Usrwa News: June 2013

USRWA NEWS: JUNE 2013

Coldwater Stream Management in the Upper Sugar River Watershed Text originally written by Tom Beneke, M.S. Water Resources Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison Adapted by Megan Phillips, Executive Director

The Upper Sugar River Watershed (USRW) sits nestled in the Driftless Area, which is a biologically and geologically unique region on unglaciated terrain shared by Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Rolling hills, deep valleys, diverse ecosystems, and spring-fed coldwater streams are characteristic of the region. Within the USRW we are fortunate to have several designated trout streams, including the Mt. Vernon Creek State Fishery Area and sections of Deer Creek and Fryes Feeder (continue reading for a partial list of USRW trout streams and the meaning of the various types of designations). These sensitive coldwater habitats are threatened by warming surface temperatures. Last year (2012) volunteer stream monitors recorded surface temperatures at record highs (in the high 80’s/low 90’s (F)), due to the drought and high number of days that topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Trout rely on cold water due to their physiology, and their habitat needs to remain within a narrow temperature range to ensure that nutrient uptake does not become too costly. As temperature increases, trout must either minimize swimming effort to conserve energy or gather food resources at a faster rate to keep pace with their increased metabolism. Current climate models predict that trout will be In this Issue: most susceptible to habitat loss during the warmest months of the year - the remaining months will afford them consis- tently habitable temperatures (Lyons et al., 2010, Wiscon- Page 1, 2, 3 - Coldwater sin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts). The projected Stream Mgmt in WI increase in overall temperatures and associated increase in Page 4 - A Message from the the rate of evapotranspiration will result in an overall de- President crease in surface water stocks. Further, total precipitation Page 5 - Summer Events on the in Wisconsin is predicted to increase, as well as the num- Sugar River ber of heavy rain events. This poses a heightened threat to Page 6 , 7 - Funding Forecast: coldwater species during summertime months, when heavy Grant Updates rain storms may result in temperature spikes in the streams Page 8 - Candle on the Water due to incoming stormwater runoff from impervious sur- Award Winner 2013 and Lower faces. Continued on page 2... Sugar River Watershed Association Updates

1 The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (WDNR) regulates trout angling via licensing. The majority of fish species only require the general fishing license. However, inland trout anglers must purchase an additional license known as a Trout Stamp for $10 per angler. The addition of a Trout Stamp was mandated in 1977 to fund ongoing projects such as stream habitat improvement, monitoring, and fish population surveys. Trout Stamp funds cannot be used for land acquisition or easement purchases. Anderson et. al (2000) found that through the 1990’s WI Trout Stamp sales averaged approximately 130,000 annually, and by 2008, 155,070 anglers had purchased Trout Stamps (Trout Unlimited 2008).

Wisconsin has a classification system for trout streams based on stream quality parameters; streams are classified as I, II, or III (Hastings and Hewitt 2008). Class I streams are the highest quality. They have naturally reproducing trout populations, good surrounding land management, and low pollution inputs. Class II streams are identified as having moderate quality. These streams have some naturally reproducing populations but do not fully utilize the stream’s space and resources, so they often need supplementary fish stocking. Class III streams are the lowest quality. These streams lack naturally reproducing trout, have poor habitat, and require stocking each year to support angling. This classification system helps define and prioritize stream management goals. Continued on Page 3...

Where are the trout streams in the Upper Sugar River?

Mt. Vernon Creek Fishery Area: Eight miles of fishable waters - four miles are Class I, four are Class II trout streams. This property is broken into two main parcels in Dane County. Forty-nine acres sit on the northwest corner of the town of Mount Vernon along the southern side of Highway 92 leading into town. Another 286 acres abut Highway 92 and begin just after you exit Mount Vernon on the north- east side of town. Improvements to the fishery area have been made by Deer Creek Sportsman’s Club, Friends of Donald Park, and Dane County.

Fryes Feeder: One of the 2 tributaries that form Mt. Vernon Creek, Fryes Feeder originates in the agricultural and wooded landscapes of Springdale Township southeast of Mt. Horeb. This is a classic spring tributary, characterized by a narrow channel with overhanging vegetation, cold water, natural meanders, and rocky substrates. This small system holds good numbers of trout and serves as a nursery feeder to the Mt. Vernon main stem. Access is provided via Donald Park.

West Branch Sugar River: This Class II trout stream has been the focus of intensive habitat rehabilitation in the early 2000’s. Thirteen miles from Highway 92 upstream to Lewis Road received removal of nui- sance trees, channel narrowing, and placement of LUNKERs. This meadow stream is large enough for easy fly casting and spin fishing opportunities.

