UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE AND FISH REFUGE McGregor District McGregor , Iowa
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
FY2005
. . . ' ,. ,. . ,. ... ,. .. - .. • Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, • McGregor District
McGregor, Iowa Fiscal Year 2005
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~ 17}. ~ s:3/- 2t56) Regional Chief, NWRS Date • INTRODUCTION
1. Location • The McGregor District is one of four districts comprising the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The District Office is located.at McGregor, Iowa with Refuge Headquarters at Winona, Minnesota. This District contains parts of Houston County, Minnesota (9617 acres); Grant, Crawford, and Vernon Counties, Wisconsin (44,411 acres); Dubuque, Clayton, and Allamakee Counties, Iowa (37,475 acres) for a total of 91,503 acres. The District covers navigation Pools 9, 10 and 11 and is 97 river miles long, extending from Dubuque, Iowa to Genoa, Wisconsin. Adjoining or nearby public land areas are: 1) Grant River Public Use Area, Potosi, Wisconsin; 2) Nelson Dewey State Park, Cassville, Wisconsin; 3) Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor, Iowa; 4) Wya1~sing State Park, .wyalusing, Wisconsin; 5) Effigy Mounds National Monument, McGregor, Iowa; 6) Yellow River State Forest, Harpers Ferry, Iowa; 7) Blackhawk Park, Victory, Wisconsin; 8) Genoa National Fish Hatchery, Genoa, Wisconsin; 9) Fish Farm Mounds State Park Preserve, New Albin, Iowa, and several smaller access areas.
2. Topography
The Refuge lies within the Mississippi River Valley which is two to five miles wide and cradled between forested bluffs, rising up to 500 feet above the River. The elevation of the valley is approximately 600 feet mean sea level.
3. Points of Interest
The McGregor District contains no large cities, but small river towns flank the river. Commercial fishing, clamming, and furbearer trapping provide income for some residents along the Refuge. Sport fishing is • the most popular recreational activity, occurring every day of the year. Waterfowl ·hunters may travel over 200 miles to participate in opening day hunts on the Refuge. As a migration corridor, the Mississippi River valley may be unsurpassed in significance.
4. Physical Facilities
The McGregor District Office/Visitor Contact Station (DO/VCS) completed in July, 1986 is located in McGregor, Iowa. Warehouse/storage areas are located at Cassville and Genoa, Wisconsin, and McGregor, Lansing, and Farmersburg, Iowa .
• INTRODUCTION
Table of Contents • Highlights Page 1. Monitoring and Studies a. Surveys and Censuses...... 1 b. Studies and Investigation ...... NTR
2. Habitat Restoration a. Wetland Restoration ...... NTR b. Upland Restoration ...... NTR c. Deep Water/Riverine Restoration ...... NTR d. Environmental Management Program ...... 4
3. ·Habitat Management a. Water Level Management ...... 4 b. Moist Soil Management.: ...... 4 c. Graze/Mow/Hay ...... NTR d. Farming...... 5 e. Forest Management ...... 5 f. Fire Management ...... NTR g. Pest Plant Control...... 5 h. Other Habitat Management ...... NTR
4. Fish and Wildlife Management a. Bird Banding ...... NTR b. Disease Monitoring and Treatment ...... NTR c. Reintroductions ...... · ...... NTR d. Nest Structures ...... NTR • e. Pest, Predator and Exotic Animal Control ...... NTR 5. Coordination Activities a. Interagency Coordination ...... ~ ...... 6 b. Private Lands Activities ...... 6
6. Resource Protection a. Law Enforcement ...... 7 b. Permits and Economic Use Management ...... 11 c. Contaminant Investigation ...... NTR d. Contaminant Cleanup ...... , ...... NTR e. Water Rights Management ...... NTR f. Cultural Resource Management ...... 12 g. Land Acquisition Support ...... 12 h. Wilderness or Special Areas ...... NTR
7. Public Education and Recreation a. Provide Visitor Services ...... NTR b. Outreach ...... 12 c. Hunting ...... 14 d. Trapping ...... : ...... NTR e. Fishing ...... NTR f. Other Public Use ...... NTR
8. Planning and Administration a. Comprehensive Conservation Planning ...... 14 b. General Administration ...... 14 c. Safety ...... 14 • d. Maintenance ...... 15 e. Volunteers ...... 15 f. Personnel ...... 15
9. Wildlife • a. Endangered/Threatened Species ...... , ...... NTR b. Waterfowl ...... 17 c. Marsh and Water birds ...... 18 d. Shorebirds, Gulls, ·Terns, & Allies ...... 18 e. Raptors ...... ~ ...... NTR f. Other Migratory Birds ...... NTR g. Game Mammals ...... NTR h. Other Resident Wildlife ...... 18 i. Fisheries Resources ...... NTR j. Wildlife Diversity ...... NTR
10. Items of Interest ...... NTR
11. Climatic Conditions ...... 18
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• • Highlights Pool wide vegetation surveys completed in Pool 9 with interagency help to sample 450 points.
