Japanese Hops Study Results

Concerning the full scale survey of Japanese Hops throughout the Platte and Little Platte watershed:
In 2011, UW-Platteville geography students, Nick Flinner and Abbie Lehman, were trained in detection of invasives and completed a full scale assessment of the watersheds, locating instances of Japanese Hops. In addition they recorded instances of other invasives to include: Eurasian Bush Honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard, Multiflora Rose, Wild Parsnip and Canada Thistle. The students conducted field work by wading and canoeing the rivers to find invasive plant species. With the gathered information, the students developed a numerical classification system in order to present the information in a map format. They used a system with a class of I-V, “I” being the least severe and “V” being the most severe. The level of infestation was measured by number of plants per meter for plants with stalks, and percent coverage for vine-like and groundcover plants. Using a Trimble Juno GPS unit equipped with ESRI ArcPad, the students collected points of invasive species and the course of the river in the field. Once back in the lab, they digitized the severity of the infestation using various line representations, each indicating the spatial severity of the infestations. With this data, the students then made a map for each of the invasive species found on the rivers. This project provided the students an opportunity to work with top-of-the-line field mapping equipment as well as the experience of working as independent contractors for a non-profit organization. Ultimately, future students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville can easily build on these maps through continued research in the Platte River watershed.



Concerning eradication measures on the state managed lands:

Chemicals: Garlon 3A- triclopyr; Escort- Metsulfuron; Rodeo- Glyphosate
Plot size: 9M x 9M
Plot number: 24, all of the 12 methods were duplicated


Results per Method
Cutting- Using a weed eater, this method was shown to be ineffective because it only took a few days for the hops to grow back to a size that was comparable to the control.


Hand Pulling- Ineffective, labor-intensive, and time consuming as proven by the River Spirit Exchange where ~40 people were pulling hops for 2 hours and a month later it had grown back. Suggested for land owners who have a small infestation and have the ambition to hand-pull when the plant is identified.


Tarp- Effectively killed the hops. Seed bank is not affected. This method would have to be repeated annually until the seed bank is used up (3+ yrs).


Garlon 3A- Early Summer- Killed 100% of the hops, but by the end of the summer reed canary grass started to grow.
Garlon 3A- Early & Late Summer- The early application caused 100% kill. No need to re-apply. By the end of the summer, reed canary grass started to grow.
Galon 3A- Late Summer- Killed 100% of the hops, by the end of the summer nothing had started to grow.


Escort- Early Summer- Caused 100% kill, by the end of the summer there was still no vegetation trying to reestablish a population.
Escort- Early & Late Summer- Spot treated a few Japanese hop plants that were starting to emerge. 100% kill with no regrowth by the end of the summer.
Escort- Late Summer- Did not kill all of the Japanese hops. ~70% kill. Most of the plants were wilted, yellow and on the ground. These plants were too ill to produce seeds, thus, still an effective time and method.


Rodeo- Early Summer- Killed 100% of the Japanese hops but new hops started to grow. A few blades of reed canary grass were also evident.
Rodeo- Early & Late Summer – Killed 100% of the Japanese hops, by the end of the summer reed canary grass was starting to grow.
Rodeo- Late Summer- 100% kill. No regrowth.


The seed bank is thought to only be three years so if a plant infestation is eradicated before it goes to seed (August-September) for three years, complete kill will be accomplished as long as seeds are not reintroduced via flooding, mowing, or any other sort of seed transportation.


The three chemicals used were all pretty effective with one application, but a follow-up spot treatment might be necessary. Since the hops tend to grow on or near river banks, all of the chemicals are aquatic approved and are safe to all of the organisms living nearby.


To reproduce the tarp method, use a black tarp, 4 fence posts, zip ties and some rocks. Tie the tarp to the posts so it is resting on the ground with the zip ties and weigh the tarp down with a few sizeable rocks. Leave the tarp in one spot all summer & make sure the tarp covers the entire population. Caution: water can pool on the tarp and create a habitat for mosquitoes.

