Concerned citizens bite on state motor trolling proposal

Concerned citizens bite on state motor trolling proposal

By Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
June 1, 2014
Among conservation matters, changes to deer hunting rules typically draw the strongest reactions in Wisconsin.

That will likely be true for as long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

But for at least one day, our “other religion” took a back seat to an angling issue.

Meeting Wednesday in Green Bay, the Natural Resources Board heard not a single objection to a proposal to sharply reduce antlerless deer permits in northern Wisconsin, but it got an earful from folks opposed to motor trolling in the same region.

The public input prompted the board to modify a rule presented by the Department of Natural Resources.

The issue at hand was an expansion of motor trolling in Wisconsin. The DNR proposal, which 62 percent of voters supported at the spring hearings, would allow motor trolling with at least one line per angler statewide and three lines per angler in most counties.

Under current regulations, 19 counties allow motor trolling on all waters, 45 counties allow it on one or more waters (105 total waters) and eight counties don’t allow the practice.

DNR fisheries staff presented the rule change to: simplify regulations by eliminating confusion about where trolling is allowed; allow anglers in moving boats to simultaneously trail suckers and cast lures; eliminate the need for disabled anglers to apply for trolling permits; and provide additional fishing opportunities for anglers who might have difficulty fishing by other means.

Moreover, the agency presented data that showed motor trolling had no biological impact on fish populations, specifically muskies.

But a half dozen residents of northern Wisconsin voiced their strong opposition to expanded motor trolling.

“I’m very much against the one-line trolling proposal,” said John Dettloff, a fishing guide and resort owner from Couderay. “I’m concerned it’s going to put additional stress on our already-fragile musky fishery.”

Dettloff also said it could “hurt the aesthetics” of some north woods waters by increasing boat traffic.

“Please don’t let the genie out of the bottle,” Dettloff said. “Once trolling is allowed I feel it’s going to be very difficult to reverse.”

Art Long, Jim and Ann McComas, Rich Reinert, and Anthony Rizzo also expressed their displeasure.

Only one angler, John Aschenbrenner of Laona, showed up to support the proposal at Wednesday’s meeting.

Many people in the fishing community probably felt they had spoken with their vote at the spring hearings.

“I think Wisconsin needs more opportunities like this to get more people involved in fishing,” Aschenbrenner said.

The board debated several changes to the DNR proposal, including removing Vilas and perhaps other counties from the rule.

DNR fisheries manager Tim Simonson said the agency’s musky committee had been working on the issue for three years.

“We wouldn’t recommend anything that we thought would be detrimental to musky populations,” Simonson said.

In the end, the board decided to approve the proposal under a three-year sunset provision and by limiting the number of lines per boat in certain waters.

Beginning in 2015, the rule approved Wednesday would:

• Allow motor trolling with at least one line per angler on all inland waters in Wisconsin.

• In 55 counties, all inland waters would be open to motor trolling with up to three lines per angler.

• In the remaining 17 counties—on waters not currently open to trolling—trolling would be allowed but would be limited to one line per angler and no more than two lines per boat, which means no more than two anglers trolling at a time. This portion of the rule would affect Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Iron, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oneida, Ozaukee, Sawyer, Sheboygan, Vilas, Washington and Waushara counties.

The three-year sunset clause means the new rule, which would take effect next year pending legislative review, will revert to the current rule in 2018 unless the board takes additional action.

The DNR would use the coming years to gather data on catch rates, harvest rates and fish populations on waters affected by the expanded trolling opportunities to help guide recommendations on any permanent motor trolling rules.

“Trolling has generated always generated some controversy,” Simonson said. “We’ve addressed it by presenting the most objective data possible. Assuming the legislature doesn’t change anything, we’ll approach the three year period the same way, monitoring the changes and presenting information to the decision-makers.”

Antlerless quotas: The board approved the DNR’s plan to prohibit hunting of antlerless deer in all or part of 19 counties this year. The move is designed to help deer herds recover after two consecutive severe winters, according to the agency, and it has received broad public support.

