Following an amazing kickoff year in 2017, Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Water, along with the Dodge County Alliance and numerous supporting partners, are pleased to announce their second Soil Health Workshop, Wednesday February 7th, at the Juneau Community Center. Building on the soil health workshop in 2017 and successful field trials, this year's agenda includes;
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Advanced Soil Health Principles: Join Ray Archuleta and Justin Morris for in-depth discussion of soil biology and the importance of your farm's soil health in building organic nutrients, water holding capacity, and crop productivity.
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Cover Crops - How and Why: Hear from local farmers as they share their experiences with field trials for inter-seeding, frost-seeding and fall seeding cover crops.
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Cover Crop Incentive Program: Learn about the new Cover Crop Incentive Program developed by farmers, for farmers, with the Dodge County Farmer's for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water
Details
Special Event for Farmers - Follow-up Shop Talk, Thu Feb 8th
- Included with your registration,
- Thursday February 8th, 9:30-2:30
- Private gathering for farmers to work together and discuss the benefits and challenges of bringing soil health practices into working farms.
- Talk 1-on-1 with soil health experts. What is easy? What is more challenging? How can I save money? Where can I get the most bang for my buck? Ask your neighbors, share ideas, let's build the strength of our farm community by working together.
- See the BROCHURE for more info
Excess sedimentation from agricultural sources degraded water
quality and habitat in Pleasant Valley Branch. As a result, the entire
creek was added to Wisconsin’s 1998 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) impaired waters list
for degraded habitat. The Dane County Land and Water Resources Department (LWRD) led efforts
to implement best management practices (BMPs) to control sediment from agricultural nonpoint
sources, which resulted in improvement in this nearly 6-mile-long stream. As a result, Pleasant
Valley Branch was removed from the state’s impaired waters list in 2016. Read the story here
NRCS will accept applications
for enrollment in the nation’s biggest conservation program, the Conservation
Stewardship Program (CSP). Through CSP, NRCS helps private landowners build
their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the
sustainability of their entire operation.
Applications must be received
by March 2, 2018 to be considered for this funding period. Read more
February 27, 2018
Holiday Inn, Steven’s Point, WI
Information
and Registration
This conference will be
geared toward helping Wisconsin farmers more successfully use cover crops on
their farms. There will be something for everyone, from farmer’s that
have never tried cover crops to veteran cover croppers. Many of the
presenters will be Wisconsin grain and livestock farmers speaking from
experience about what has worked and hasn’t worked in their Wisconsin cropping
systems. This will be an exciting conference with lots of time built in for
farmers to interact and learn from each other.
Registration: The
registration fee prior to Feb 1 is $40 per person and $55 per person after
that.
SnapPlus 17 Beta Release is now available and includes a number if improvements for usability and the programmable parameters to demonstrate compliance with the 2015 590 NM Standard. SnapPlus 17 and SnapMaps is available for free download. Visit the SnapPlus website
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New Zealand Mudsnails (NZM) were discovered in 2017 in Mt Vernon Creek in SW
Dane County and Rowan Creek near Poynette, Columbia County. NZM were previously found in Badger Mill Creek (2016) and
Black Earth Creek (2011, identified in 2013) both in Dane County. Both the Mt Vernon and Rowan Creek populations were found during WDNR routine benthic sampling in
2016 and 2017 samples (ID in fall 2017), and verified by volunteer stream monitors in 2017. Samples were confirmed by UW Steven's Point and an independent taxonomic expert. At this point, density in both areas is very low.
The impacts of NZMS can include:
- grazing on algae for food, but will also
eat detritus,
- may outcompete native macroinvertebrates,
- may alter nutrient dynamics in streams,
- may reach very high densities (300,000 per square yard)
The spread of NZMS and other invasive species
can be stopped by taking these actions:
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INSPECT your equipment for plants, animals, mud
and debris,
- REMOVE all plants, animals, mud and debris from
your equipment,
- DRAIN all water for equipment and dry as much as
possible,
- Additional steps, such as scrubbing your gear
(especially boots) with a brush, freezing your gear, or soaking it in 140°F
water,
- Organizations can help by building boot cleaning
stations to place near water access points and providing information, such as
New Zealand mudsnail watch cards to businesses frequented by stream users,
including trout fishermen
Response efforts
- WDNR will be considering monitoring other
high-risk areas
- Regional partners have been contacted with the
news of the initial discovery
- Upper Sugar River Watershed Association is
currently involved in grant funded monitoring in that watershed
- Regional partners will be provided these talking
points and a press release to share with membership and their own partners
locally
- WDNR and partners will meet to discuss
educational/outreach efforts as well as possible follow up monitoring if needed
MADISON - Work on developing a plan to guide inland trout management in Wisconsin over the next decade is getting underway, with an advisory team helping the Department of Natural Resources with that task meeting Jan. 27 for the first time. For more information...
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Tall
Pines Conservancy announces Regional Conservation Partnership Program Award
Tall Pines Conservancy has been awarded a federal Regional
Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project.
RCPP provides funding to locally driven, public-private partnerships
that improve the nation's water quality. Applicants must
match or exceed the dollar amount of the federal award with private or local
funds.
This local
project, led by Tall Pines Conservancy (TPC), will use Agricultural
Conservation Easement Program Agricultural Land Easements funding to acquire
farmland easements at three different project sites in the watershed totaling more
than 250 acres. Environmental Quality Incentives Program land practices will
mitigate natural resource concerns at each project location. For more information, contact Susan Buchanan.
Working Together for Wisconsin's Water: Balancing Industry, the Environment and Public Health
March 8 - 9, 2018 at Paper Valley Hotel, 333 W College Ave, Appleton, WI 54911
Rooms at the hotel can be reserved by calling 920-733-8000 and ask for the room block "WI AWRA". Room rates are $82 for a single or $105 for a double. Rooms are tax-exempt with proper identification.
On-line Registration form
On-line Group Registration form
The early bird registration rate is available until February 16th. Registration for professionals and students increases to $135 and $70, respectively after the early registration deadline.
Conference Registration Information
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MS-4 eReporting
New features include:
- submittal of Annual Reports for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits
- submittal of other permit compliance documents for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits
Benefits of electronic submittal:
- No mailing costs
- Ability to track the status of a submitted activity
- Ability to view all submitted documents online
- Access to documents 24/7/365 days of the year
- Secured web site that requires no additional software add-ons
- Improved data reporting capabilities
How to access
Water Permit Portal, choose Storm Water: http://dnr.wi.gov/permits/water/
More information about MS4 permits: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/stormwater/municipal/
Additional information and resources for MS4 eReporting: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/stormwater/municipal/eReporting.html
The MS4 eReporting Webinar, recorded on January 10, 2018, has been posted on the Municipal storm water permit eReporting web page under the User Support Tools section. The webinar provided an overview of the new MS4 eReporting system.
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Click here for the Exhibitor Application Form and Information
WWOA 52nd ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Tuesday, October 16 – Friday, October 19, 2018
Grand Geneva Resort, 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, WI
For information contact Karen at 608.355.3081
Feb. 6 & 7 Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Feb. 22 Madison Marriott West, Middleton, WI
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The Targeted Runoff Management (TRM) Grant Program offers competitive grants for local governments for the control of pollution that comes from diffuse sources, also called “nonpoint source (NPS)” pollution. Grants from the TRM Program reimburse costs for agricultural or urban runoff management practices in targeted, critical geographic areas with surface water or groundwater quality concerns.
All application materials for projects beginning in 2019 are due April 16, 2018.
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