Future Work:

The future work plan for addressing Japanese Hops in the Platte/Little Platte watersheds should be focused on the most isolated and upstream portions of the Platte River main channel as indicated on the enclosed map. One of the effective chemical applications should be used in a consistent three year application to eradicate these populations. Success on the Platte River will be followed by addressing upstream and isolated populations on the Little Platte River using the same chemical methods. High concentrations downstream populations on the Little Platte River and tributaries should be the final areas of concentrated efforts.

Annual Meeting!!!

Spaghetti Dinner & Raffle Join us for our annual meeting and Spaghetti Dinner Saturday March 23, 2013 Elks Club— 50 S. Oak Street Platteville, WI 5:00-8:00 Get updates on our current projects and win great prizes! (Museum tickets, Sports packages, local gift certificates and more…)

New Canoe Trail Landing on the Platte River

Keep your eyes open and your paddles ready. A new canoe launch was installed this fall on Platte Road in Harrison Township. The installation of large limestone steps on the stream bank allow for easy access to the river. This spring the site will be seeded and a carpet strip will be added to make canoe launching easier. Much thanks goes out to board member Mark Sethne for spearheading this effort, applying for the necessary permits and working with the contractor to complete this project. Sethne continues to work on canoe trail development. This semester he is working with UWP design students to complete a comprehensive water trail plan for the Platte River and to develop plans for two new launch sites. Attend our annual meeting in March to learn more

UW-Platteville Students Design Sediment Structures for Lower Platte River

As part of a $10,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and through cooperation with a UWP PACCE grant, civil engineering students are working on the design of sediment structures in the lower Platte River. Their efforts will incorporate the recommendations made by an earlier UW-Madison sediment study. The purpose of this project is to produce a plan to restore the lower section of the Platte River to its original channel width before the Eagle Point Dam was completed in 1937. The section of the Platte River between the Hwy 61 Bridge and the Mississippi River is to be evaluated. Wing dams designs will be planned to help narrow the lower section of the Platte River and address issues of sedimentation and flooding. OBJECTIVES: • Provide two initial wing dam options (e.g. woody debris or gabions) and a detailed final design of one option. • Determine the number of wing dams required to adequately solve the river sedimentation and flooding problems using modeling software such as HEC-RAS. • Determine the location and orientation of each wing dam in the project area using HEC-RAS. • Determine the design of each wing dam, including the materials, dimensions, and anchoring system. • Provide an estimated material cost of each of the two proposed designs. Please attend our annual meeting on March 23 to learn more about this project and to comment on the students’ initial design efforts.

Friends of the Platte River contracts 2 UW-Platteville students

Friends of the Platte River has contracted two UW-Platteville geography majors for the summer. Their job is to walk or paddle the Platte River, Little Platte River, and their tributaries to look for invasive species.

Once this field work is done they will go to the GIS lab on campus and produce maps so we know which invasive plants we have in the watershed and where they are located.

The students, Nick Flinner and Abbie Lehman hope to present their findings at the Association of American Geographers Regional Conference this fall in Chicago.

We owe a special thank you to those who have made contributions for this project: Dr. RJ Rowley in the Geography Department for assistance with the mapping and mapping gear, Mark Sethne in the Outdoor Recreation Department for renting the canoe, and Peggy Compton with UW-Extension for supplying hip waders from the Water Education Library.

Pictured above:
*Nick & Abbie with their best friend for the summer, WATER!
*Abbie on the river
*Nick in Trimble heaven surrounded by wild parsnip

Trash Clean Up Day

On Saturday, April 16th the Friends of the Platte River and over thirty local volunteers worked to clean up a hillside location on the Platte River that had been the site of decades of accumulated junk. The site is located on a steep slope along Big Platte Road outside of Platteville. Despite windy and snowy conditions, the volunteers work all day to clean up the site.