The zero quotas would cover the entire northern forest region and part of the central forest. In addition, the rule approved antlerless quotas and permit levels for counties throughout the state. In a change resulting from the deer trustee report, bonus antlerless deer tags this year are specific to counties and private or public land.

Each 2014 deer hunting license includes one antlerless tag that may be used on any property in a farmland zone during any season. Extra tags (if available) must be purchased for $12 each.

The DNR will sell 149,475 private land and 23,020 public land antlerless tags this year. The disparity is intended to prevent over-harvest on heavily hunted public properties.

The sales will be staggered, similar to the way leftover spring turkey permits are sold. Forest zone permits will be sold Aug. 18, central farmland zone permits Aug. 19 and southern farmland permits Aug. 20. All sales begin at 10 a.m.

The pipeline passes under the Rock River south of Fort Atkinson just north of Lake Koshkonong

Pipeline upgrades affect Rock, Walworth counties


Enbridge, the Canadian energy company, is upgrading pumps that service the oil pipeline that travels through Wisconsin. Some officials and residents are concerned about the possible impact.
By Catherine W. Idzerda

TOWN OF LIMA--More crude oil will flow through the northeast corner of Rock County and Walworth County if a Canadian energy company gets the go-ahead for upgrades.

Enbridge, an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, hopes to complete upgrades to four pumping stations--including one in northeast Rock County--in 2014 as part of a project to increase its ability to move crude oil from Canada and North Dakota to refineries in the Great Lakes region. A second phase of pump station upgrades is planned in 2015.

Supporters see the Wisconsin pipeline and the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from western Canada to the Gulf Coast as critical tools in reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Enbridge's Delavan pump station is located off  Highway 59 in the town of Lima in Rock County, about 25 miles northwest of Delavan.

From that station, the pipeline heads in two directions: southeast through Walworth County toward Chicago and south.

The pipeline, which is referred to as Line 61, has been in use since 2009.

“Around that time, there was an economic decline, and the economy was a little slack,” said Becky Haase, Enbridge spokesperson. “Things are changing. The economy is getting back on its feet.”

The pipeline has been carrying about 400,000 barrels per day.

Demand is up, and the company wants to increase the flow to the pipeline's capacity of 1.2 million barrels per day. The revamped pipeline is scheduled to be in operation in 2016.

According to Enbridge, its pipelines are:

-Built with high-quality steel pipe and are factory- and field-tested.

-Inspected at every weld, “far exceeding the required 10 percent sampling mandated by federal regulation.”

-Pressure-tested with water “at levels above the authorized operating pressure.”

-Monitored 24 hours a day by computerized systems and controllers. Flow-rate alarms and abnormal changes in pipeline pressure would prompt either a computerized shutdown of the line, or control room operators would shut down the system “within minutes.”

The last statement doesn't reassure environmentalists and others who remember the 2010 pipeline spill in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

On July 25, 2010, alarms went off in Enbridge's control room indicating that a pipeline had burst.

Three shifts of pipeline operators misinterpreted those signals, according to a 2012 report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The safety board blamed the company for failing to follow its own safety protocol, and it also blamed the federal government for failing to give its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration the “staff or regulatory muscle to safeguard the public,” according to a 2012 National Public Radio story.

At the time, Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairwoman, said it wasn't until “17 hours and 19 minutes after the rupture that a worker from a local gas utility found the spill and notified the Enbridge control center.”

More than 800,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into wetlands, a creek and the Kalamazoo River.

As of April 2013, the spill has cost more than $1 billion to clean up. That's in part because the pipe was carrying tar sands, a type of crude that is much heavier than  regular crude.

In order to travel through the pipeline, the crude oil is diluted with a lighter hydrocarbon mixture that is not unlike gasoline, said Stephen Hamilton, the Michigan state ecology professor who serves as a science adviser for the Kalamazoo spill.

