Citizen Monitors See Need for Getting the Word Out
According to research findings from Bret Shaw, Assistant Professor of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison and Environmental Communication Specialist with UW Extension, the stream monitoring program could do a better job promoting awareness of stream health and other conservation issues in volunteers’ own communities, among conservation groups, and in local media.
Over the next couple of years, Professor show will continue his research to learn what motivates volunteer monitors and to see what kinds of program offerings would deepen volunteers’ satisfaction and commitment over time.
Now that Bret’s survey has tipped him off on where to concentrate outreach efforts for the program, he and graduate student Elizabeth Goers are busy publicizing the monitoring of individuals and local groups. At the outset, a radio piece out of Madison and an article in the Fond du Lac Reporter have highlighted citizen monitors working in those areas.
Bret hopes to lay the groundwork for continuity after his research ends. Program coordinators and volunteers will be given the tools to sustain outreach and publicity efforts, helping the stream monitoring program be more relevant and valuable to volunteer monitors in their communities.
Read the article published in Fond du Lac Reporter about citizen monitors.
Last week, American Rivers, a national river advocacy organization, released their annual list of dams removed for 2008. Once again, Wisconsin remains among the top states for dam removal in the country (though we were beat out by our nemesis Pennsylvania, which rocked the river restoration world with sixteen removals in the last year!).
Six Wisconsin dams have been removed or are being removed this year, for safety or environmental reasons, including:
Big Spring Dam on Big Spring Creek, Adams Co.
Woodley Dam on the Apple River, Polk Co.
Four Hill Flowage on Big Wiergor Creek, Rusk Co.
two unnamed dams on the Mukwonago River, Walworth Co.
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Dam on Pigeon Creek, Ozaukee Co.
While some dams are beneficial to society, many have outlived their usefulness and often do more harm than good. Communities that choose to pull out obsolete dams can benefit from better water quality, revitalized fisheries, new recreational opportunities, increased real estate values, and recovered land suitable for parks and other public use. As American Rivers president Rebecca Wodders put it, “It is time to rethink our nation’s water infrastructure. These dam removals are an example of how our communities can reap multiple benefits when we let nature work, and when we let rivers be rivers.”
Read a November 12 Capital Times article featuring River Alliance’s Helen Sarakinos.
For a full list of dams and descriptions of the projects, click here
The REALLY Big Issues in Conservation
(The conservation community's legislative priorities include tighter scrutiny of high-capacity wells to ensure groundwater springs like this one, in eastern Iowa County, don't dry up.)
Now that the election season is at last behind us, bringing some significant changes to the composition of the State Legislature, the conservation community gears up for the two-year legislative session which begins in six weeks.
Every two years the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters leads the process of settling on those environmental issues most critical for action by the Legislature, soliciting ideas and priorities from statewide and local environmental groups, hunting and fishing advocates, and citizens around the state. Two years ago passage of a strong Great Lakes Compact was the top priority, and last spring the concerted effort of the conservation community was the key to ultimate passage of the Compact. The theory is that by having conservation groups focus on a few legislative issues and work on them together, we are far likelier to get them passed.
We’re especially excited as two issues of long-term importance to the River Alliance rose to the top and were chosen as priorities:
• Providing greater protection of groundwater resources and the lakes, rivers and wetlands dependent upon groundwater
• Requiring better management of manure and other wastes in areas of the state susceptible to groundwater contamination.
You’ve heard the saga of the Little Plover River in central Wisconsin, which dried up two summers in a row due to excessive groundwater pumping by nearby municipalities and irrigators. The Little Plover is the poster child for a problem affecting lakes, rivers and wetlands across the state. Under current law, the impact of groundwater pumping on surface waters is hardly recognized. Our goal is to make sure the impact of new wells is evaluated to prevent any more Little Plovers, and to provide the means to correct existing problems.
You’ve also heard from us about groundwater contamination issues in the northeast part of the state. Two years ago several families were sickened and many more just plain disgusted as brown water flowed out of their faucets. Areas of exposed bedrock left by glaciers extend from Door County, arcing south and then northwest toward Barron County. These “karst” areas are especially susceptible to groundwater contamination, as land-applied manure and industrial and municipal sludge flows freely into cracks in the bedrock and directly to the groundwater. Wisconsin’s one-size-fits-all rules for manure management just aren’t good enough for karst areas, and we aim to establish special management zones for these problem areas.
Two additional topics round out the top conservation priorities: adopting a statewide plan for addressing climate change, and returning governance of DNR to its original intent, with an independently selected DNR secretary and prompt confirmation of Natural Resources Board members. All four of these issues will be supported by the entire conservation community and will be the main topics of discussion at the February 25, 2009, Conservation Lobby Day.
We’ll need your help to make sure these issues are at the tip of our legislators’ tongues and at the forefront of their brains until the job is done. Stay tuned, and mark February 25th on your calendars – the goal for this year is to have 600 or our kind swarming the halls of the Capitol.
Join Now and Help Save Wisconsin’s Rivers
Join the River Alliance of Wisconsin today for the introductory rate of $25, a $10 savings over the regular rate. As a member, you’ll play an active role in preserving and protecting Wisconsin’s flowing waters. In return, you’ll receive our quarterly newsletter, Wisconsin Rivers, invitations to select paddling events, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to save Wisconsin’s rivers. Questions? Email Dave Pausch, Donor Relations Manager, or click the “Donate Now” button below and join today.”
In This Issue
Citizen Monitors
Annual Dam Removal
REALLY Big Issues in Conservation
Discounted Membership Rate
Wisconsin Rivers
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