Refuge Officer Clyde Male assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief.
Cassville warehouse vandalized.
Fifth annual Upper Miss Riverfest held at Pikes Peak State Park.
Public meetings for the Draft CCP held during hot summer days.
District Manager John Lindell and Maintenance Worker Jim Brown retired at the end of the fiscal year . •
• 1. MONI TORING AND STUDIES
1.a. Surveys and Censuses • The activity count was completed April 15. There were 90 active bald eagle nests on the Dis~rict ~his year. Twenty two new nests were found . Some new nests were the result of eagle pairs abandoning old nests and building new ones . The Bald eagle production count was completed June 8, 2005. Fifty five nests were checked for production and 82 young were observed. Average eagle production was 1 . 5 young per nest which was up from the last two years . The number of nests on the District and the entire Refuge has increased steadily over the years (see figure below) .
Bald Eagle- Active Nests/Production McGregor District (pools 9, 10, 11) 100 120
90 --- -- ~----- 100 80 Acti-..e Nests Gi 70 --Young Produced (.) 80 ::I J!i "C Ill 60 0... zCl) a.. Cl Cl) 50 ---- 60 c: > ::I ~ CJ 0 <( 40 >- ..,J ,____ 40 Ill 30 f-- r-- >--- ;---- w
20 r--- f-- 20 • 10 I-- >-- >-- I-- 0 0
b ~ ~ Q.. " !:::) P.> Rl (\ ~ b ~ [!) Q, " ~~ ~ ~f;) ~f;) ~f;) ~\:$ 9:>'8 '?>'?) '?>OJ C!) C?>C!) C!) '?>OJ '?>OJ '?>OJ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Informal Canada goose nest searches were conduc~ed April 21- 26 on four small (0.5 - 4.5 acre) islands and adjacent Sunfish Lake in lower Pool 11 . Fifty-one nests were discovered . Average clutch size was 4.3 eggs per nest . A revisit to these same nes~s revealed a 75% successful hatch rate .
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Students from the Legacy Project with the Cassville School District conduct goose nest searches in lower Pool 11 .
Colonial Nesting Birds
The activity phase of the colonial nesting bird survey for the McGregor District was completed by aerial surveys by headquarters biologist Eric Nelson . Additionally, the Pig Island rookery in Pool 11 was surveyed by • a ground count .
The production count phase of the colonial nes~ing bird survey was completed June 5 , 2005 , for the Butler Lake rookery. The Pig Island rookery survey was completed on June 2 . Students from the Cassville High School' s Legacy Project conducted the survey as part of this ongoing program . The total number of great blue heron nests on the District have fluctuated greatly over the years .