When a spill occurs in water, that material evaporates quickly, he said, and the remaining crude floats briefly before sinking to the bottom.

That evaporation releases a variety of chemicals, including benzene, a substance that causes health problems ranging from nervous system issues to cancer.

Enbridge also paid $1.1 million to settle claimsby the DNR and the state Department of Justice that numerous environmental laws were broken during construction of the initial phase of its pipeline system in Wisconsin in 2007 and 2008. The forfeiture involved more than 100 environmental violations in 14 counties.

An Enbridge spokeswoman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the company has spent more than $4 billion in the past two years to upgrade safety and inspection of its pipeline system and other related costs.

For Jefferson County Board Supervisor Walt Christensen, “it's kind of hard to rank” the potential dangers of the pipeline.

“My understanding is that the pipeline was built to handle the volume and pressure described in documents as 1.2 million barrels per day,” Christensen wrote in an e-mail. “However, that was six years ago, and since then we have seen a lot of pipeline failures.

"I believe the high number of failures reveals a greater risk than anyone planned for and so the risk-benefit ratio should be re-examined before allowing the pipe to be stressed at full pressure.”

Christensen's resolution opposing a DNR air permit for the project and asking for an environmental assessment passed at the Jefferson County Board's May meeting.

Among the resolution's points:

-The pipeline passes under the Rock River south of Fort Atkinson just north of Lake Koshkonong.

-The material transported in the pipeline is tar sands, which is more corrosive and acidic than traditional oil and leads to about 3.6 times more spills per mile.

-The DNR only held one public hearing on the issue, and that was in Superior.

-Failure would constitute a “significant threat to the waters and property values of Jefferson County because at peak operation, this pipeline will carry more oil than the proposed Keystone Pipeline.”

Along with the possibility of a big spill, Christensen is concerned that the pipeline could be—and perhaps already is—an “oozing menace.”

Given the amount of crude traveling through the pipeline, even the most sensitive system might not pick up small leaks, he said..

The only approval that Enbridge needs is from the DNR for an air permit for work on its Superior pumping station. The comment period on that request has ended.

The DNR has 60 days to make a decision, according to a story in the Journal Sentinel.  The decision would be delayed if the DNR conducts an environmental analysis, the story said. .

Pipeline is under Rock River near Fort Atkinson

Shipwrecked Cove Opens This Weekend (Not sure I like this name for Newville)

New ordinance means changes for Rock River boaters - Jun 2013

Newville's 'Break in the Weather' party a rite of spring

Newville's 'Break in the Weather' party a rite of spring

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Neil Johnson
April 26, 2014
NEWVILLE—It didn't matter that the Rock River was an icy 43 degrees on Saturday.

That's a lot warmer than the air temperatures during many days of this past winter.

And if you jumped in the frigid river, as five people did during a belly-flop contest at Anchor Inn in Newville on Saturday, you weren't worried.

You got a double-shot of liquid courage beforehand: a sip of cinnamon-flavored whiskey, and cheers from 1,500 people who were celebrating the color of your undies and the start of a new spring.

The belly flops and other southern Wisconsin revelry—beer, brats and live bands playing 1970s and 1980s classic rock—went on Saturday at the Anchor Inn as part of the tavern's annual Break in The Weather party.

The long-running event in Newville—and its heralded Rock River belly-flop contest—is as familiar to Edgerton-area residents and Lake Koshkonong vacationers as the Groundhog Day woodchuck “Punxsutawney Phil” is to Punxsutawney, Penn.

For residents and Lake Koshkonong vacationers, the Break in the Weather party, which runs from noon until after midnight, is an annual rite. The ice is finally off the Rock River, and the season of fun has returned to Newville.

“Look at the buds popping out on that thing,” a tattooed man in a leather and denim motorcycle jacket said to his friend. He was pointing to a tree on the riverfront veranda at the Anchor Inn. “Isn't it nice to see that?”