Primrose Branch: This tributary to the West Branch of the Sugar is fed by numerous springs and offers opportunities for catching brook trout as well as brown trout. The Primrose Branch is small and shallow and has experienced channel straightening below CTH U in the past. It received intensive bank work on the lower 1.9 miles in 2004 as well the addition of in-stream cover features. As a small stream, it “grasses over” by mid-June making fishing more difficult. Public easement 1 rod in width (16 feet) is provided along both banks from Primrose Center Road downstream.

Note: List of trout streams within USRW not exhaustive. Source: www.dnr.wi.gov

2 We’ve learned about how the DNR regulates and classifies trout streams. But what about the first piece of the coldwater stream management puzzle - the warming surface temperatures? Trout Unlimited is involved in a Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE) which mitigates warming water temperatures via restoration methods including deepening and narrowing streams to create faster moving and colder water, planting deeper-rooted vegetation to stabilize banks and prevent erosion, and increasing the use of best management practices in riparian zones. An additional strategy is to provide shade along stream banks by planting trees that can thrive in wet environments.

So what will happen to trout streams in the Driftless Area if we don’t take action to mitigate the effects of warming waters? Brook trout habitat (the only native trout in the state) will likely transition to habitat for those species that can tolerate warmer water, therefore a new species regime will take over. Brown trout, a managed non-native species, have been an integral part of Wisconsin trout angling since the 19th century. These trout can tolerate slightly warmer temperatures than brook trout, and will establish larger populations than the native trout through competition for space and resources. Smallmouth bass have the ability to sur- vive in substantially warmer waters than both brown or brook trout and will likely outcompete brown trout in streams that have significantly compromised thermal conditions. For more information about coldwater streams and potential impacts from changing precipitation patterns and hotter summers, visit www.wicci.wisc. edu. We’ll be talking about these important issues and others at USRWA public forums, beginning this fall. Where in our Watershed? Can you name these Sugar River tributaries from the previous article?

Hints: (Answers upside down on last page)

1. (Left). Used to be listed on the 303(d) list for Impaired Waters. 2. (Upper Right). A portion of this stream flows through Donald Park. 3. (Lower Right). The newest addition to USRWA’s 20+ water quality monitoring sites. 3 A Message from the President Submitted by Marty Cieslik, USRWA President

Hello to the membership of the Upper Sugar River Watershed Association. I am the new President of the Board of Directors. I was elected by the Board to serve as president at the March 2013 Board Meeting. I would first like to acknowledge the efforts of our immediate past president – Pat Downing. Pat came on the Board filling an open position in December of 2009. He was elected Board President in March 2011 and again in March 2012. I learned a lot about the busi- ness of governing an organization by observing Pat in action. He did a great job keeping the Board on task in meetings and sharing his knowledge of governance issues. His experience in both Town and County government was invaluable. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of both our Executive Director, Megan Phillips, and of our current Board members. I am proud to serve with this group of people dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the awareness of the impact the Upper Sugar River and the surrounding watershed have on this place where we “live,” “work,” and/or “play.”

There are several exciting things happening in the watershed this year. Top among them is the purchase of the Bruce Company land by Dane County that will create a recreational and conservation space over the next 5 to 10 years as the property transitions from a working tree and shrub farm to recreational and conservation land. The USRWA will benefit from this transaction because our traditional Paddle + Pig-Out water trail is included in the deal. We look forward to working with the County and other interested parties to help improve access to the river.

We have recently updated our website and added an interactive map. We anticipate that these enhancements will provide value to our membership and to those interested in the Upper Sugar River. The purchase of our own canoes via a Dane County Environmental Council matching grant will allow us more flexibility in setting up paddling events. I am interested in helping USRWA continue to grow. I’d like to see the organization work on the following:

1. Utilize the updated website to enhance the value of membership by informing the membership of benefits • Opportunities to attend meetings and conferences as a representative of the USRWA • Volunteer opportunities such as staffing our booth at the annual Canoecopia event which provides an opportunity to attend the event using the organization’s exhibitor passes

2. Continue to develop the concept of the Upper Sugar River as a water trail

3. Strengthen our funding base • We need to continue to diversify our funding. Our local government members will continue to face budgetary constraints which puts some uncertainty in our projected budgets

4. Reach out to and work more closely with the agricultural community

5. Strengthen our volunteer base

While these are my personal interests for the organization, the strategic planning process will ultimately dictate the direction of the organization. I have confidence that the exciting things happening in the watershed will draw your interest to our organization. For those who do not know me, I work for the City of Verona Public Works Dept. So I “work” in the watershed. Since my wife Fran and I enjoy biking (especially on trails like the Military Ridge Trail) I also “play” in the watershed. One of our favorite bike rides is to ride to Riley for breakfast on a Sun- day morning. I have been on the Board since February 2010 and I was last elected to the Board in February 2012. 4 TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: Summer Events on the Sugar