GROUND POOL AERIAL PHOTO PRODUCTIVITY COLONY NAME COUNT COUNT (nests) (nests) # Nests checked Young/nes~
10 Butler Lake 663 GBH n/a 61 GBH l. 24
l. 66 11 Pig Island 406 GBH 385 29 GBH *~
*Ground count used ~nstead of aer~al count to determane product~on toLals.~ T~ Insufficient sample size • 2 0 ~ • 0 4000 z~ ec 3000 ~ ~ 2000 ~ ._0 ~ 1000 JC E z~ 0 ~ 0 ~ ~ 0 ~ ID en ~ ~ ~ ~ ro ro ro en ~ en en 0 0 0) en 0) 0) 0) en en 0) en 0 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ en ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Year
Great Blue Heron nest numbers on McGregor District 1974- 2005 .
Frog and Toad Survey
The annual frog and toad surveys consisted of 30 survey points in Pools • 9 , 10, and 11 . An additional survey route was added in Crawford County, Wisconsin . The first and second surveys in pools 9 and 10 were delayed due to cool temperatures and high winds . The third run was not done due to other work priorities . The sites were surveyed April 28 and June 1 . Nine anuran species were encountered including the uncommon cricket frog . Cricket frogs were detected at the Potosi Point site, Pool 11, Grant County, Wisconsin .
Pool 9 Vegetation Survey
A pool wide vegetation survey was completed in Pool 9 on July 17th and 18~ . The survey was completed using the Upper Mississippi Environmental Science Center (UMESC) Long Term Resource Monitoring Protocol sampling methodology and the Aquatic Habitat Quality Index Methodo:ogy. ROS Loose coordinated the event which involved 18 different agency organizations . Nearly 450 sample points were taken during the two days . Joe Lundh with the Rock Island District of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and Randy Hines with UMESC in LaCrosse helped coordinate the data entry and the generation of the random sampling points and maps . All data were sent to UMESC for further analyses . Pool 9 was chosen to help evaluate the need for a pool wide draw dawn . If the Pool is drawn down in the future, the pre and post draw down surveys will be evaluated to help determine the future need or success of the management action . • 3 2. HABITAT RESTORATION
2.d. Environmental Management Program • Active EMP projects during 2005 were Mud Lake and Sunfish Lake in Pool 11. All excavation, embankment, and riprap placement was completed on Mud Lake. Remaining areas received temporary seeding and all final grading and permanent seeding is to be completed in spring 2006. The District requested establishment of a slow-no wake zone in·the Mud Lake HREP from Iowa DNR and in cooperation with Dubuque County Conservation Board. This was done to reduce wave action that may impact the HREP project over time and for public safety. Riprap was added to the lower tip erosion protection on Sunfish Lake in October 2005 as a modification.
3. HABITAT MANAGEMENT
3.a. Water Level Management Water was pumped into the John Deere Marsh starting September 28th and concluded on October 5th when staff was available to run the tractor. A water gage reading of 1.55 was recorded at the start of pumping.
The water control structure on the John Deere Marsh unit was opened on October 18th to allow elevated river flows to enter the unit. An estimated 2.5 feet head differential was present at that time.
3.b. Moist Soil Management
Water was brought onto the Guttenberg Ponds Moist Soil Units the beginning of October 2004 for the fall waterfowl migration. Duck use days and estimated use was not recorded due to the lack of follow up visits except for water structure maintenance. The units were shutdown for the winter due to extensive ice cover December 2, 2004. Waterfowl • use on the units appeared to be normal. Dewatering of the east & west units occurred during June 2005, to allow for the establishment of vegetation for waterfowl in the fall. Water was brought back on to the units, Sept. 14, for the fall migration.
One of the District's Trumpeter swan nesting pairs returned to the Guttenberg Ponds area, and was observed in the west unit on May 24, 2005, with two cygnets .
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Waterfowl use on the Guttenberg Ponds Moist Soil Unit .
3.d . Farming
A total of 255 acres were enrolled in the cooperative farming program this year . All cooperative farming was conducted by four cooperators in the Turkey River Bottoms located in Pool 11 . Two of the coop farmers • were allowed to plant additional corn/bean acres within their units due to alfalfa failure in those designated locations . Cooperative farmer Bittner was permitted to utilize a dozer within his unit . Large sand berms and debris still remain within this area as a result of the Turkey River Flood of 2004 .