It was an unexpected Walt Whitman moment for a motorcycle dude, but hey—it has been a long, nasty winter.

Anchor Inn owner John Kinnett smiled from the tavern's deck, which overlooks the river. On the back lawn, people sipped Leinenkugel beer, a group played beanbag toss and two Walleye fisherman putted past in a boat. The sky was blue and the temperature 60 degrees.

Not a heat wave, but compare it to the weather Jan. 26, just three months ago: a low of 7 below with 3 inches of snowfall.

“This, today, is a true break in the weather,” Kinnett said. “Even this spring, we haven't been able to string two warm days together. Yesterday was a good warm up. I bet the folks will pour in today.”

Kinnett said the annual party used to bring in 5,000 people, but now crowds have leveled off at about 3,000. Though floods have threatened the event, which has been run by different owners for 41 years, it has never been canceled, Kinnett said.

The crowd ranges from motorcyclists to locals to Lake Koshkonong vacationers returning to the area.

“It's great. This now is when you see all the usual groups come out. It's the first time we've seen many of them return from the winter. They're waking up,” Kinnett said.

Four Machesney Park, Ill., women stood under the tavern's big, white tent and danced to a classic rock cover band Pink Houses tear into a guitar, tambourine and fiddle breakdown cover of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

The women's brightly-colored toenail polish set off their new flip-flops and spring tops. They couldn't hear a word a Gazette reporter was trying to shout to them: something about a church song being played at a tavern tent revival.

The women just smiled at the reporter.

One town of Fulton police crew and three Rock County Sheriff's office squads were assigned to the party, which at one point in the afternoon had about 2,000 people.

In the past, the Break in the Weather Party has netted a handful of arrests, and on one occasion a man died when he tried walking home intoxicated from the event. A drunk driver hit him, said Rock County Sheriff's Deputy Greg Niles, who was on patrol Saturday.

The most common offense in the past, Niles said, has been people leaving the event and carrying their beer with them.

“It's mostly no big deal,” Niles said.

Jason Johns, a native of Oregon, Wis., the party Saturday was a big deal, though. Water dripped from Johns' head in beads after he belly flopped twice into the Rock River, once with a dollar bill stuck to his forehead.

Johns, an Iraq War veteran who was injured in action, said the cold river and the people at the Newville party made him feel alive.

“It's s---t like this that reminds me I've got nothing in the world to complain about. It's about living life,” Johns said.

- See more at: http://www.gazettextra.com/article/20140426/ARTICLES/140429756#sthash.m63071Rg.dpuf

Police report no major incidents at Newville party

Police report no major incidents at Newville party

By Gazette staff
April 27, 2014
NEWVILLE—The Rock County Sheriff's Office said there were a few drunken driving arrests but no major public safety incidents linked to Saturday's “Break in the Weather” party in Newville.

The annual event, which is hosted at Anchor Inn, a tavern in Newville, ran all afternoon and evening and drew crowds between 1,500 and 2,000 people Sunday, authorities estimated. It included music and special events.

Rock County Sheriff's Sgt. Josh Lund said police arrested two people for drunken driving after they drove away from the event. He said police cited two people for carrying open alcohol containers off the grounds at Anchor Inn.   

Lund said the event had no disturbances reported, no underage drinking citations and there were no vehicle crashes involving people at the event.

One of the people arrested for OWI also was cited for a concealed weapons violation. Lund said the person had a rifle on the backseat of their vehicle. The gun was not in a case, but there was no ammunition in the vehicle, he said.

Deputies to focus on Newville's Break in the Weather Party

By Gazette staff

April 24, 2014

NEWVILLE—Rock County sheriff's deputies will be focusing on the Newville area on Saturday, when the local taverns host their annual Break in the Weather Party.

The sheriff's office plans extra patrols to enforce traffic laws and local ordinances to deter drunken driving, according to a news release.

Similar efforts have been made in past years.