The event, planned and orchestrated in large part by Friends board member Mark Sethne, was truly a community effort. Faherty Recycling and Waste Collection of Platteville made the event a huge success with their donation of two large roll off dumpsters for use in the project. Potosi Portable Toilets donated a unit for use in the all day event. Dale Hood and Doug Steinbach/ Steinbach Farms donated skid steers for use in hauling large debris up the steep hill and placing it in the dumpsters.

Jared Marugg, UW-Platteville engineering student and student ambassador for the Friends of the Platte River, organized a group of nine engineering students affiliated with the American Society of Civil Engineers to help with the effort.

There were piles of used tires, many old appliances and computers, hundreds of bottles and cans, bedsprings, wire fencing and other items found on the site. Over 10,500 pounds of debris was removed.

The Friends of the Platte River expresses appreciation to all the volunteers and sponsors for this project.

We need YOUR help--Platte River Clean up Day

The Friends of the Platte River need community volunteers! On Saturday, April 16^th the Friends will be cleaning up a site on the Platte River that has decades of accumulation of junk. There are about 50 used tires and several appliances, not to mention 100’s of beer bottles. The hillside is steep and getting  tires, appliances, and other junk up to the road is going to be a problem that only “many hands” will be able to handle.  

Faherty recycling of Platteville has generously donated a “roll-off” dumpster and there will be a couple skid steers there to help pull things up the hill.  Food and water, as well as a port-a-potty  will be on site.

Plan to start arriving at the site about 8 on Saturday morning.  

Directions: Going west from Platteville on Co “B” a little over 6 miles to Big Platte Rd.  Turn left on Big Platte and it’s about a mile.  We will be at/near the place where the road jogs hard,  (the intersection of Quarry Rd.) is the other landmark.

Things to bring: sturdy work boots and leather gloves, shovels, pry bars, log chains, water bottle, etc.  This site is very steep and sneakers aren’t the best choice of shoes.

Come when you can and stay until you have to go!

2011 Annual Meeting

On March 5, 2011, the Friends of the Platte River held their annual meeting/ raffle/ open house at the Dickeyville community Center. Along with project updates, speaker Todd Johnson with UW extension spoke about various opportunities and resources available for the group. The grand prize raffle item was an Old Towne Otter Plus kayak and a Bending Branches paddle. A portion of this prize was donated by Rutabaga of Madison. Chuck Cornett was the grand prize winner. Other great prizes were donated by Momentum Bikes & Boards, Badger Brothers Coffee, Rollo Jameson Mining Museum, Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Wal-Mart, Home & Cabin Décor, Stone Cliff Winery, and Wine Down on Main.

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Prairie Enthusiasts

On February 26th 2011, Becky Trewartha attended the Prairie Enthusiasts annual conference. The purpose of the conference was to gain members and educate people on projects that are going on with The Prairie Enthusiasts. Becky manned a booth and presented information to various landowners concerning Japanese hops and other invasive species in the Platte watershed.

Win a Kayak!!!

The Friends of the Platte River
invite you to a special event:
OPEN HOUSE
REFRESHMENTS
RAFFLE

Saturday, March 5, 2011
2:00-3:30 pm

The Dickeyville Community Center
500 East Avenue
Dickeyville, WI

Learn more about our exciting projects
Share your ideas


Become a member today!!
ALL MEMBERS
Will be automatically entered in a drawing for one of these exciting prizes:

…KAYAK & PADDLE

…BEER and GEAR package*
(Cooler loaded with everything you need for fishing fun)

MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM TICKETS

…PLATTEVILLE CHAMBER BUCKS

And
…MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

You don’t have to be present to win, so become a member TODAY!
(Membership form included in brochure) *must be 21 to win

Look Out! Oriental Bittersweet

Not to be confused with American bittersweet, oriental bittersweet is a deciduous, woody vine that can grow up to 66 feet in length. Oriental bittersweet is an invasive plant which is becoming more and more abundant, while American bittersweet is becoming increasingly rarer.