3 . e . Forest Management
Fifteen Legacy project students pulled old vegetation from around the tree plantings in the Dago Slough Forestry Management Unit on October 27th . Damaged or missing Tree wraps were also replaced on trees where required .
3 . g . Pest Plant Control
Glyphosate (Rodeo) was primarily used for weed control around kiosks, parking areas , and Guttenberg Ponds dikes. Glyphosate (Roundup) was primarily used by coop farmers at the Turkey River units and 2,4-D was used at the Dickeyville Tower site for grassland establishment. See the 2005 pesticide use report for further information on herbicide use during 2005 .
5. COORDINATION ACTrviTIES
• 5 S.a. Interagency Coordination
The Environmental Management Program remains a high priority activity. Coordination with Rock Island and St Paul Districts, Corps of Engineers, • as well as the Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota State Departments of Natural Resources was completed. No project specific planning meetings occurred this year, but District personnel attended planning group meetings (Fish and Wildlife Work Group, Fish and Wildlife Interagency Committee). The primary focus of these groups was development of fact sheets for EMP projects and prioritization of HREP projects for the Corps. Both groups have developed Environmental Pool Plans which describe the desired future habitat conditions on the River. The Refuge has endorsed the vision presented in the Pool Plans. The Turkey River Moist Soil unit development was ranked as number one. Review of the Corps Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) and potential projects was also discussed for anticipated funding.
The Refuge received a final report for archeological surveys related to the feasibility study for replacement of the Lansing Bridge. The feasibility study WpS completed and further work on bridge replacement is not scheduled to continue in the near future. ·
The District issued a Special Use Permit to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for a temporary work pad, access road and bulkhead to facilitate construction of a second bridge and rail set over the Wisconsin River, south of Prairie du Chien. Work on bridge construction continued through the year and was completed by fall. They will be removing the temporary.bridge and road through the fall of 2005. Permit conditions include restoration of pre~existing ground elevation and replacement of all trees removed, plus 30 percent, using root pruned method seedlings grown from locally collected seeds. The contractor had exceeded the BSNF right of way and the Refuge special use permit area at three locations. They agreed to replace trees in these areas as well. • The subcontractor, HDR Engineering, planted trees in the fall. The planting was inspected and found to meet all the conditions of the SUP.
ADM Male presented the Refuge's position dealing with the proposed upgrade on the Turkey River Road during the Tri-State Tourism Council meeting on July 13.
S.b. Private Lands Activities
District staff completed or assisted with 9 private lands restoration projects this year. The following is a summary of the projects completed.
State County Acres Restoration Activity Funding
Wisconsin Crawford 15 Riparian wet prairie $2000 Crawford 20 Floodplain reforestation $2037 Grant 10 Savanna restoration $1750 Grant 52 Prairie restoration $4000
Iowa Allamakee 80 Riparian Buffer $3000 Allamakee Yellow River Crossing $8000 Allamakee Paint Creek Watershed $9000 Chickasaw 5 Savanna $1000 Clayton 156 Invasive Species Control $3000 • 6 •
10 Acre Savanna Restoration Project in Grant County .
6 . RESOURCE PROTECTION
6 . a . Law Enforcement • DisLrict law enforcement personnel remain the same as last year with Full Time Refuge Officer Nick SLavroplus and Assistant DisLrict Manager/Collateral Duty Officer Clyde Male. Together, both officers issued a toLal of 28 violation notices involving 25 individual violators. Both officers mainLained a 100% conviction rate wiLh all violation notices issued.
Violation Notices issued during FY2005 are as follows : • 2 for "Violation of Refuge Special Regulations to wit: Possess or Use of Alcoholic Beverage by Person under 21 Years of Age . " • 2 for Violation of Refuge Special Regulations to wit: Winter SLOrage of private structure on NWR without a SUP. • 3 for "leaving a boat unattended more than 72 hours on a NWR . " • 1 for "PermiLting an unconfined domestic animal to enter or roam at large upon a NWR." • 1 for Operating a boat while under the influence of intoxicating beverages or controlled substance . " • 1 for "Destroying, disturbing, collecLing, a planL or animal on a N.W.R." 2 for "LitLering on a NWR . " • 1 for taking migraLory bird with an unplugged shoLgur.. • 3 for "Hunting migratory waterfowl with an unsigned federal duck SLamp." • 1 for Taking migraLory waLerfowl w/o a federal waLerfowl SLarnp in possession . • 7 • 1 for "violating federal trapping permit regulations. To Wit: "Failure to Affix Refuge Tag to Trap.u • 1 for "failing to remove fish from commercial fishing gear (Wanton Waste~ .u • • 3 for "Violation of U.S. Coast Guard Regulations - No Running Lights.u • 2 for "Fishing on a NWR in Violation of State Law - No Fishing License.u • 1 for "Violation of established conditions of SUP (interfere with another) .u • 3 for "Did enter or remain on a NWR while under the influence of alcohol.u • 1 for "Operation of a boat as to interfere with the operation of another boat.u
On October 16, 2004, Refuge Officers Clyde Male and Nick Stavroplus worked a special operation with Iowa DNR Wardens Stan Blair and Brian Smith. The morning of October 16th the above officers set up in Kohler Slough to watch for and later observe the suspect group of 6 hunters. Multiple waterfowl violations were observed and all six subjects committed at least one violation. A total number of 8 violations issued to the group included: 4 Wanton Waste, 2 Over bag, 1 Unlawful method of take, 1 PFD violation. Six of the eight violations were initiated from observations made by Refuge Officer's Male and Stavroplus. All of the charges were filed through the state by the DNR officers. All violators were found guilty of all charges. Total collective fines equaled $600.82. One of the violators who personally received 3 violations lost hunting privileges for 1 year .
On March 3, 2005 District Refuge Officer Nick Stavroplus observed a vehicle driving on the road adjacent to the Turkey River Mounds State Preserve, located in the Turkey River valley, near Millville, Iowa. The • soie occupant driver of the vehicle had a distraught look on his face and was in an area where not many persons go. RO Stavroplus turned his vehicle around to follow the suspect vehicle. By the time Stavroplus caught up to the veh~cle, it was parked beneath Estes Point and unoccupied. This area was out of the refuge. Stavroplus walked up to the vehicle to find an alcohol sensor ignition installed on the vehicle. RO Stavroplus called in the vehicle License plate, finding the vehicle was registered to a Cullin Lee, of Northern Buena Vista, IA. Dispatch advised that the subject had tried to commit suicide in that area before by threatening to jump off the bluff and they were now concerned that he might attempt it again. DNR Officers, County Officers, State Police and EMS converged on the scene. DNR officers Stan Blair and Brian Smith located Cullin on top of the Bluff threatening to jump. After hours of negotiation between DNR Officers and Cullin, he decided to come down with the officers to safety, where he was transported to the state's psychiatric hospital for observation.
On June 11, 2005, Refuge Law Enforcement Officers Clyde Male and Nick Stavroplus participated in a "river sweepu of Pool 11. Other agencies involved included Wisconsin DNR and Iowa DNR. Multiple citations were issued for boating and fishing violations and warnings. Officers Male and Stavroplus where responsible for issuing two violation notices for fishing without a license.
August 2-4 2005 UMRNW&FR Refuge Officers Nick Stavroplus and Rob • 8 Hirschboeck as well as Crab Orchard NWR Refuge Officer Mike Dougherty attended and successfully completed the " Field Training Officer Training • Course " held at FLETC (below) .
Officer Male was deployed to New Orleans for hurricane Katrina relief work from September 10 - 18 , 2005 . Male and four other Refuge Officers from the UMRNWFR formed the only Region 3 response team working search and rescue missions within the 8th and gth Ward in the city . These were some of the hardest hit areas in New Orleans and conditions were • reported to be toxic and dangerous . During the Month of October 2005 , Refuge Law Enforcement Officers Clyde Male and Nick Stavroplus participated in a presidential security detail that took place on the river in the Savanna District . The Presidential vehicle convoy was to pass over the Mississippi River on the Highway 151 bridge at Dubuque, Iowa . Officers Male and Stavroplus were part of a multi- agency team that stopped boat traffic from passing under the bridge .
