The Door County Environmental Council News
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Th e Door County Environmental Council News December 2018 “Fostering the preservation of Door County’s rich heritage of natural resources for the health, welfare, and spiritual uplift not only of its inhabitants, but of generations to come.” Published Quarterly. Copyright © 2018 by the Door County Environmental Council, PO Box 114, Fish Creek, WI 54212 Door County Property Owners and the Environment uch is said and written about and use of water saving shower heads. Menvironmental responsibility of Washing cars or allowing them to be washed individuals and governmental bodies. Here on the property can be monitored for we explore the role of owners of Door excessive water use. Water features which County property. This includes residential, recirculate water utilize less from the aquifer commercial, agricultural, organizational, and than those that use only fresh water. publicly owned properties. Control of drainage and runoff Use of water Water which is applied to the land can Most properties draw their water from affect groundwater, surface water, or both. the aquifer. Although the peninsula is The land owner has the responsibility to blessed with abundant, largely clean and see that water reaching the aquifer has had safe groundwater, the supply is not infinite adequate filtration. For water applied to and the land owner has a responsibility to the ground such as lawn watering, washing draw only as much water as is needed for cars, and agricultural waste water, this its purposes and not involves adequate soil squander it. Some The Door County depth to bedrock over measures to do this the karst topography include watering lawns Environmental characteristic of Door and gardens only as Council would like County’s peninsula. necessary, use of water- Soil depth should be saving appliances such to wish everyone a very safe known, sink holes as laundry washing and happy holiday season! identified, and any machines and toilets, areas where water 1 would run into a creek or other body of water. Good land stewardship involves surface water must either be avoided or application of only as much of these diverted to a filtration system, which can be substances as is required to promote the as simple as a rain garden. growth and health of plants being raised, whether lawn, garden, or agricultural At the time of this writing, unfortunately, land. Excesses promote unwanted growth the Town of Ephraim has decided against particularly when runoff carries those excess taking the necessary steps in their master levels into surface water. Excessive watering plan to provide for natural filtration of the of lawns causes depletion of nutrients unless inevitable runoff from their stormwater supplemented by application of fertilizers, diversion design; unfiltered water will run thus the vicious cycle of application and directly into the harbor, putting at risk the depletion which has harmful environmental main (only) industry in the area as a result consequences. Limiting groomed lawn of contamination of the surface water, areas and growing plants which require less which presumably will lead to unsightly and supplemental feeding is an environmentally malodorous growth in the heretofore popular favorable practice. destination. A plan to divert the stormwater into a wetland area which would result in Pesticides are used on residential, clean water running into the bay was rejected. commercial, agricultural, organizational, The Crossroads at Big Creek is an example and publicly owned properties. Their use of responsible property stewardship where, must be appropriate for the identified need, despite a large paved parking lot, drainage avoiding harm to bees and birds and other and runoff have been carefully considered. beneficial wildlife, and must not spread outside of the owners’ properties (pesticide Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations trespass). Selection of driveway seal coating (CAFOs) must have approval of nutrient was discussed in a previous issue. management plans to deal with the tremendous amount of liquid manure Responsible lighting produced. Landowners who lease their property for application of this substance Outdoor lighting factors to be considered have a responsibility to make certain that include light pollution, light trespass, light only responsible application is carried out on excess, and glare. Light aimed upward is their land, that sink holes are identified, and wasted in terms of illuminating the desired that application does not occur outside the area and wastes energy—strike two in limits prescribed by the nutrient management terms of the environment. One of the most plan. If no crops are to be grown on the land, common examples is lighting the American spreading liquid manure on the soil is by flag all night from below. Yes, it’s more definition excessive application and puts both expensive to light from the top of the pole our groundwater and surface water at risk of and easier than taking the flag down at