Note: All events are held in Paoli Park (unless otherwise specified), located in the Town of Montrose, near the intersection of Highway 69 and PB. Need directions? Call 437-7707, and we’ll help you get there.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 9:00am-1:00pm: Sugar River Clean-up Day Just about the only good thing about last summer’s drought was the fact that we were able to remove downed trees from the river that we could not access during higher water. USRWA volunteers and youth from Operation Fresh Start did an awesome job clearing the river trail last summer. That being said, this spring’s storms left us with quite a bit of deadfall to deal with. So dig your hand saws and loppers out of the garage, find your grungiest pair of sneakers or work boots, and join us for a morning of rewarding clean-up work on the river. Due to the nature of the work we ask that volunteers be at least 16 years of age. Note: We do our clean-up via canoe (which we provide for you!). Yes, you will get wet and muddy, but in all likelihood, you’ll have a great time in the process. Post clean-up we typically make our way to the Paoli Pub to support the local economy and celebrate a morning of gratifying river work!

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 9:00am-1:00pm: Sugar River Clean-up Day Same details as the June 29 event, just a different day.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 8:30am-3:30pm: Paddle + Pig-Out in Paoli This is the grandest river event of the year, in my opinion! Join us for a completely free 45-minute (time varies depending on water level and your canoe steering ability) canoe trip down the Sugar River. We provide the canoes, life jackets, and paddles, with the help of our generous donors (thanks a bundle, Ru- tabaga Paddle Sports!). Canoe trips will depart from Paoli Park at 9:00am, 12:00pm, and 3:00pm. Trips fill up quickly, so please do get to the park in advance to register. If paddling isn’t your thing, we still have other activities that you may enjoy! We are excited to host Lisie Kitchell from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources who will teach us how to collect and identify mussels in the river (see our webpage at www.usrwa.org to download a copy of George Johnson’s article about the Sugar River Pearl Rush, from our Spring 2011 newsletter). We also are hosting an outdoor yoga session, led by Marca Hughes, owner of Bodhi Yoga and Healing Arts in Mount Horeb. Lunch will be provided free to members, and be available for purchase to all other parties. Please remember that you can sign up for a membership on the day of the event and enjoy free lunch!

There will be a raffle drawing at 3:30pm. This year’s grand prize is a kayak, complete with gift card so that you may purchase a paddle of your choosing. Thank you to Payne and Dolan for donating the grand prize this year! Raffle tickets are on sale now! You can pay $5 for one, or purchase 5 for $20. Call 437- 7707 or contact any USRWA Board member to purchase tickets. We have done away with last year’s multi-tiered raffle ticket layout - now one ticket gets you a chance at winning the grand prize, or one of the dozens of other prizes donated by businesses throughout the watershed. You do not need to be present to win a prize! However, you do need to write legibly on the raffle ticket stub so that we can get your prize(s) delivered to you. Hint: put a return address sticker on the stub.

5 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 10:00am-3:00pm: Belleville LakeFest This year the Village of Belleville will host its second annual LakeFest at the Community Park (right on the shores of the newly restored Lake Belle View). The event will include free canoe adventures on the lake (boats provided by USRWA & Sugar River Sports), a sprint triathlon, live music, and demonstrations/interactive activities including guided nature walks along the berm, a tai chi demonstration, fishing, a visit from the “fish doctor” (DNR’s own Kurt Welke), and an opportunity to learn about stream health and macroinvertebrates with USRWA volunteers. From 18/151 head south on Highway 69 (past Paoli), and you’ll see the park on your right. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Belleville since its large scale restoration project, I’d recommend adding this event to your calendar. Please direct questions to April Little at 424-1655 or [email protected].

Pictured below: Left: Lisa Keen volunteers at USRWA’s invasive species booth at LakeFest 2012. Right: Canoe trips on the lake were a hit at last year’s LakeFest event.

Funding Forecast: Grateful for Grants! We at USRWA are so fortunate to receive two grants thus far this year: the Capital Equipment Grant from the Dane County Environmental Council (DCEC) and a River Planning Grant from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (WDNR). Thank you to all the entities that helped us by submitting letters of support to accompany our grant applications, and to the granting organizations themselves. Here’s what we have planned for our newfound funds: Project Title: Continued Stewardship of the Upper Sugar River Funded by: Dane County Environmental Council

Last summer we spent many days on the river working to clear the river trail, and our pole saw died on us in the process. We are using County funds to replace our broken equipment, as well as purchase a waterproof geo- referencing camera. We’ll be using the camera in the field to continue our aquatic invasive species monitoring efforts and later incorporate this data into our online mapping application. Last, but not least, we will also be deploying two “pilot” cattle fences this summer. USRWA volunteer Bill Keen has developed a model that allows paddlers to remain in their boats while passing through a fenced area. The improved design automatically closes behind the paddler, which increases the ease and enjoyment of paddling yet still keeps cows from wandering downstream. Everybody wins!