On March gth ADM Male discovered that the Cassville Warehouse had been vandalized. All the windows in the warehouse structure had been broken and an attempt had been made to enter the structure . Damage estimates by a local contractor were $874 . 00. The Cassville Police department was notified that day and within 48 hours Officer McDonald had two juvenile suspects admitting to the crime . Both youths (13 years old) were referred to the Juvenile Court system where they were ordered to pay the Refuge $250 . 00 (max penalty) each for the crime . In addition to the fine both individuals completed 25 hours of work for the Refuge . Officer Male ' s patrol vehicle was reported to be the shiniest truck in town for several months that summer. In addition, both juveniles picked up trash from the Bertom Lake ~anding . • 9 •
This trash was discovered on the Bertom Lake Landing . Litter bugs should remember not to throw out envelopes with names and addresses on them. Officer Male left them with a $325.00 remembrance of their act .
On July 4th Officer Male was contacted by an individual Lhat had been watching over one of the District' s known ARPA sites south of Potosi, • WI . This particular site had been previously violated by illegal digging . The informant had agreed to watch the site for the Refuge and had been doing so for the last three years . On the day of the call, Male received information that an individual was in the secluded wooded area sneaking around. After arriving on site Male observed the individual for some time before making contact, at which time the individual was smoking marijuana and picking up arrow heads. The individual was apprehended that day but would not admit to any of the illegal digging that had occurred on the site previously. After issuing several violation notices and seizing equipment , he was notified that additional violations were pending. Follow up interviews with the aid of USFWS Special Agent Jagodzinski, and Bob Palmer, an ARPA Specialist with the National Park Service from Effigy Mounds National Monument , proved fruitless . However during the follow- up interviews the defendanL wanLed to give up the collections below to make us go away . It' s believed that all of the following items (photos below) were taken off of Federal Lands near or on the Refuge , however , the defendant would never admit to it .
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Items voluntarily given to the Refuge to make Refuge Law Enforcement "GO AWAY"
6 . b . Permits and Economic Use Management
A Special Use Permit was issued to Delano Ploessl for motorized ice fishing access for a physically disabled person . A SUP was issued to Jack Libbey for tours on the Refuge . A SUP was issued to Burton Walters • for placing wood duck boxes . SUP ' s were issued to Todd Lensing and Tony Toye for waterfowl hunt guiding . And a SUP was issued to the Iowa DNR for wood duck banding sites at New Albin .
A SUP authorizing Clayton County to construct and maintain a gravel surface road to the Turkey River landing was renewed. The county also will be posting the road with 25mph speed limit signs.
Work continued with Alliant Energy to replace the electrical service to private residences on Indian Isle in Pool 10 . The current line is over land and underwater and has been failing for some time . A SUP was issued to Ecological Specialists to complete mussel dive surveys as part of a Biological Assessment being done by Alliant . We received their application for a Right- of- Way permit, with the Biological Assessment, in September . They plan to place a new underwater electric cable in a new location . The cable will start =rom the sewage treatment plant at Prairie du Chien, WI where they will directional bore the first portion in order to avoid mussels in the east channel . The cable will exit on the west side of a small island and will then be laid on the river bottom to Indian Isle . They will directional bore the last portion =rom the channel to the island. They proposed to have d~vers move musse~s from the cable path at the time of instal~ation . The Right- of- Way application wil: be forwarded to Rea_ty a=ter the Section 7 consu:tation • and compatibility determination have been completed . 6 . f . Cultural Resource Management
Information on protection of the Vilas Mound Group in Crawford County was sent to the Regional Historic Preservation Officer . The most immediate threat to that area is thought to be development . Past • erosion issues seem to have stabilized and tree cover is noL sufficiently problematic to justify removal . Therefore , the best means of proLecting these mounds appears to be installation of a fence to define Refuge lands . Future plans for installing barbed wire fence were made .