Deputies will also check taverns to ensure minors are not being served alcohol.

Intoxicated driving and underage alcohol consumption are the main targets for deputies, but they also will be on the lookout for aggressive driving, following too closely, speeding and failure to wear seat belts, according to the release.

“Sheriff (Bob) Spoden firmly believes selling alcohol is a legitimate business activity, but such action is a privilege to which very serious and specific responsibilities apply,” the release reads. “This same responsibility also pertains to persons choosing to consume alcohol. Therefore, Sheriff Spoden is asking everyone involved in this annual event to have fun but remain responsible.”

The weather forecast for Saturday is mostly sunny with a high of 56 and low of 38, with a chance of showers at night.

Break in the Weather Party is Saturday!

At
Anchor Inn
Newville

38th Annual

Break-In-The-Weather Party

April 26th, 2014 BANDS

12:00 – 2:00    Dan Reilly (bar)

3:00  – 7:00     Pink Houses (tent)

6:00  - 10:00   TBA (bar)

8:00  - 12:00   Shot Gun Jane (tent)

ENTERTAINMENT 2:00 - ??    Belly Flop (into the frigid waters of the rock river)    

2:00 – 11:00     Shotgirls

Check Out Emigail's in Newville

Emigail's Roadhouse brings bayou to little Newville

By Joan Neeno, Special to The Gazette

April 16, 2014

NEWVILLE—On the last weekend in April, “Break in the Weather” celebrations around Lake Koshkonong will turn the unincorporated hub of Newville into party central. The Anchor Inn will be packed with revelers enjoying live bands, beer and bar food.

Just across Highway 59, little Emigail's Roadhouse also will be at capacity. While it's not as flashy as its neighbor, Emigail's draws a devoted fan base. It offers smaller musical acts, a good bar and very good food that goes well beyond your standard bar food.

Emigail's specializes in Cajun food, and the staff does it well. Mitch, Lisa and Nancy joined us for a Tuesday night dinner recently. The weather hadn't broken yet, but Emigail's was doing impressive business for a typically slow night.

No doubt about it, people are there for the food. The place doesn't have much ambiance to speak of. The bar takes up most of the back wall, and a few tables are scattered on either side of the front door alongside the ATM, video games and jukebox. The service is friendly but not fancy.

The nondescript setting quickly becomes a non-issue when you see the dishes coming out of the kitchen. In our case, the neighboring table was more than happy to tell us what they ordered and their favorites.

We had to try the gator bites ($10), a basket of breaded, deep-fried alligator. Mitch found it a bit salty, but I didn't mind. The breading was nice and light, and the moist meat tasted like … chicken. But let's face it, eating gator is a much better story than chicken nuggets.

Mitch had the gumbo yaya with shrimp ($16), a Cajun favorite with andouille sausage, diced tomatoes and a choice of chicken or shrimp. He liked the flavor and the level of heat, which fell nicely between a kick and blazing hot.

The Guaymas shrimp ($16) was a milder dish featuring shrimp poached in a sauce of ancho chili, mushrooms and green onions, served over angel hair pasta. Lisa graciously shared her dish with the table, and it was a winner. The jumbo shrimp were tender and perfectly cooked. The pasta was nicely sauced, and the flavors well-balanced. Most of us liked it best of all the dishes ordered.

Nancy wasn't in the mood for spicy, so she ordered the “normal” deep-fried shrimp ($16), served with choice of side. The kitchen knows how to use the deep fryer; the shrimp were tender inside while the breading was light and crispy. The portion was generous, and Nancy left happy and full.

My husband, Richard, ordered the crawfish poboy ($10). The soft French roll was stuffed with breaded, deep-fried crawfish and sauced with a tasty, but not spicy, remoulade. It was a good sandwich.

I chose the jambalaya ($14) with a little trepidation because, unlike Richard, I don't particularly like crawfish. I'm glad I got over my reservations because Emigail's jambalaya is rich, spicy and satisfying. The crawfish tails enhanced the flavors of the rice, vegetables, andouille and chicken breast. The portion was huge, and the leftovers made for a good lunch the next day.