Oriental bittersweet can grow almost anywhere and will try to kill any other vegetation around it, even mature trees. The Oriental bittersweet will snake its way up and around a tree to choke it out. Picture a plain white candy cane, this is your tree. Now picture the red stripe starting at the bottom and circling its way up, this is your Oriental bittersweet. Once this happens, the tree’s growth is inhibited and will eventually die. The weight of the Oriental bittersweet will uproot the tree and bring it to the ground during high wind events, snow storms, and ice storms and create what is called a blow over. Oriental bittersweet has created such a disruption in some forest ecosystems that it is even visible in areial photos.

Identification is easiest in the fall when the fruit capsules turn yellow. Many people will use these beautiful fruits in autumn wreaths and decorations. American bittersweet also produces beautiful fruits in the fall, but their fruit capsules are orange. This is the best way to tell them apart. Next fall if you go to pick seasonal bittersweet berries and the capsules are yellow please refrain from harvesting them because the seed bank stays viable for years so when one throws out a wreath with Oriental bittersweet on it, they are spreading the seeds.
If you are aware of locations with an Oriental bittersweet infestation please note the location and a photo (if possible) and send it along with your contact information to:

Courtney LeClair
Invasive Plant Education, Early Detection, and Mapping Specialist
WI Department of Natural Resources
101 S. Webster St.
Madison, WI 53707-7921
Phone: (608) 267-7438

Ellenboro Canoe Launch

As part of ongoing efforts to develop a water trial on the Platte River, a canoe launch was constructed on the Platte River in Ellenboro in November 2010. Large stone for the site was donated by Allied Stone. This site was made possible through a partnership with Ellenboro Township and UW Extension with grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This same grant also paid for dredging of the Banfield Recreation Area boat launch and removal of log jams on the Platte River.

Water Monitoring Project

The Friends of the Platte River Inc. recently trained six local families in water monitoring parameters as the first step in the implementation of a water monitoring program in the Platte River watershed. The families are affiliated with the Tri-State Homeschool Association. The families met in Memorial Park in Platteville in September 2010 to learn about becoming a Water Action Volunteer (WAV). The WAV training was performed by Kris Stepenuck, the volunteer stream monitoring coordinator, and Peggy Compton, the UW-Extension basin coordinator. The WAV training focused on 6 parameters that are used to establish the health of a river: temperature, turbidity, biotic index, habitat, stream flow, and dissolved oxygen. This was a hands-on learning opportunity where members of each family found themselves in the stream collecting water samples and testing for dissolved oxygen, filling up a tube with water and checking for water clarity, and scooping up macroinvertebrates and identifying the critters they found.

Besides learning how to collect the necessary data, the families were instructed on the implication of each parameter as an indication of stream health.

• Temperature is an important indicator of overall aquatic health. Warmer water tends to hold less oxygen than colder water and can cause higher plant growth and increase metabolic rates for organisms. Temperature fluctuation can make fish and insects more susceptible to environmental disturbances.  In addition certain fish require a specific temperature range in order to survive in a particular stream.
• Turbidity measures the transparency of water in a stream. Changes in clarity especially after a rain event can indicate runoff from construction sites, fields or other sources.
• Biotic Index is used to determine the presence or absence of certain macroinvertebrates in the stream. Macroinvertebrates are small animals without backbones and different types respond differently to differing physical, chemical and biological stream conditions. The types of macroinvertebrates found can indicate the level of pollution in the steam segment.
• Habitat Assessment measures the overall conditions of the land adjacent to the stream. The land use will affect the water quality and the habitat.
• Stream Flow indicates the amount of water moving through the stream during a set period of time. Stream flow will affect the stream habitat as well as the types of organisms and plants that can grow in the stream.
• Dissolved Oxygen in the water is a requirement for the survival of both plants and animals and is influenced by temperature, turbidity, wave action and by both living and decaying plants in the stream.