6 . g . Land Acquisition Support
Appraisals were completed on the Gooder (13 . 39 ac) and Ballard (108 ac) tracts in Pool 10 and Realty is working on offers for these properties . The Gooder tract is at Guttenberg and the Ballard tract is a bluff site that is a potential site for a new office/shop facility . This is a second appraisal for the Ballard. tract .
7 . PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RECREATION
7 . b . Outreach
The Fifth Annual Upper Mississippi Festival was held Tuesday and Wednesday May lOth and 11th at Pikes Peak State Park . 2005 marked the 200th anniversary of the Pike Expedition to explore the Upper Mississippi River and it's Headwaters . To commemorate this special anniversary we wove several presentations into our program to help students appreciate the changes that have occurred during the last two centuries . This year's station themes were Early Explorers, Preserving our Heritage, Aquatic Resources, and Birds of the Upper ~ssissippi • River Valley. Nearly 850 students attended this year' s festival .
StudenLS were Lreated to a s~rprise visi~ =rom Zebulon ?ike, who shared stories o£ the changes that have occurred s~nce his original expediLion up the Miss1ssippi in 1805 . • ::.2 •
These three River Festival participanLs proudly pose with samples of the invasive Garlic Mustard that they helped pull from the • Park' s hardwood forest .
Michael Douglas, Director of Lhe Vil~a ~ou~s His~or~c SiLe in Prairie du Chie~, WI por~rays an early rur Trader in ~his year's R~ver FesLival . • 13 Refuge staff participated in the second Ding Darling Day at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. This event was first sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service in celebration of the lOOth Anniversary of the Refuge System in. 2003. The River Museum was so • impressed with the community response to this event that they asked the Service and our resource partners on the Upper Mississippi River to help them establish the program as an annual event. Over 2000 people visited the Museum during the celebration.
7.d. Hunting
The waterfowl hunting success rate for Pool 11 was calculated at 1.7 ducks per hunter per day. This was based on the small sample size of 51 hunter contacts during Law Enforcement compliance checks.
8. PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
B.a. Comprehensive Conservation Planning
Upper Mississippi River NWFR CCP efforts continued this year. A series of public meetings on the draft EIS alternatives were held during the summer. McGregor District meetings were held in Lansing, Prairie du Chien, Cassville, and Dubuque. Several of these sites were·not air conditioned making for heated debates in several ways. These meetings were in a workshop format where participants in small groups offered solutions to the issues and comments. The most ~ontroversial issues for McGregor District were a proposed closed area at the Wisconsin River Delta in Pool 10, electric motor areas, and changes at John Deere Marsh in Pool 11. There was some public outcry up and down the river for no changes, or Alternative A. However, public comments received as a whole were both for and against certain elements of the preferred alternative. Based on public comments, a new Alternative (E) will be form~lated as a • compromise to the controversi.al plan. S.b. General Administration
Revenue sharing payments totaling $60,495 were distributed to local governments.
The District reviewed an application for a permit from Wisconsin DNR for excavation of the remainder of sand and gravel from an existing pit near Gremore Lake at Prairie du Chien. The applicant was Prairie Sand and Gravel. The application suggested future development of the area for camper pads and mobile homes, but did not provide details. The possible development was noted as a concern because of the potential for secondary adverse effects on adjacent' Refuge lands. This cumulative effect would substantially add to the increasing pressures of human use of the Refuge.
S.c. Safety
Monthly safety meetings were held on topics ranging from ice safety, electrical safety, and mosquito borne diseases. Refuge Officer and EMT, Nick Stavroplus, provided refresher training in CPR and First Aid for the staff . • 14 S . d. Maintenance
The SAMMS system was implemented . • Refuge staff replaced the large tri-state boundary sign in the upper reaches of Pool 9. This sign is an important boundary marker helping refuge visitors orient themselves and reminding hunters , boaters and anglers where the respective stateliness are .