With its unassuming exterior and laid-back vibe, it's easy to forget about Emigail's. Next time you're in Newville, park your car just a little way away from the Rock River and pretend you're eating in the bayou. You'll be happy you did.

Imagine that - the Rock River could become a tourist attraction….

…Maybe even protect the property tax base too

_______________

Embracing the Rock

Janesville appears ready to use the Rock River downtown as an attraction

By Marcia Nelesen

   mnelesen@gazettextra.com  

   JANESVILLE

   After years of giving the cold shoulder, Janesville appears ready to snuggle up to the Rock River.

   Residents have shunned the natural resource that many planners have said could and should become the city’s major attraction.

   Doors of downtown businesses face away from the river, for example. Only one business, Main Street Saloon, takes advantage of the view with a back deck.

   Concrete walls keep floodwaters away, but they keep residents out of the river, as well.

   A majority of residents who gathered in April for a downtown redevelopment meeting identified the river as the area’s most important attribute, said Ryan Garcia, economic development coordinator for the city.

   The focus is 240 acres stretching from Traxler Park south to the Jackson Street bridge—an area with more than four miles of riverfront and one dam.

   A meeting Thursday will be the second of three and will offer maps for residents to see alternative uses for six redevelopment sites.

   The Rock River as an attraction appeared to be a common denominator of many of the suggestions from residents during the first meeting, Garcia said. Most of those who attended want to figure out ways to get people to and in the river, he said.

   Suggestions include a river rapids course for kayaking or an arcade in the lower level of the Olde Towne Mall that leads to a pedestrian river crossway and public space on the other side.

   At the meetings, the consultants from SAA Design Group of Madison—a landscape architecture and civic engineering firm hired with a $200,000 federal grant—urge people to think in different ways, Garcia said.

   The resulting plan will outline how the city could put the redevelopment plan into action, including the costs of suggested projects, available grants and changes in zoning, Garcia said.

   “This is an action-oriented plan,” Garcia said. “This is what you have to do to make it happen.

   “What we’re trying to do is create something behind their (business) buildings so they take it upon themselves to reorient themselves to the river,” Garcia said.

   “It becomes another front door.”

   Creation of a town square was another common focus, and the plans identify areas where that could happen.

   Each plan addresses the removal of the downtown parking plaza over the river. Residents believe additional parking must be provided near high-traffic areas, Garcia said.

   Anyone is invited to the second meeting, and Garcia said he hopes to see people who were at the first meeting, as well.

   Residents will be asked to suggest options for land use, such as preferred areas for public and commercial spaces and entertainment. For example, an area designated “naturalized” rather than “urban” might mean the concrete river walls would eventually be removed, Garcia said.

   A third meeting will be scheduled the week of July 18. The final plan will be presented to the plan commission in September and to the Janesville City Council in October.

Lake Koshkonong Pelicans

Thanks to Jeff Brown for the photo.

RKLD and Mother Nature Just Proved the Value of a higher SNW Trigger

So what did the new SNW ordinance accomplish this Spring?

Simply, it bought us another week of boating.

Under the old gestapo County rules, the SNW order would have been imposed a week ago.

This time of year, with snow piles still remaining and water temps near freezing, this might sound like an insignificant point.

However, for those years when lake levels jump (or decline) adjacent to a holiday weekend - Memorial Day in May, Independence Day in July, Labor Day in September - the week that the RKLD bought is very significant.

--- It is the difference between getting the kids and grandkids out on the tubes and skis, or having them spend a summer "boating" holiday in front of the tv with their IPads...

--- It enabled the UW Crew Team to stay on the river a week longer training…

--- It enables the fishing boats to get to their honey holes on plane, rather than plowing a wake into my pier (which is set too low, so I am not complaining).

