Paul Zimmerman of the Wisconin Farm Bureau and Jim Baumann, retired WDNR water specialist leading the Surface Water Quality team. They met in Stevens Point in August in Wisconsin Rapids in November. The association expect to have goals and action plans developed by June of SAVE THE DATE: Watershed conference on March 9, 2017 The fifth annual Red Cedar: Land Water and People Coming Together conference will take place on March 9, Conference organizer, Dick Lamers said that people leave the conference energized. They come away understanding there are ways to make the watershed better and individuals can find their role in how to make that happen, Lamers said. The 2017 event will have three keynote sessions and six breakouts to choose from. The keynote speakers include: Jimmy Bramblett, State Conservationist, Wisconsin Natural Resources Conservation Service; Kathleen Dean Moore, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Emerita Oregon State University; and University of Wisconsin-Stout faculty members Nels Paulson, Tina Lee and Chris Ferguson. Look for details on the conference website: Faces of TMLIA Name: Liz Usborne City you live in: Menomonie TMLIA member: Since 2014 Why did you join TMLIA? I moved here from Mississippi where I did my Master s research on the same problems facing the Red Cedar and Lakes Tainter and Menomin, only scaled up to include the entire Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. I saw the similarities and wanted to bring my skill set to the table along with the already engaged and talented members to help solve these complex problems. Anything else you care to share? This is a beautiful area, and after living everywhere from Key West, Florida to Fairbanks, Alaska, this is the place I want to call home. I don t want to ever take for granted the privilege of living so close and having such easy access to the natural resource treasures that are our lakes If you d like to be featured in Faces of TMLIA, your information and responses to the questions above along with a headshot to Kate Edenborg at edenborgk@uwstout.edu. Lake Talk 3

4 MESSAGE FROM YOUR TMLIA PRESIDENT Engaging Citizens, Making Progress Together As we near the end of 2016, I am reminded of the extensive collaborations, partnerships and exciting progress being made toward improving our water resources. Citizens, members, the board of directors, businesses, farmers, agencies, students and communities pushed forward many initiatives in 2016 that will influence water quality and resources for years to come. In January 2016 the EPA approved A River Runs Through Us: Strategies for Improving Water Quality in the Red Cedar River Basin, the Lake Menomin, Tainter Lake and the Red Cedar River Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan. This plan targets a 65 percent reduction in phosphorus in the Red Cedar Basin. In March, the Red Cedar: Land, Water and People Conference brought together over 400 citizens to participate in presentations and learn about our water resources. Also in March, the three-year Red Cedar River Assessment for Water Quality Improvement Project was approved through the WDNR, the Army Corp of Engineers with matching support from TMLIA, Dunn County and Barron County. In addition, the Dunn County Board of Supervisors adopted a new Directional Plan that identified Environmental Policy with water quality and quantity as the number one initiative for the county. Save The Date! TMILA s Monthly Meetings Second Tuesday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m. Dunn County Government Center, 800 Wilson Ave., Room 58 During the summer, The National Science Foundation: Lakes: REU Project once again engaged university students from across the United States in researching key issues associated with scientific, social, cultural and economic influences in the watershed and presented the findings to citizens of the watershed. As the year progressed, the City of Menomonie installed the first of eight regional storm water ponds near the Dunn County Fairgrounds and partnered with the TMLIA, UW-Stout Blue Devil Lake Alliance and Dunn County to install a large rain garden at Lakeside Park on Lake Menomin (see page 8). These are only a few of the water quality and quantity initiatives that emerged during has been a remarkable year for progress toward improving our water resources and sets the stage for another productive year in TMLIA wishes to recognize the tremendous collaborations, commitments and leadership from so many citizens and partners. With this continued commitment, we all are helping to ensure a better quality of life for all citizens and visitors in the Red Cedar Basin. Thank you for all you do to improve our water resources. With this final 2016 edition of Lake Talk, TMLIA wishes to extend our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a joyful new year! Ron Verdon Lake Talk 4

5 Tainter/Menomin Lake Improvement Association s Recent Initiatives and Accomplishments See the full list on TMLIA.org RESTORATION Contributed to the completion of A River Runs Through Us: A Strategy for Restoring Water Quality in the Red Cedar River Basin (Lake Menomin, Tainter Lake and Red Cedar River TMDL Implementation Plan) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, January Contributed to and provided in-kind support for successful development of WDNR Lakes Protection Grant /Army Corp of Engineers Project: Red Cedar Basin Assessment For Water Quality Improvement - $600,000 approved in March Continued to facilitate erosion mitigation efforts for the Colfax Wastewater Treatment Facility, Colfax High School and the Dunn County Highway M sites on the Red Cedar River. Contributed to the Wilson and Annis Creek Watershed Restoration Project impacting Lake Menomin. RED CEDAR: LAND, WATER AND PEOPLE CONFERENCE Initiated and led the 2016 Red Cedar: Land, Water and People Conference at UW-Stout, Thursday, March 10, 2016: profed/redcedar. Initiated planning of the 2017 Red Cedar Conference-Thursday, March 9, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION Arranged for interviews and support for Water Pollutions and Solutions documentary about Tainter Lake. Organized meeting with Wisconsin Land and Water, K-12 teachers to provide guidance and interviews to support Water Pollutions and Solutions documentary for K-12 schools. Contributed to a case study on civic organizing and participated in a presentation on behalf of the Interstate Civic Organizing Agency for the Minnesota Active Citizenship Initiative (MACI). TMLIA Board members Lindsay Olson and Liz Usborne participate in the 2016 Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute. Contributed to the 2016 update of the Dunn County Land and Water Resources Plan. Provided public comment for Dunn County and Wisconsin legislators regarding water quality. Expanded social media outreach and educational programming. Provided water quality and civic organizing presentations to: Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement, WI Lakes Convention, Red Cedar Conference, Yahara Watershed Summit, Lake Wissota Association Annual Meeting, 3M, Rotary Club of Menomonie, WDNR, St. Croix Watershed Master Stewardship Program and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Participated in the St. Croix River and WI Lakes conferences. Engaged K-12 students in Earth Day and water quality activities. Provided water demonstrations and games at the Farmers Market in Menomonie, Wis. Advised Green Lake Association on civic organizing strategies. COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS Continued work on the Civic Organizing for Watershed and Lake Management Project with the Interstate Civic Organizing Agency. Participated and supported the work of the Sustainable Dunn Working Group. Supported 2016 UW-Stout Lakes REU project and research students, Presenting civic governance strategies to expand community capacity to Wisconsin Lake Leaders on October 20, Served on the Dunn County Environmentally Sensitive Areas Steering Committee. Assisted UW-Stout Blue Devil Lake Alliance with the proposal, approval and installation of the Lakeside Park Rain Garden on Lake Menomin. Secured a $2,500 3M Foundation grant to help support the Lakeside Park Rain Garden. Helped organize and support video documentation of the Lakeside Park Rain Garden by C-tv for use by Chippewa Valley Storm Water Forum-Rain To Rivers and for educational programming. Lake Talk 5

6 Local rotary club gives TMLIA grant for rain garden signage In late October, TMLIA was honored to receive a $1,250 grant from the Rotary Club of Menomonie to support signage and educational material for the Lakeside Park Rain Garden on Lake Menomin. This generous support will help provide informative signage and educational material about the recently installed rain garden. Rain gardens capture storm water from roadways, parking lots, roofs and other impervious surfaces that contain phosphorus and other pollutants that otherwise flow into our lakes, rivers and streams. Lakeside Park s rain garden will have informational signs thanks to a $1,250 grant from the Rotary Club of Menomonie. Rotary members Barb Lyon (middle) and Clint Moses present TMLIA president Ron Verdon (left) with the check. The signage and educational material will help communicate details and information to citizens and visitors about the details, function and benefits of capturing and infiltrating storm water in this rain garden. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Menomonie their continuing efforts to improve the quality of life in our community. TMLIA calendar features member photos TMLIA membership goes towards enhancing life on our lakes while helping protect and preserve our community into the future. Becoming a member of Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association could also mean you are the recipient of the organizations new calendar. Sarah Freeman led the effort to create this year s calendar. She said that they not only selected photos for each month but featured photos in other places on the calendar pages. We decided to go with thumbnails in the day boxes so we could include more submissions, and more photos, she said. Freeman also tried to make the photos relate to the month or season. If you re interested in having your photo featured in TMLIA s 2018 calendar and on our Facebook page, send your photos to Kate Edenborg at edenborgk@uwstout.edu. Lake Talk 6 Holiday Gifts? Membership chair Liz Usborne wants to make sure you know that all TMLIA memberships expire December 31, Membership renewal can makes a great gift, especially since a calendar might be included in the cost: * $20 = basic membership + a sticker * $35 = basic membership + a sticker + a calendar * $50 = basic membership + sticker + 2 calendars * $115 = bronze membership + sticker + rain gauge + calendar See back page of this newsletter for more details. Also, if you are doing any online holiday shopping, bookmark the link and Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of your purchase price to TMLIA.