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Refuge Intern George Olson puts the finishing touches on the new boundary sign installed in Pool 9 . District employees Neil Henkenius and Jim Brown steady the ladder and the sign, while George pre- drills a hole for a carriage bolt to secure the sign .
S.e . Volunteers
Ninety- eight volunteers donated 732 hours of service to the District in 2005. Volunteers primarily assisted staff by picking up litter from boat landings, hiking trails and islands . Student volunteer George Olson worked side by side with Refuge Staff during his 10 week internship, assisting staff with many of the seasonal wildlife surveys and summer maintenance projects .
8 . £ . Personnel
McGregor District staff remained the same during FY 2005 . John Lindell and Jim Brown retired at the end of the fiscal year September 30 .
D~strict Manager John ~ir.dell Assistant Dis~rict Manager Clyde Male Refuge Operations Specialist Tim ~oose • 15 Refuge Operations Specialist , Driftless Area NWR Cathy Henry Biological Technician Neil Henkenius Administrative Technician Dixie Palmer • Maintenance worker Jim Brown
John Lindell and Jim Brown at their retirement party held at Pikes Peak state park .
Iowa State University Freshman George Olson was selected for a 10 week internship with the McGregor District during the summer of 2005 . • George' s horne town is Lansing , Iowa and he had plenty of opportuni~ies to get out on pool 9 to assist with biological surveys and sign maintenance. Below, George Olson gives a helping hand ~o a juvenile Bald Eagle which found itself stranded along a steep cut bank during one of its first attempts to fly . The young eagle was placed on a nearby windfall to give it a chance to dry out and regain its courage . By the next day the young bird had rejoined its siblings in the nest .
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9 . WILDLIFE
9 . b. Waterfowl • There were four Trumpeter Swan Cygnets hatched on the District this year . The Guttenberg Moist Soil Onit Pair produced six eggs but only two cygnets were observed on June 21, 2005 . The production of the Potosi, Wisconsin pair was questionable with two young observed . More may have been present. The Bagley Pair produced no young.
The first significant waterfowl movement of the year was noted on February 17th . Goldeneyes and some scaup were observed rafting in limited open water areas in Pool 11. Nine days later mallards and other puddle ducks were observed migrating north as well .
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Trumpeter Swans nested at three locations on the District again this year .
9 . c . Marsh & Waterbirds
The District ' s first observed great blue heron of 2005 arrived on March 2 . Two sandhill cranes were observed within the John Deere marsh unit on May 4th . No apparent nesting took place despite the bird' s attraction to the area as they were observed for several weeks . Nesting sandhill cranes have been observed previously at the New Albin area in Iowa , and • the Wisconsin River delta in Wisconsin . 9 . d . Shorebirds, Gulls , Terns & Allies
Large concentrations of willets and yellowlegs were observed in the spoil cells at ~he newly completed Sun Fish Lake EMP site on May 4th . Other observations elsewhere on the Refuge that same week witnessed similar movements of shorebirds .
9 . h . Other Resident Wildlife
77 trapping permits were issued in ~he Dis~rict in 2004 - 2005 .
11. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
Wea~her conditions can vary greatly from one end of ~he Dis~rict unit to another . Temperature and precipitacion data were obtained for Dubuque , Iowa and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin where airports are located .
• 18 Average weather conditions for FY 2005 at Dubuque, IA and Prairie du Chien, WI. Precipitation is in inches, temperature in degrees • Fahrenheit. · Month/Year Dubuque Prairie du Chien Mean temp Total Mean temp Total precip precip Oct 2004 51 4.4 51 2.4 Nov 2004 41 1. 85 41 2.58 Dec 2004 26 1. 07 27 1.12 Jan 2005 19 2.00 19 1. 32 Feb 2005 30 1. 34 30 2 March 2005 35 0.90 35 1. 08 April 2005 52 2.26 52 2 May 2005 56 2. 72 57 2.05 June 2005 72 3.08 73 2.84 July 2005 73 1. 43 73 5.7 August 2005 71 5.07 70 4.35 Sept 2005 66 1. 91 66 6.35 •
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