6 What about woody habitat for fish? We’ve heard some concern about the organization using chainsaws to remove downed trees from the river during our work days - namely that we are removing vital woody habitat that fish enjoy. In a river like the Sugar, where excessive sedimentation poses a threat to instream habitat, coarse woody debris is even more important. Here at USRWA, we want to meet diverse goals that include multiple uses of the river; such as paddling, fishing, birding, habitat etc. Therefore we are only going to remove downed trees that are causing blockages in river flow (and exacerbating erosion), or obstructing the entire river. If there is a way for a paddler to get around a submerged log (without portaging), we won’t remove it.

That being said, thanks for the feedback and don’t stop asking questions about what is or isn’t healthy for the Sugar River!

Project Title: Looking Forward: Planning for the Next 5 Years in the Upper Sugar River Watershed Funded by: WI Dept. of Natural Resources

And now for something long overdue - revisiting USRWA’s strategic plan. To do this, we need your help! We will be hosting a variety of public forums over the fall and winter months to educate the public about watershed related successes and concerns, as well as providing opportunities for you to give us your input about what you think the organization should be focusing on in the next five years! Stay tuned in by checking the events calendar on our website (strategic planning events won’t begin until late fall), or you can sign up to be on our e-blast alert list by entering your name and e-mail address on the lower right hand corner of our homepage (www. usrwa.org). The name of the game is public engagement here - this is your watershed, so come to an event and make your voice heard. You can also give us your feedback by completing online and/or paper surveys that will be made available this fall.

As a part of this grant project we will also be further developing our interactive web mapping application by creating our own data layers with coordinates that we collect in the field. You can participate by submitting areas of interest such as river blockages, aquatic invasive species infestations, rare or native plants, stellar fishing holes (although you may not want to share that information!), and sustainable businesses that are operating throughout the watershed.

On right: Annual meeting 2013 participants discuss bottom-up conservation techniques for the Upper Sugar River with keynote speaker Steve Apfelbaum.

7 Candle on the Water Award 2013: Congratulations, Susan Lehnhardt! The Candle on the Water Award is pre- sented annually to an individual who has shown extraordinary dedication to the watershed through his or her work or volunteerism. This year we were very pleased to present the award to the President of our sister organization, the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association.

Susan Lehnhardt first connected with USRWA when she attended a paddling event with the organization in September 2010. The purpose of the paddle was to investigate back- water slough habitats for rare fish species as a part of USRWA’s 2009-2010 ecological survey with Dave Marshall, an adventure commonly referred to by Dave as “slough pirating.” A conversation about developing a watershed group for the Lower Sugar River Watershed ensued, and Susan began the grassroots organizing process by pulling in stakeholders from across the region, including members of the agricultural community and corporate sponsors such as Grande Cheese.

In the past two and a half years LSRWA has come a long way. The group has been awarded several grants from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resrouces and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board that have funded its initial projects and allowed for the hiring of a part-time staff person (Lindsay Andrews). Susan is currently serving as the organization’s first president. Over the past few years she has poured a huge amount of her energy and free time into writing grants, conducting rapid watershed assessments, organizing trainings and events to engage the public and local schools, and serving on the Science Action Team and the Strategic Planning committee. The organization would not be where it is today without her positive energy and dedication. We applaud her efforts and look forward to working with LSRWA on future projects to benefit the entire Sugar River watershed and its people.

Left: Lynnette Nelson and Diantha Drown at LSRWA’s February strategic planning retreat at Java House Cafe.

Right: LSRWA rapid watershed assessment training.

8 Non-profit Organization Postage Paid Mt. Horeb, WI Permit No. 5

USRWA PO Box 314 207 E. Main Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 (608) 437-7707 [email protected] Return Service Requested

SAVE THE DATE: USRWA will host its annual Paddle + Pig-Out in Paoli on Saturday, August 17. Details inside! Stay tuned with event updates by following us on Facebook!

USRWA memberships expire after one calendar year. To renew, please fill out the insert and place in the enclosed pre-addressed envelope. If you are unsure when your membership expires please call

Megan at 437-7707 and she would happy to look it up for you. Thank you! Stream quiz answers: 1. West Branch, 2. Fryes Feeder, 3. Primrose Branch. Primrose 3. Feeder, Fryes 2. Branch, West 1. answers: quiz Stream