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.
