Prairie Enthusiasts Inc

THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTS 2015 MONARCH BUTTERFLY INITIATIVE

THE PECATONICA RIVER IS IMPAIRED DUE TO PHOSPHORUS-LADEN RUNOFF FROM SMALLER TRIBUTARIES LIKE WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK. THE STREAM RUNS THROUGH AN 830-ACRE MOUNDS VIEW GRASSLAND PRESERVE IN IOWA COUNTY. THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTS NOTED EXCESS PHOSPHORUS IN WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK OVER A DECADE AGO AND COMPLETED THE FIRST PHASE OF A PROJECT TO RESTORE HEALTH TO THESE WATERS. THE SCOPE IN PHASE 1 OF THE PROJECT WAS TO LIMIT ABRUPT LANDSCAPE CHANGES THAT WOULD REDUCE THE STABILITY OF THE HABITAT. PHASE 2 WILL BUILD ON THE WORK OF PHASE 1 BY REMOVING 6,000-8,000 CUBIC YARDS OF POLLUTED SEDIMENT FROM WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK AND RESTORING NATIVE VEGETATION IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THIS SEDIMENT IS OVERLOADED WITH PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN AND CONSTANTLY ADDS TO THE IMPAIRED HEALTH OF THE PECATONICA RIVER DOWNSTREAM. TPE PLAN TO REMOVE THIS SEDIMENT FROM THE CREEK AREA THROUGH CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION WORK. HOWEVER, POLLUTED RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE AND CREATE A NEW BUILDUP OF PHOSPHORUS- LADEN SEDIMENT WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE AREA SURROUNDING THE CREEK. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO RESTORE THE CREEK AND ADJACENT SITES TO NATIVE VEGETATION TO CREATE A HEALTHY BUFFER ZONE IN ADDITION TO THE REMOVAL OF POLLUTED SEDIMENT. THIS BUFFER ZONE WILL REDUCE THE CHANCE OF WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK BECOMING POLLUTED AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.TWO CRITICAL STEPS IN REDUCING FUTURE POLLUTION ARE WELL-PLANNED EROSION CONTROL AND THE CONVERSION OF HEAVILY FERTILIZED CROPLAND TO NATIVE SPECIES. THIS PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH EROSION CONTROL IN THE 2.3 ACRES OF UPLAND BUFFER BASED ON THE NON-AGRICULTURAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS SET BY THE WDNR IN CHAPTER NR151: RUNOFF MANAGEMENT. TO CONVERT THE CROPLAND TO NATIVE SPECIES, TPE WILL REMOVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AND SPREAD 50-100 NATIVE SEEDS PER SQUARE FOOT THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT AREA. THE CURRENT SEDIMENT MUST BE REMOVED BY HEAVY MACHINERY, WHICH IS DESTINED TO UPSET THE GROUND AND GRADE. FOLLOWING THE PLAN EXECUTED IN PHASE 1, WE WILL ESTABLISH GENTLE GRADES AND AVOID ABRUPT ELEVATION CHANGES AFTER SEDIMENT REMOVAL.THIS WORK WILL LOWER THE CHANCES OF A LARGE SOIL SHIFT AFTER A HEAVY RAINFALL OR OTHER EVENT. LIKEWISE, NATIVE VEGETATION WILL SOLIDIFY THE GROUND WITH ITS DEEP, INTERCONNECTED ROOTS. RESTORING THE RIVER EDGE AND SURROUNDING AREA WITH NATIVE PLANTS WILL ALSO REMOVE THE NEED FOR PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN RICH FERTILIZERS. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF PHASE 1, THE WDNR RECOMMENDED WILLIAMS- BARNEVELD CREEK BE UPGRADED TO A CLASS 1 TROUT STREAM. THIS NEW DESIGNATION RECOGNIZES THE IMPROVED WATER QUALITY THAT CAN SUFFICIENTLY SUSTAIN POPULATIONS OF WILD TROUT WITHOUT THE NEED FOR STOCKING FROM HATCHERIES. SITE DATA FROM 1976 AND 2005 ALSO NOTES MOTTLED SCULPIN IN WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK. BOTH BROOK TROUT AND MOTTLED SCULPIN ARE PRIORITY SPECIES RECOGNIZED BY THE DRIFTLESS AREA RESTORATION PROJECT. PHASE 2 OF THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF PHASE 1 TO ENSURE A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM THAT WILL SUPPORT BROOK TROUT AND MOTTLED SCULPIN IN WILLIAMS-BARNEVELD CREEK AND THE SURROUNDING WATERSHED.THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE HABITAT GIVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE TO NATIVE PLANTS, THEREBY PROMOTING INFILTRATION OF STORMWATER AND SLOWING STORMWATER RUNOFF DURING INTENSE STORM EVENTS. THE IMPROVED WATER QUALITY WILL GREATLY BENEFIT NATIVE FLORA AND FAUNA, PROVIDING IMPROVED OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND BIRDWATCHING FOR THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF IOWA COUNTY.

SYLVAN ROAD CONSERVATION AREA (5779)

FY16 HABITAT RESTORATION

TO IMPROVE RIPARIAN IN-STREAM AND WETLAND HABITAT ON WILLIAMS BARNEVELD CREEK

ARRA 14 1610 R3EU SW WISCONSIN GRASSLAND PRAIRIE AND OAK SAVANNAH IMPRG

THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTS 2014 BLUFF PRAIRIE INITIATIVE

TPE SYLVAN ROAD

TPE IHM TRACT

WIPLO-COOP AGRMNT PFW- TPE (ERBE) THIS PROJECT RESTORES PRAIRIE AND SAVANNA HABITAT IN THE SOUTHWEST GRASSLAND AND STREAM CONSERVATION AREA TO INCREASE FORAGING, NESTING, AND BROODING HABITAT FOR DECLINING BIRD SPECIES. SUGGESTED VENDOR: 1357213010000 THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTS PO BOX 824 VIROQUA, WI 54665 HEADER TEXT: 4/18/2018 - THIS IS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT VENDOR CODE 70516926 RECIPIENT ENROLLED IN ASAP. ***PLEASE EMAIL A COPY OF THE AWARD LETTER TO LORIE BROWN & MIKE ENGEL- LAB

PRIVATE LANDS AGREEMENT

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO RESTORE 22 ACRES OF OAK SAVANNA ON THE LANDOWNERS DOUBLE OAK PROPERTY.

THE PRAIRIE ENTHUSIASTS BLUFF PRAIRIE - SAVANNA INITIATIVE 2016

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE