Drive Careful this New Year's…..

It's Always Beautiful on Koshkonong

Whatever your faith, have a joyous day.

Merry Christmas Lake Koshkonong and Rock River

Lake Level on Dec 20 - A Comparison

This year - 776.34
Last year - 775.42

Nearly a foot lower last year.

A good example of how harmful the DNR water level orders are for Koshkonong and how nearly impossible the orders are to achieve, without drought conditions brought on by Mother Nature.

Supreme Court Case Remains a Muddy Mess

So the Supremes gave RKLD an EPIC victory, however, they still remanded the case back to Rock County Circuit Court to do right this time.

On Tuesday, Dec 17th, Rock County Judge Dan Dillon offered to recuse himself from the case should any of the attorneys from either party ask.

When no one asked, Judge Dillon said he would give all parties until after the New Year to let him know.

So here we are again, the calendar just keeps getting longer and longer and longer.

But, we have facts, and everything that is right, on our side.

Stay tuned for the next move on thee chess board from Buck Sweeney and the Lake Koshkonong Wetland Club.

Damaged Carp Gate at Mud Lake

Part of the Experimental Dredge project from earlier this year included repairing and replacing the Carp Gate at Mud Lake.  Mud Lake is a prolific walleye and northern fish habitat.  So in addition to working well with the WI DNR, and the US Army Corp. of Engineers, RKLD proved once again that not EVERY wetland/duck hunting club wants to fight and invent reasons to attack the RKLD.

RKLD is a champion for ALL user groups on Lake Koshkonong and the Rock River.

Where is the REAL OHWM?

RKLD is already collecting data - we are examining the OHWM and whether hunters and fisherman can access more public areas on the lake.

In some cases, wetland owners may be claiming public waterways as private property.

___________________________

Brian..

 

Below is information about the Rock River flood inundation pilot project.   See the link for the Cedar River-Cedar Rapids, IA river gauge for an example of what flood inundation mapping is like.  Let me know if you are interested in getting on an e-mail list for the meeting or conference call in early 2014. 

--

Brian Hahn-Service Hydrologist  12/10  635 pm

National Weather Service-Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI

N3533 Hardscrabble Road

Dousman, WI 53118

Earliest subzero weather in 18 years -- and now more snow

Earliest subzero weather in 18 years -- and now more snow

Staff report and WGN-TV
7:46 AM CST, December 10, 2013

advertisement

The temperature dipped below zero overnight at O'Hare International Airport, the earliest that has happened here since 1995. The cold will hold through the week, bringing a burst of snow in time for the morning rush Wednesday.

The temperature fell to one degree below zero around 12:55 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.  That's the earliest subzero readings here since a low of minus 4 on Dec. 9, 1995.

By 7 a.m., the temperature had climbed to 8 degrees at O'Hare but the wind chill was 9 degrees below zero. The coldest temperature -- 4 degrees -- was recorded in Waukegan with a wind chill of minus-16.

Some fast-moving arctic clippers will bring snow across the Chicago area starting tonight, with up to 3 inches of snow possible falling across the area during the morning commute Wednesday.

"Late Tuesday night into Wednesday ... that could drop 2 or 3 inches of snow across the Chicago metro area during the morning rush. It could be a mess waking up Wednesday morning," said Ben Deubelbeiss, a meteorologist with the weather service.

The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory from midnight tonight through 10 a.m. Wednesday. The snow is expected to intensify between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., "with snowfall rates of up to a half-inch per hour possible," the weather service said.

Temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday will top out in the high teens with lows each night in the single digits, he said. It could warm up Thursday and Friday, though high temperatures each day aren't expected to pass 30 degrees.

On Monday night at Soldier Field, arctic temperatures and biting west winds produced the coldest home game for the Bears in five years. The last Bears’ home game played in colder weather was on Dec. 22, 2008. That contest between the Bears and Green Bay Packers began with a 3-degree kick-off temperature.

Monday night was at Soldier Field wasn’t much better. It was 9 degrees at the 7:40 pm kick-off, with a 17 mph westerly wind subjecting fans to a wind chill near 10-below. The temperature continued to drop, reached 4-above before the game ended.

Excellent Reply to the Water Quality article on Manure Spills

Well said Greg Farnham!

______________________________________

Richard:

The attached article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlights the fact that this year our state has experienced the largest volume of livestock manure spills since 2007.  Notwithstanding the implications of this appalling statistic, you are quoted as:

"What can I say,  'Manure happens.'"

I consider this comment dismissive and arrogant.  I might expect such a reply from a representative of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, but not from an educator with the University of Wisconsin System.

According to the article, the "UW's showplace for agriculture research" in Arlington has been for years a flagrant violator of safe manure handling practices.  Is this the performance standard for management and faculty of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences?

There are hundreds of dedicated private individuals statewide serving as commissioners of lake management districts, directors of lake and river associations and volunteers with other water conservation and public health organizations who are working tirelessly in an effort to protect our surface waters and groundwater from manure contamination.

An apparent shoulder shrug from a CALS dean with the comment "manure happens" is an unacceptable response to the serious manure pollution problems in this state.