night contamination. and raising it in the morning, but once the change has been made the long-term cost Use of environmentally unfriendly substances remains steady and likely reduced from what was spent on illuminating the flag and Plants use nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, the sky from below. Signs illuminated from and various trace nutrients in addition to below waste energy and pollute the night 2 sky. In addition, many signs illuminated DCEC Position Statement from below cause glare. Drive around on the Gills Rock Project Door County at night and notice how many signs are lighted in such a way that n October 16th, by a vote of 111- the light is shining directly into your eyes, O19, Town of Liberty Grove residents interfering with safe driving. Yard lights approved the purchase of three Gills Rock cast a large amount of light in all directions shoreline properties for $1.45 million. where the purpose is to illuminate specific areas. The result is wasted energy, light According to TLG Chairman John Lowry, pollution, and in some cases light trespass “The Town has no plans for these properties. where a neighbor’s property is illuminated … What we want to do is come back to the without their consent. Properly directed and electors for the electors to decide what to do shielded lighting accomplishes its intended with these properties.” Chairman Lowry said purpose and saves energy. Light pollution a committee or task force will be formed to affects not only amateur astronomers. It gather input, with hopes that proposals will affects wildlife and diminishes the fact that be brought to the Town next spring (2019), one attraction of Door County for visitors and electors would get to vote on the future and residents is the unique dark sky. People use of the property. who have never seen the Milky Way can see it on every clear night. The Door County Environmental Council applauds the Town of Liberty Grove for Recycling protecting these Gills Rock properties from commercial development for the benefit of Individuals are implored to recycle, but the community. often they find no convenient receptacle for them to discard their recyclable items and, The future project should allow public access as a result, often recyclables are tossed into to the bay while preserving the natural more readily available trash containers. The environment and character of Gills Rock as Donald and Carol Kress Pavilion in Egg a traditional rural fishing village, taking into Harbor is an example of a property where consideration that any major transformation, both trash and recyclable materials can be such as the creation of a marina or the discarded by passers-by and those entering construction or transformation of buildings, the building. could affect the natural character of this beautiful and unique property. This article is not intended to be a complete list of ways that property owners The DCEC looks forward to participating in can promote a cleaner and healthier the public discussions initiated by the TLG environment. The hope is that, in addition to on the future of this important community considering what we can do as individuals project. and through legislation, we can explore how we as property stewards can make and keep The Door County Environmental Council Board our lands environmentally friendly. of Directors By John Beck 3 DCEC Position On includes pesticides, herbicides, petroleum Proposed Ephraim products, and fertilizers. Worst of these potential contaminants is phosphorus. Drainage Plan Phosphorus is found in fertilizers. When it rains, phosphorus washes off the land and is phraim is a picturesque village on the deposited directly into the bay. Ebay of Green Bay in Door County and its shallow Eagle Harbor is blessed Phosphorous is a necessary building block with a sand bottom, making it perfect for for living things, and it does make things swimming. Recently, the Ephraim Village grow. Unfortunately, in water, especially Board, without holding a public vote, passed warm stagnant water, it makes algae grow. a comprehensive $5 million “Streetscape Water that includes toxic blue-green algae Plan” that includes new sidewalks, gutters, can make humans sick and be fatal to dogs. and drainage for lower Ephraim. In fairness, As algae decomposes it smells and takes the Board has held many meetings, but no oxygen from the water in a process called votes by meeting attendees or registered eutrophication. Phosphorus pollution has voters were held. The “Streetscape Plan,” dramatically and negatively impacted love it or hate it, is the Board’s prerogative Florida’s waters and vacation economy. as far as it impacts only property in Ephraim Closer to home, phosphorus pollution the Board controls. has closed beaches on lakes Mendota and Monona in Madison. Phosphorus The new Streetscape Drainage Plan, pollution has also closed beaches on Lake however, is a different matter, as it impacts Winnebago. The city of Green Bay may property owned by the people of Wisconsin, never again have a swimming beach, thanks that is, the bay of Green Bay.