Together, these indicators give a good picture of the health of the stream. The collection of such data can help decision-makers quantify stream quality and will assist in the determination of areas of the watershed in need of further action. The monitoring program also helps watershed residents learn more about the waters of the Platte River and how our behaviors can affect water quality.

The families were loaned supplies from the water education library and each family will monitor a stream segment in the Platte River watershed monthly over the coming year. For more information on becoming a Water Action Volunteer or for learning more about the process you can visit http://clean-water.uwex.edu/wav/.

"Hoppiness on the Platte" Event

On July 10^th Laura MacFarland, the Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator with the River Alliance of Wisconsin, and around 15 members of the River Alliance and Friends of the Platte River came to the Driftless Area to enjoy a few hours on the Little Platte River. Launching from the bridge on County O, they started their 2.5 hour journey.  Along the way, everyone was able to see how thick the Japanese hops are along the riverbanks. Everyone was also able to experience tight curves, riffles, pools and an area where a tree blocked about half of the river. This tree turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip because this obstacle was the cause of Tammy Enz and Mark Sethne going for a swim. Laura appreciated a couple of people from the Friends of the Platte River going for a dip to show everyone that there was nothing to fear in the water! After everyone exited the river at Church Road, we packed up the boats and headed to Potosi Brewery where we enjoyed appetizers, good conversation, and some of the finer hops in life. It was a fabulous day, with a wonderful paddle, and a great crew of people.

Japanese Hops Study and Control

The Friends of the Platte River have recently been awarded a $45, 050 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) grant from the Wisconsin DNR for the study and control of the aquatic invasive species—Japanese Hops in the Platte/ Little Platte watershed. The study will include a full-scale survey of the extents of the infestation throughout the Platte and Little Platte watersheds and exploration of eradication and control measures for Japanese Hops.

In August 2009 the Friends of the Platte River sponsored a Project RED (Riverine Early Detectors) training through River Alliance of Wisconsin. Participants learned to identify and catalog aquatic invasive species in the watershed. Through the training, Japanese Hops (Humulus japonicus) was discovered in many locations throughout the watershed.

Japanese Hops, native to Japan and eastern China, was introduced to the United States as an ornamental garden plant and is now found as an invasive species in many regions of the United Sates, including southern and western counties in Wisconsin. They reproduce by wind and water dispersed seeds. They form dense stands in floodplains and along stream banks and lakeshores but can also be found near roadsides and urban lots. Japanese Hops is a fast-growing, herbaceous annual vine. Its leaves are simple, opposite, and palmately divided into 5 lobes. Flowers are greenish and bloom in mid to late summer. Female plants contain oval seeds that remain viable in the soil for three years. Stems can be 8-35 feet in length and are covered with rough hairs. The plant can form a dense, almost solid, stand that outcompetes native vegetation and can displace native riverbank and flood plain vegetation, leading to bank destabilization and increased sedimentation in the streams of the watershed.

River Spirit Exchange Event

Forty students and young professionals from throughout the Midwest and beyond descended on Dickeyville on Tuesday, May 18 to learn about Japanese Hops and to participate in a pulling event. The project was part of a three-day event organized and hosted by the Environment and Public Health Network for Chinese Students and Scholars, organized in 2006 and registered at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  The participants were involved in a camping and educational excursion in Wisconsin and Iowa to learn about working rivers and the potential of rivers as a cultural catalyst.  In the students’ words, the River Spirit Exchange is a cross-cultural event “to share our knowledge about rivers inherited from our ancestors and to explore new experiences that will connect us for the future.” The Exchange is a charter event for a people-to-people initiative called Rivers as Bridges that links the people of the Yangtze and Mississippi. Students from UW-Platteville and UW Madison participated. Other participants hailed from as far away as Harvard and University of Virginia Law School. About two thirds of the participants are from China and were anxious to learn about American culture, tradition and grassroots organization through this event.

