Marcia Hartwig, Upper Sugar River Initiative
On May 15, the East View Heights Homeowners Association in Verona gave up their Saturday morning to work on streambank stabilization along Badger Mill Creek. This streambank erosion control work, a project of the Upper Sugar River Initiative, began with the removal of invasive species of brush and trees. Once the brush is removed, grass seed and mulch will be spread on the banks to help stabilize the soil and limit the amount of sediment that enters the creek. The East View Heights neighbors worked on the first phase of the project, which includes the section of the creek from County Highway PB to the Lincoln Street footbridge. Dave Walker of Verona City Parks, and Jim Cuccia from the East View Heights Homeowners Association organized the workday.
Sediment is one of the greatest pollutants of our waters. It consists of tiny particles of soil, flakes of metal, broken pavement, sand and other pollutants. This is called “nonpoint source” or “runoff” pollution because it comes from many small or diffuse sources rather than one exact point. Rain and melting snow carry sediment from farm fields, parking lots, streambanks, streets and gutters, roads and construction sites to lakes and streams, turning them brown and murky. Sediment causes lakes and streams to become warmer and shallower, chokes out beneficial vegetation and destroys spawning habitat, creating less productive water bodies.
Several volunteer groups, including the East View Heights Homeowners Association, Dane County Conservation League, Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation, Youth Conservation Corps and Adult Conservation Team volunteers will help remove brush and seed the banks. Volunteer help, without which the project would not be possible, is also needed on project sections from Lincoln Street to Highway M, and from Highway M to Highway 18/151.For more information on this project or the Upper Sugar River Initiative, contact Marcia Hartwig at the Dane County Land Conservation Department at 224-3746.
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| Volunteers working along the Sugar River. |
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| The girls of Troop 583 and their parents at Goose Lake. |
Girl Scout Troop 583 joined Goose Lake neighbors in early May to do some early spring trail work. Neighbor George Knutson, retired DNR Head Naturalist, explained the significance of the site to the girls and pointed out plants and animals to watch for.
Members of the Dane County Conservation League, coordinated by Jon Felly, are doing on-going streambank improvement along Badger Mill Creek. They are working on the stretch of stream that goes through Badger Prairie Park, south of Hwy 18-151. This work is part of the Upper Sugar River Watershed Streambank Project (see related article).
Two workdays in the Ice Age Trail Junction Area were held on consecutive Saturdays in April. Thirty people cleared the trail from the woods just north of the MAYSA soccer fields almost to Hwy. PD. Tom Gross from the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation served ably as crew leader, and commented, “This was one of the most productive workdays I’ve been involved with.” Eventually this segment of the Ice Age Trail will connect with Badger Prairie Park and then down to Prairie Moraine Park.
Seed scattering to plant prairies in the Ice Age Trail Junction Area took place in March. Helping out were Ruth Fahnestock, Dick Stauber, David Lawrence, Norma Ball, Earl Hazeltine, Mary Trewartha, Martha Kilgour, Lisa Bower, Bob & Jackie Geimer, Meredith Dunn, Jonathon Rooney, Kasey Gillis, Gary Werner, Melanie Lord, Erv Smith, Corinne Conner and Eric, and Dan Wood. (See related Donald Park photos on Page 2).
For Information about the Upper Sugar river Initiative contact one of the following:
Marcia Hartwig 224-3746
Mike Kakuska 266-9111
Steve Fix 275-3280 |
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