Rock River Recovery - July Newsletter

ROCK RIVER RECOVERY

Monthly TMDL Implementation Update

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2018

July
“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” –John F. Kennedy

July Heat

Calendar

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30:  Clean Lakes Alliance "Paddle for a Purpose"

July 11:  Blue-Green Algae - Yahara Lakes 101

July 12:  Grazing Workshop

July 28:  Shoreline Swim - Clean Lakes Alliance

Aug 3:  Weather Extremes and Agriculture Field Day - Dodge County Farmers

Aug 8:  Waubesa Wetlands - Yahara Lakes 101

Sep 12:  Yahara Lakes 101 - Clean Lakes Alliance

Oct 10:  Yahara Lakes 101 - Clean Lakes Alliance

Oct 16-19:  WI Wastewater Operator's Conference  

Nov 7-9: WAFSCM Annual Conference


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DNR Quick Links

Rock River Recovery

TMDLs FAQ

What is a TMDL?

Impaired Waters

Water Quality Trading

Adaptive Management

Phosphorus Rule

WEBINARS 

   

DNR Contacts

Project Manager 

Ag Nonpoint

Monitoring

Outreach

Stormwater

Wastewater 


Newsletter Archive

Newsletter Archive

Gov Delivery
Dodge County Farmers
Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Water invite you to Join them for a meal and an opportunity to find tools for improving your fields soil condition while improving water infiltration and keeping soil in place.

  

Weather Extremes and Agriculture

Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Water are hosting a field day for Farmers and Agriculture Professionals on Friday, August 3rd to;

  • learn about tools for improving your fields soil condition while improving water infiltration and keeping soil in place
  • learn about impacts of weather extremes on agriculture
  • see how cover crops and other soil-health building principles can be put in place on large-scale working farm operations,
  • and visit with other farmers and agricultural professionals for fun, networking, and sharing a meal.

Date and Time:

Fri, August 3, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT

Location:

Hammer & Kavazanjian Farms

W7591 County Road E

Beaver Dam, WI 53916


Sector Team Updates 

Manure Injection

Ag/NPS

Hiemstra Dairy Improving Soil Health and Water Quality in Fond du Lac County

Josh Hiemstra, of Hiemstra Dairy Farm in the Upper Rock River Basin, has been farming all of his life. He farms in partnership with his wife, 2 children and father near Brandon, Wisconsin. Hiemstra Dairy milks 180 Holsteins and farms 530 acres. Josh has been very conscientious of making sure that his operation uses sound conservation practices that help his land, while also being sustainable. 

Measuring and monitoring your pasture workshop

You are invited to a series of pasture walks in partnership with Madison Area Technical College (MATC) at the teaching farm located at Fountain Prairie Farm, part of MATC's new program titled Sustainable Farm to Table: Modern Meat Production, a one-year technical diploma. Read more about the program here. 

The next walk is on Thursday, July 12, 2018, 9 am-12 pm, at 1901 WI-16, Fall River, WI, focused on Implementing Your Grazing Plan -- Measuring, Monitoring, and Adjusting.  Topics will include;

  • how to use the grazing stick to determine paddock size, herd size, or stocking period in each paddock,
  • how to plan grazing moves by constructing a grazing wedge,
  • lastly, connecting record keeping systems to an evaluation of cost of production.

New Grazing Broker Networking Website

DODGEVILLE, WI ­- Southwest Badger RC&D has just launched grazingbroker.org. The new online tool seeks to connect owners of land with livestock farmers to recruit the next generation.

"Getting matched with a retiring farmer or landowner is one of the first major steps that young farmers need to start their own operation, so this resource is perfect for those struggling to find a suitable place to settle down and farm" says Robert Bauer, Southwest Badger Grazing Broker.

To start the process, users can visit the Connect section of the grazingbroker.org website to fill out an online profile. Once the profile is approved by the Grazing Broker, the details and contact information in the profile are only visible to registered users, although the city, state, and acreage information for land seekers and landowners can be viewed in the publicly searchable database.


Monitoring

Monitoring

"Blue-Green Algae"

Cyanobacteria, commonly known as “blue-green algae,” can close our beaches, damage the lake ecosystem, and even release dangerous toxins into the water. It can be all sorts of colors – blue, green, red, brown and sometimes with an irridescent sheen – and even look like floating globs or cut grass in the water. So what is cyanobacteria?

Expert speaker Trina McMahon, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UW-Madison, will cover the knowns and unknowns and what this means for your day at the beach. RSVP today to learn all there is to know about this enigmatic and ancient bacteria at this month’s Yahara Lakes 101 talk. We welcome audience questions!

Blue-Green Algae Fact Sheet


Outreach

Outreach

Real Time Beach Conditions

Is it a good day to head to the beach? With so many beaches in the greater Madison area, how is one to decide? What are the conditions at a specific beach? Is my favorite beach open or Closed?

Clean Lakes Alliance, along with a number of community partners, has developed a "real time" beach and water quality reporting portal called;

Beach Forecast

All of us wish to enjoy clean, safe and picturesque beaches. To learn about volunteer opportunities or to help cleanup our beaches, contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@cleanlakesalliance.com. Below are some tips for keeping our beaches clean and healthy:

  1. Place all garbage and recyclable waste into their appropriate containers. Garbage and food waste attracts birds and other pests, which can lead to bacterial contamination.
  2. Have children wear waterproof diapers and be sure to change the diapers frequently.
  3. Enjoy cookouts in designated areas and properly dispose of charcoal waste.
  4. Keep dogs away from pet-restricted areas and be sure to clean up after your pet.
  5. Remove litter and debris from the water or on adjoining beaches.
  6. Please avoid swimming if you are not feeling well.

Check out the get involved page to find ways that you can help keep our beaches clean and enjoyable for everyone.


Storm Pond

Stormwater

Rock River Stormwater Group

The Rock River Stormwater Group represents the collective efforts of a number of communities in the Rock River Basin to reduce stormwater runoff from urban areas and improve water quality of the Rock River and its tributaries and lakes.  The communities coordinate education and outreach activities via a partnership with UW Whitewater called Protect Wisconsin Waterways, and include;

  • City of Waupun
  • City of Beaver Dam
  • City of Jefferson
  • City of Fort Atkinson
  • UW-Whitewater
  • City of Whitewater
  • City of Milton
  • City of Janesville
  • Town of Beloit
  • City of Beloit

Protect Wisconsin Waterways is committed to educating the public about the impact of stormwater on Wisconsin's waterways.  For the summer, the group has come up with eight simple recommendations for homeowners to manage grass clippings;

  1. Leave them on the lawn
  2. Animal feed
  3. Compost
  4. Lawn clipping tea
  5. Mulch
  6. Raised beds
  7. Natural Dye
  8. Recycling center

Wastewater

Wastewater

EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.