The students were treated to a lunch served at the Dickeyville Community center provided by the Friends of the Platte River with snacks donated by local organic farmer, Darrel Hinderman. Mr. Hinderman also served as a lunch-time speaker, introducing the students to the field of organic farming. The Japanese Hops pulling event took place in the vicinity of Mr. Hinderman's farm south of Dickeyville. Cotton gloves used for the project were donated by Theisen’s in Dubuque.

The event served as a kick-off event for the Friends of the Platte River’s aquatic invasive species project. The invasive species project will also include a full-scale survey of the extents of the infestation throughout the Platte and Little Platte watersheds and exploration of eradication and control measures for Japanese Hops.

Lower Platte Sedimentation Study

In Fall 2008 UW-Madison graduate students—Benjamin Lee, Cory Anderson, Megan Corrado and Hoi Lai Tseung—taking a course in Sediment Processes and Engineering in Natural Channels under the direction of Professor John Hoopes undertook the problem of understanding the sedimentation in the Lower Platte River (LPR) and developing solutions to restore a stable channel in the lower Platte. This fall they completed their report with a historical account of the cause of excess sedimentation, an analysis of present sedimentation and flow rates and recommendations for establishing a stable channel in the lower Platte River. Important features of the LPR have been identified and used to propose a stable channel from the Hwy 61/35 Bridge to the Mississippi River:

• Instability in the Lower Platte River (LPR) was the result of a base level change introduced by Lock and Dam 11 in 1937;
• Low velocities in and excessive sediment supply to the LPR continue to cause sediment deposition and channel alteration principally downstream of the Banfield Bridge and probably upstream, though vertical accretion was not apparent in the field inspection;
• The channel width through the LPR appears relatively stable upstream of the Banfield Bridge and unstable downstream of the bridge, although the original LPR thalweg is evident downstream;
• The channel between the Banfield Bridge and the Hwy 61/35 Bridge cut itself off after the opening of Lock and Dam 11 to increase the bed slope and transport the sediment supplied to it;
• The slope of the LPR is about 0.000306;
• The low flow channel width at the Hwy 61/35 Bridge was 110 ft and 210 ft at the Banfield Bridge;
• The measured flow rate on November 15, 2008 was similar to the value obtained by scaling the flow at the Rockville gauge to the LPR by the ratio of drainage areas;
• The 100-year flood discharge is approximately 36,500 cfs;
• Suspended sediment is the dominant mode of transport, and medium silt is the median grain size;
• A yearly sediment supply of 80,759 tons is expected at the Rockville flow gauge, and a yearly supply of 196,211 tons is predicted to the LPR by scaling of drainage areas;
• The dominant discharge is approximately 5,500 cfs;
• A bankfull depth and width of approximately 7 ft and 140 ft, respectively, are expected for a stable channel cross section.

These data will be used to explore methods of attaining a stable channel (through methods such as parallel embankment or porous sediment fence)

Dredging of Banfield Boat Launch

Look for improvements at Banfield Park this spring when using the park and launching boats from the landing. Late last fall the boat launch area was dredged and access to the landing area was improved. This work was completed through the cooperative efforts of the Friends of the Platte River, UW-Extension, UW-Platteville students, Grant County Parks Commission and Paris Township.A

team of civil engineering students, Pat Gavinski, Brian Scott, and Pat Schultz from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville designed the improvements to Banfield Bridge Recreation Area.

The students evaluated  the launch site and erosion issues at the park and put together a very comrehensive plan to beautify the park and increase its useability. 

Well Testing Project

On the evening of May 29, 2008 over sixty local residents crowded into the commons of the Platteville Middle school to receive their individual results from our well testing project and participate in an educational program to learn about the results. Three levels of testing were offered in this program: a Basic Homeowners Package to give a good indication of overall water quality; a Heavy Metals package for those with concerns about the levels of metals in their drinking water, and a Triazine Screen which indicates the presence of pesticides in drinking water.

In total 76 Platte River watershed residents took part in the program.

The program was sponsored by The Friends of the Platte River, Southwest Badger RC&D, and UW Extension to provide residents of the watershed a ten dollar discount on their well testing.
Funding for the project was provided by the Wisconsin DNR through a River Planning Grant and a donation from Grant County Land Conservation.

Peggy Compton, our local basin educator explained the process of how water moves from the surface of the ground, into the ground, and through our wells using a ground water model.

Kevin Masarik, groundwater education specialist in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point explained the meaning of each of the tests and remedies for people with unsafe or undesirable results. He also mapped the results by general location throughout the watershed for comparative purposes.

In general, Kevin felt the ground water in the Platte River watershed was better than he expected for the geography and land use of our region when compared to results from other watersheds in the region—good news indeed!

Watershed Tour

Over a dozen people participated in our May 19, 2007 watershed tour and had the opportunity to get to know the Platte River watershed and to learn about measures that can be taken on land and in the water to ensure high quality waters throughout the watershed.
The tour included a fish shocking demonstration hosted by the Wisconsin DNR.

A big thanks goes out to all the folks who shared their knowledge on the tour: Bradd Sims and Jim Amrhein, WDNR, Steven Bertjens, USDA, Kevin Lange, Grant County Land Conservation, David Wilson, Driftless Area Initiative, Mark Sethne, UWP geography.

A portion of the tour included visiting several farms in the watershed where farmers are employing conservation measures which result in less soil erosion and cleaner streams and rivers.

The following is a list of some of the conservation features observed:

Contour Strip-Cropping: Planting crops along the contour of the hillside prevents soil from running down the hillside and entering streams when it rains. Rows of alfalfa and other perennials catch the soil as it moves down the hillside from other more erodible crops.

No-Till Cropping: By not plowing the crop residue into the soil after harvest, it is left on the fields to hold soil in place to prevent rain from washing it into streams. Crop residues help protect the soil surface from the impact of a raindrop so the soil particles do not dislodge and erode. No-till farming increases soil organic matter which increases soil tilth, a major factor in determining whether rain will infiltrate or run-off. Next season’s crops can be planted through the crop residue. The more a field is plowed, the more organic mater is
lost, thus the potential for soil erosion and sedimentation is increased.

Barnyard System: Concrete walls around a barnyard prevent barnyard runoff from entering streams and rivers by containing the manure when it rains. Screens and a grass filter are used with the system to ensure that the barnyard waste filters properly instead of running unfiltered into streams.

Dam: An earthen dam is constructed to stabilize an area where a gulley is causing significant soil erosion. Dams hold back runoff water from storm events and trap up to 70% of the sediment that enters the structure.

Stream stabilization: Large rocks are placed along the stream bank and in the toe of
the stream to prevent banks from eroding and sloughing.

The tour also included a visit to the Grant County wetland near Hwy 61 where the group learned more about the importance of wetlands in the river system and about ways any citizen of the watershed can help improve and maintain clean waters in the Platte River watershed.

Wetlands are an important part of the watershed because they slow down the flow of surface water, reducing the severity of floods. Wetlands act like a big filter, removing sediment and contaminants form the surface water before it moves downstream into larger rivers and lakes. Wetlands also provide food and shelter for many fish and waterfowl.

Anyone in the watershed can protect streams by planting a rain garden, a low garden designed to collect rainwater during storms and slowly filter water into the ground. People who have a river or stream running through their property can leave a buffer strip of un-mown grass or plants along the stream to catch nutrients and runoff from their yards.

This wetland area of the watershed is historically significant as it was once the general location of the city of Paris, an early settlement founded by a Frenchman. Paris Township derives its name from this ghost town.

To the delight of all, multiple species of fish…and a snake…were collected from Blockhouse Creek during the fish shocking demonstration. The unique features of each of the species where demonstrated and the young Friends in the group had an opportunity to get up close and personal with our aquatic neighbors. Blockhouse Creek is known for its smallmouth bass population. Over seventeen other species of fish are known to populate this stretch of the creek.