Sincerely,

Greg Farnham, Commissioner

Lake Sinissippi Improvement District

Hustisford, Wisconsin

Water Quality Issues

At our 2013 Annual Meeting of Electors, this issue was raised repeatedly that RKLD should involve ourselves in improving water quality of Lake Koshkonong.  While the entire Board agreed with those concerns, the article below is a good example of what our Board, Lake, River and property owners are up against.
___________________________________

Manure spills in 2013 the highest in seven years statewide
By Lee Bergquist and Kevin Crowe of the Journal Sentinel

Dec. 5, 2013

Wisconsin farms this year generated the largest volume of manure spills since 2007, including an accident by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's flagship research farm in Columbia County that produced a mile-long trail of animal waste. Livestock operations have spilled more than 1 million gallons of manure in 2013, according to the state Department of Natural Resources' records. Records don't show a clear trend in the frequency or size of the spills, but officials say there is a growing practice by farmers and their neighbors of reporting mishaps. Officials also say that regardless of the precautions taken, accidents are not uncommon. Manure contains an array of contaminants, including E. coli, phosphorus and nitrogen, that can harm public waterways and drinking water. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis shows that after this year, the second largest volume in spills took place in 2008 when 905,505 gallons were released. The Journal Sentinel asked for records from 2007-'13. Last year, spills

totaled 191,132 gallons. Kevin Erb, a manure specialist with the University of Wisconsin Extension, said that the volume is minute, compared to the amount of manure cows produce. The spill total for 2013 is less than 1% of all the waste produced by dairy cattle in Wisconsin, he said. Still, manure handling is a volatile issue in Wisconsin as dairy farms grow larger. Attorney Drew Nicholas of Midwest Environmental Advocates said animal waste is the chief concern of residents his firm represents. Thecases focus on opposing new farms or expansions at the state's largest dairies, known as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. CAFOs are farms with the equivalent of 700 or more milking or dry cows. "It's the same issue: The fear manure will get into waterways," Nicholas said.

According to the Journal Sentinel analysis, about one-third of the spills since 2007 came from CAFOs. There are currently 196 dairy CAFOs in Wisconsin. In the latest spill, 300,000 gallons of manure escaped from a ruptured pipe on Nov. 24 from a facility in Dane County that takes waste from farms to generate electricity.

The $13 million Dane County digester, which received a $3.3 million state grant, generates enough electricity to power 2,500 homes. It began operating in 2011. The ruptured pipe was not discovered until Nov. 25. The break sent liquid manure into nearby Six Mile Creek.

The DNR is still assessing the extent of the damage. DNR spokesman Bob Manwell said the spill doesn't appear to have killed fish in the creek, but because portions of the creek are covered with ice, the agency is still monitoring the situation. Another big spill was an accident in February at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station that also released 300,000 gallons of manure after a pipe broke. The 2,000-acre farm is UW's showplace for agriculture research. The manure handling system was constructed about five years ago to accommodate about 500 cows. "It was a mechanical failure," said Richard J. Straub, senior associate dean of the UW College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, in explaining the break in a pipe that recirculated the cleanest water from a manure lagoon to wash manure off the barn's floor. DNR records show that Arlington has reported five spills since 2007. That includes three spills in 2009 for a

combined 50,000 gallons. "What can I say, 'manure happens,'" said Straub, who holds a doctorate in agricultural engineering. "We take these things seriously, but there is no system that is absolutely safe." The farm has instituted several changes, including new berms to contain waste if another accident occurs and an automatic shut-off of equipment that pumps manure if a change in pressure is detected, Straub said. DNR officials said they haven't analyzed the data on spills, and haven't examined the data to learn whether there were cases where farms or manure haulers are repeat violators. Some farmers and haulers have been required to pay fines for contaminating public waterways or groundwater, the DNR said, but the figure was not available on Thursday. "Spills are going to happen, and what we are telling people is to report them and mitigate the problem — these are the things that we are focusing on," said Tom Bauman, coordinator of agricultural runoff for the DNR. Officials said a string of manure spills in 2004 prompted the state to become more proactive. The agency has personnel in all regions of the state who work on spills. On nights and weekends, a DNR employee is on call in the event an accident is reported. The DNR also has a system that warns farmers when weather conditions, such as heavy rains and fast snow melt, would be poor for spreading waste.

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/manure-spills-in-2013-the-highest-in-seven- years-statewide-b99157574z1-234701931.html#ixzz2mi6O5sDe
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter 

Potential of a Quorum - Notice

Notice of Meeting
of the Board of Commissioners
AGENDA
DATE: Friday, December 6th, 2013
TIME: 2:30pm
PLACE: Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson, SC
Madison, WI

RE: This is being posted because it is possible that a quorum of the Board of Commissioners may be present.

The Board may meet in closed session for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel who is rendering advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the Board with respect to litigation, pursuant to Wis. Stat. s. 19.85(1)(g).

No other district business will be acted upon.

• Attorney Bill O’Connor
• Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson, SC
• Attorney Art Harrington 
• Godfrey & Kahn, SC
• Brian Christianson Chairman 
• Rock-Koshkonong Lake District