balmm currents   

Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota

April 9, 2003

BALMM Meeting:

The next BALMM meeting will be held April 16, 9-12 a.m. at MPCA-Rochester. The agenda includes:

      o     9:00 - 9:30: Focus on Feedlot Fixes: Update on current 319 feedlot project, "Targeted Feedlot Runoff Reduction Project." Bea Hoffmann will review first-year progress on this 8-county initiative to implement the Open Lot Agreement. Among the data Bea will review: Of the 6,806 feedlot registrations in the 8 counties, 4,964 are eligible for the Open Lot Agreement, 3,357 are thought to be posing a potential pollution hazard, and so are priorities for the OLA; 841 Open Lot Agreements were signed as of the latter part of 2002; and the counties are working toward the goal of 90% enrolment.  Experience gained in designing and implementing fixes to feedlots enrolled in the OLA indicate that the majority can be addressed with minor improvements that cost relatively little.  Anne Spanbauer, Fillmore SWCD Engineer Technician, will provide some examples in a power point presentation.  

      o     9:30 - 10:15: Cattle in the Creek: Upstream/downstream: A report on La Crosse County base flow monitoring data to estimate the impact of cattle in streams on fecal coliform and phosphorus concentrations.  Example. Monitoring data from April 23,1998, showed fecal coliform concentrations upstream of calves in downstream pasture to be 75 organisms/100 ml. Downstream, the concentration was 12,000 organisms/100 ml. Magnitudes varied, but the pattern persists. Robert Nelson, who conducted the study, will describe how the study was designed and conducted, and how La Crosse County is using the data. 

      o     10:15 - 10:30: BREAK

      o     10:30 - 10:37: Seven Steps to Heaven: With BALMM's relentless focus on implementation, we try to keep an eye open for outstanding examples of locally led implementation to emulate - even if they come from Iowa. Jim Birkholtz, recently retired BWSR manager, once asked "Can you bottle it?"  Meaning, BALMM's reputed knack for getting things going.  Well, Jim - if you're listening - we've got it boiled down to 7 steps that go real nice with a Miles Davis piece named - guess what?  We'll quickly cover them to help set the stage for future project-crafting.

      o     10:37 - 11:00 Feedlot Fixes - Future:  The above presentations will set the stage for a discussion about the kinds of new 319 grant proposals are needed to continue implementation of the Open Lot Agreement.  The fall deadline is not that far away, and some initial ideas will be presented for discussion.

      o     (If time allows) Farm Bill Features -- Discussion of how new farm bill could support implementation of the Open Lot Agreement and other basin objectives.  BALMM has made initial contacts with NRCS about the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreements. Should we focus on feedlots, or broaden our view?  What about the Conservation Security Program?

      o     11:00 - 12:00 CREP Update: Moving Ahead - It's been about a year since BALMM developed the Southeast Minnesota CREP application. Lack of RIM funding in 2002, among other factors, seemed to put the application into a holding pattern for a while. But work progressed behind the scenes, and by the end of the year key policy and technical questions had been resolved. Now, we stand "ready to roll" with a well-targeted, top-notch application.  So what's the next step? Bev Nordby will bring us up to date on recent developments, and lead a discussion of steps we can take to help advance the SE Minnesota CREP application "on to Washington D.C."    

CREP APPLICATION AVAILABLE ONLINE: The Southeast Minnesota CREP application is now available online through the Upper Mississippi Basin Stakeholder Alliance at: http://www.umbsn.org/news/balmm_updates.shtml in pdf and doc(zip).

WINDSHIELD SURVEY:  Those who put in a fair amount of windshield time in this fair corner of the state have a chance to spot emerging farming trends in various pockets of terrain. Cover crops - presumably on harvested canning crop fields -- seem to be popping up in certain locales, such as between Potsdam and Hammond, and between Stewartville and the Rochester Airport. The landscape is dotted with tawny-brown fields of what looks like dead or dormant oat or barley stands about 6-10 inches tall. Does a great job holding down soil after the pea combines wreak havoc in mid-summer. Is this a trend?..... The preaching against fall tillage of soybean stubble seems to be paying off - in places. Along the roller coaster road from Fountain to Lanesboro, NOT ONE soybean field had been tilled. Pretty near the same driving from Rochester to Lake City, if I remember right.  It's another story between Kasson and Oslo, or between Kenyon and Faribault, and along Hwy 242 eastward into Plainview. Fall soybean tillage - and, yes, the moldboard plow -- lives on. We can, however, take some comfort in reports from two farmers in the Oslo area who no-till-drill soybeans into unworked cornstalks, then fall-till soybean stubble to prepare for corn. Year-old-plus corn stalks still can be seen the following spring. However, one of the no-tillers reported most landlords he rents from wish he would till every field in the fall - the way the neighbors do.  Apparently it still takes guts to farm ugly in certain areas, to quote the Banvel herbicide advertising slogan from the eighties...

CATTLE GRAZING IMPACTS ON TROUT: The following is from the abstract of a study by Andrew E. Zaletel, Department of Resource Analysis, St.

Mary's University, Winona, entitled Effects of Cattle Grazing and Bank Land Use Practices on Trout Populations in Three Stream Sections of the Whitewater River, Minnesota: "Agriculture and  livestock rearing have always been valuable assets to many rural communities across the United States. They provide a successful livelihood for farmers, as well as an essential resource for the general public. Agricultural and livestock impacts are especially noticeable in the Whitewater River Watershed, where use of river banks and instream habitats for cattle grazing and watering has caused severe degradation of trout populations of the Whitewater River and its tributaries. This study evaluates livestock grazing impacts on trout populations in three stream sections with varying degrees of degradation within the Whitewater River System. A Geographic Information System (GIS) approach was implemented to assess grazing and bank land use impacts on trout populations within sections of Trout Run, the Middle Branch, and the South Branch of the Whitewater River system. Trout Run had very little degradation, the Middle Branch underwent drastic habitat improvements to improved the degraded habitat, and the South Branch section was severely degraded with no control measures in place. Each of the three sample sections was divided into three land cover/land use classifications, pasture/grazing land, forest, and miscellaneous. Analysis was made on each of the sample sections using Digital Evaluation Models and Digital Orthoquad Quarter Quadrangles as overlays for the areas. Trout population data were obtained from 1996 through 1999 for 150-meter sections of the sample stream sites.  The trout population was the highest within Trout Run. The South Branch site had the lowest trout population due to the severely degraded site. These results show that the presence and extensive use of pasture/grazing land adjacent to streams without the use of any control measures directly affects the trout population." It should be noted that other research has shown that managed intensive rotational grazing can be compatible with maintenance of high water quality and stream habitat, and that well-managed pasture tends to result in less runoff and pollution than row cropping under conventional management in areas with high erosion potential.   

CLIMB ABOARD THE LILLY BELLE: The National Audubon Society has purchased the classic sternwheeler "Lilly Belle" to use as a river education and research vessel.  The bright red boat, nicknamed the "Audubon Ark," has come to serve as the trademark of Audubon's Upper Mississippi River Campaign, which has used the Lilly Belle since 2000 as an innovative way to bring Audubon's message of conservation and river restoration to communities along the Upper Mississippi.  This year the Audubon Ark will visit 47 communities in five states, stretching from the Twin Cities to St. Louis.

One of our first events will be a week of river education for kids in Red Wing - co sponsored by  the Cannon River Watershed Partnership and Environmental Learning Center.  We will have river cleanups from the Twin Cities down to Muscatine Iowa this summer in coordination with Living Lands and Waters.  For more details, go to www.audubon.org/campaign/umr.

                "This purchase marks the culmination of four years of work and fundraising by Audubon.  It also heralds the beginning of a new era for Audubon's presence on the Mississippi, where we continue to build a long-term constituency for the river's care and protection," said Dan McGuiness, director of the Audubon Upper Mississippi River Campaign. 

                McGuiness continued, "The Mississippi serves as a home for wildlife and a flyway for hundreds of species of birds - it is important that we protect this piece of our great natural heritage.  The purchase of the historic Lilly Belle also represents preservation of the great cultural heritage of the river, which has served for hundreds of years as a highway for all types of boats."

                The Lilly Belle is a 60-foot split paddle sternwheeler that pushes a 40-foot barge.  The hull was one of the last hulls built by the former Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works.  The Lilly Belle's pilot and former owner, Ike Hastings, designed and built her decks, cabins, pilothouse, and the barge starting in 1958.  The two have now been plying the inland rivers for nearly half a century.  This boat is the 23rd boat designed and built by Hastings, a retired art teacher, now full time river rat, who spends winter in Freeport, Ill.

                Over the past three years Audubon has worked with Hastings to take Audubon's message for river restoration and community revitalization to towns stretching from St. Paul, Minn. to Cairo, Ill.  More than 27,000 people have been involved in Audubon's river education programs and events in more than 90 communities.  The purchase of the Lilly Belle was made possible with the generous support of the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis.

                Beginning in May, Ike Hastings will again pilot the Lilly Belle as Audubon's Upper Mississippi River Campaign staff takes their 2003 Audubon Ark tour to communities large and small.  This tour will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase as well as the 100th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System. 

                During the coming months Audubon will do restoration and systems upgrade work on the boat, outfit it with exhibits and laboratory equipment, and further develop its educational and outreach programs and partnerships.  In addition, Audubon will continue to raise funds for the long-term operation of the boat through annual giving and the establishment of a Lilly Belle endowment. For additional details about the Lilly Belle and the 2003 tour, or to learn about how you can become involved as a volunteer, project donor, or program partner, visit www.audubon.org/campaign/umr <http://www.audubon.org/campaign/umr>.

Or, contact Jessie Meschievitz at 651-739-9332 at Audubon's Mississippi River office based in the Twin Cities.

AUDUBON OPENS LA CROSSE OFFICE: The Audubon - Upper Mississippi River Campaign has opened a new office in La Crosse. The office is located at 1707 Main Street, Suite 105 inside of the Grandview Center. An open house is scheduled for April 16, 6-7 pm.

The Audubon - Upper Mississippi River Campaign works on the river and in the watershed of the upper five states of the river, covering Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. Our major projects, such as the Great River Birding Trail and the Audubon Ark, aim to educate the public about the ecological significance of the Upper Mississippi River. We specialize in providing people with opportunities to get out on and along the river to experience it first hand. The new office in Wisconsin will serve as a headquarters for the Great River Birding Trail and also as a new "home" to the Coulee Region Audubon Society.

You're invited to meet staff to meet staff of the Audubon - Upper Mississippi River Campaign and local Coulee Region Audubon Society members on April 16th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. The April meeting of the Coulee Region Audubon Society will follow at 7:00 pm in the basement of the La Crosse Public Library. All are invited to join them for a special presenter and refreshments. For more information, contact: Bonnie Koop, Audubon - Upper Mississippi River Campaign

Phone: (608) 784-2992; Email: bkoop@audubon.org

Factoid of the Month: Air in a lightning stroke is heated to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This rapid heating of the air produces the shock wave that results in thunder.

Send comments and items for future editions to:

balmm currents editor: Norman Senjem, MPCA

Phone: 507/280-3592

Fax: 507/280-5513

norman.senjem@pca.state.mn.us