7 New business responded to runoff concerns Thanks to cooperation between TMLIA, the city of Menomonie, and the new Kwik Trip construction site, tons of sediment were prevented from entering Lake Menomin in July. TMLIA members raised concerns about the conspicuous lack of stormwater runoff control measures at the large construction site at the corner of Stout Rd and 21st St E. Those concerns made their way to the city s Public Works and Building Inspector Departments. By the end of that very same week, preventative soil erosion practices were put into place. Kwik Trip installed sediment fencing, a geotextile fabric which when properly installed, causes heavy soil particles to be retained both through filtering and through the creation of a small settling basin upslope of the fence. The main benefit of sediment fencing is slowing the runoff, which causes heavier soil particles to settle out. As heavy, large-sized particles are retained, they create a build up effect, which will in turn begin to retain smaller-sized particles. The inlet protection bags are installed in storm drains, below the grate. Similar to the silt fencing, as the Dunn County s land and water plan is complete, has been heard by the Planning, Resources, and Development Committee, and has been recommended for approval by the County Board of Supervisors, who will take it up on Nov. 15. There are many components to the plan, which is available in full text at this link: file/d/0b4jtr2huvm70rfk3n2djcgnxbtq/view.under Chapter 92, all counties in Wisconsin are required to have a land and water plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to remain eligible for conservation staff funding and grants. Menomonie s newest Kwik Trip responded to concerns about stormwater runoff at the construction site this summer. bag traps sediment it will become more efficient and capture finer particles. As finer particles build up, there will be a reduction in the amount of water that can flow through, and this may eventually result in standing water or ponding. Engaged citizens, quick acting government officials, and cooperative private entities made this a successful example of steps in the right direction for the Red Cedar Watershed. 10-year land and water work plan developed The plan is essentially a broad-scale workplan for the next 10 years, In the plan we outline the priorities and resource goals indicated by the technical and citizen advisory committee members, who we invited to meet with us with several times during the planning process. The primary goals of the plan are: * Maintain, protect, and improve our surface water resources * Conserve long-term soil productivity of cropland * Protect groundwater quantity and quality * Preserve rural character, protect the environment and related natural resources for residents, visitors, and future generations * Educate and engage the public in natural resource management. For each goal, we have outlined a number of action items and resources that will be used to achieve these goals. Lindsay Olson, Dunn County Water Quality Specialist Lake Talk 7

8 Lakeside Park rain garden captures pollutants If you were launching a boat or driving by Lakeside Park on Lake Menomin in early October, you couldn t help but notice a transformation occurring near the boat launch and parking lot. In a two-week period, a new rain garden was installed to capture storm water from the large parking lot to reduce phosphorus and pollutant run-off into the lake. The project was initiated by the UW-Stout Blue Devil Lake Alliance with the assistance of TMLIA, City of Menomonie, Dunn County and Menomonie Middle School students. Urban storm water is a significant source of pollutants entering our waterways. Streets, parking lots, roofs and other impervious surfaces accumulate phosphorus, salt, oil and other pollutants that diminish water quality. The City of Menomonie and Dunn County provided the design assistance, engineering and the excavating of the site. The rain garden contains over 300 native plants that are deep-rooted and help filter the water before it enters the lake. These native plants include pollinators, seasonal blossoming plants and grasses. Funding for the native plants was provided by a special grant submitted by TMLIA from the 3M Foundation and 3M employees of Menomonie. We wish to thank 3M for Lakeside Park is now home to a rain gardens thanks to a $2,500 grant from the 3M Foundation. their continuing commitment to our water resources. Thanks also to UW-Extension, Chippewa Valley Storm Water Forum/Rain to Rivers and C-TV for capturing video and interviews to document this new rain garden. An added bonus to this project was the removal of a massive amount of invasive trees and plants at the site by the Lower Chippewa Invasive Partnership. It was impressive to see the volunteers identify and remove a mountain of invasive species from the site. Thanks to the group for their commitment and contributions to the site and the community. The rain garden project was initiated by the UW-Stout Blue Devil Lake Alliance. Lake Talk 8

9 Thanks to our business sponsors! TAINTER MENOMIN LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, INC. Officers Ron Verdon, President Nels Paulson, Vice President Mike Tomasek, Secretary Jackie Hunt Ben Hartenbower, Treasurer Directors Kate Edenborg Ryland Erdman Sarah Freeman Chris Gaetzke Amber Georgakopoulos Mike Kneer Lindsay Olson If your business is interested in becoming a sponsor, membership@tmlia.org. Elizabeth Usborne membership@tmlia.org Lake Talk9

10 Tainter/Menomin Lake Improvement Association, Inc. P O Box 185 Menomonie, WI Return Service Requested DO YOU KNOW OF A NEIGHBOR ON THE LAKE WHO IS NOT YET A MEMBER OF TMLIA? PLEASE PASS THIS SECTION ON TO OTHERS. Become a member of the Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association and contribute to improving our lakes. Help secure our fresh water for the future! Platinum Membership $5,000 and above Gold Membership $1,000 $4,999 Silver Membership $500 $999 Bronze Membership $100 $499 Individual/Family Membership $20 $99 Student Membership $10 (Fees are waived if 10 hours of water-related community service is completed.) ** Specific membership level benefits are explained online at TMLIA is a charitable organization exempt from taxation under section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Membership year: January 1 December 31 Lake Association Membership Application Fill out this form and send a check to: Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association P.O. Box 185 Menomonie, WI You also can join by going to and clicking Join Us. To renew, click View My Profile and select Pay Dues. Name: Address: Phone: Membership Level: $ Please keep my thank-you gift, I want my full membership to go toward improving our waters Please send my thank-you gift, I want to help spread the word and show my pride in TMLIA