Sometimes, we forget - 
...during flood conditions, the dam is little more than a speed bump, it does not hold water back; 

...during drought conditions, the dam can hold back water for a short time, stretching the recreational season a week or so.

These are the fights RKLD says is worth having, and Mother Nature is proving our motives are correct and justified today.

Thankful that it is NOT Slow No Wake out there….

NEW SLOW NO WAKE ORDINANCE In EFFECT

Today, the official lake level is at 777.49 and will cross the 7.50 threshold before the end of the day.

This is significant because under the OLD Rock County slow-no wake ordinance, the county with support from the Chairman of the Fulton Town Board, would have closed full speed navigation on the Rock River.

Yep, Slow No Wake would have been issued, and the UW Crew Team and their support boats would have been kicked-off the water.

And fishing boats - because under the OLD ordinance, SNW would be in effect now, yet by observing the shorelines, most everyone would never assume SNW would be imposed at this water level.

Today, fishing boats can get up, plane-off, pushing a smaller wake than the wakes they pushed if SNW was in effect today.

It is a shame RKLD had to spend the money we did to demonstrate shoreline water levels, pay legal fees to attorneys to sit and wait to speak to the county board, pay engineer firms to produce maps illustrating how the OLD county ordinance was punitive.

We even had to prove the claims made by the sanitation district's (CKSD) engineers were wrong when they testified a higher trigger for the SNW order would "flood" their pumping stations located near the lake.

If CKSD/Strand knew those claims to be false at the time, they should have been terminated, and if they believed their own claims, then they are not qualified as engineers and should have been terminated.

Strong words perhaps - but take a look at your shoreline today and through next week, and tell me if your property is inundated.  

Drive past those CKSD pumping stations and see if you can find where the lake or river has breached so far that water is approaching those structures.

The amount of money RKLD must spend to defend against the ridiculous and to promote the logical prevents us from reinvesting those resources into the habitat.

Happy fishin - Koshkonong Walleyes will be feasting soon.

Badger Crew Team Back In Town

More on Bald Eagles

Eagles on the Rock and Miss

We have it all on our Rock River/Lake Koshkonong

Eagles in Newville

Bald eagles can be seen...fishing near the Indianford Dam or nestled in the high branches of old oaks near the river in Newville

 “We are seeing more and more eagles,” Buenzow said. “Everywhere there’s a dam, there’s at least one eagle waiting for fish for dinner.

He remembers when no eagles were anywhere on the river.

 “Today, we have several pairs breeding in Rock County,” Buenzow said. “They’ve been on Lake Koshkonong for about 10 years. It’s a great wildlife comeback story.”

Road Salt in Rock River, Lake Koshkonong

Andrea Anderson

January 13, 2014

As public works directors rush crews to spread salt and keep winter roads safe for drivers, they're balancing another concern: the environment.

A teaspoon of salt can contaminate five gallons of water, and salt trucks spread about 300 pounds of salt per mile.

“Personally, in Rock County, we are concerned because runoff goes to some of our lakes and rivers,” said Ben Coopman, Rock County highway commissioner.

“I think that is a statewide concern. But the biggest reason it doesn't seem to cause anything to change is the economics of it. There isn't a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly product out there," Coopman said.

Counties and municipalities have a responsibility to maintain clear roads for drivers, said Kevin Brunner, Walworth County public works director.

“We are trying to minimize salt,” Brunner said. “It's a tough balancing act because the expectation is bare pavement … (People) expect right after a storm to be able to get to wherever they have to get to.”

Residents bear some of the responsibility because they demand snow-free roads, said Connie Fortin, owner of Fortin Consulting, a Minnesota based environmental consulting firm.

“When you call and whine because your cul-de-sac is slippery or you can't get to work in 10 minutes, those guys just dump on more and more salt,” Fortin said. “Most homeowners have no idea what is happening to the lakes, rivers and ground water, and they don't know there is a negative side to complaining.”

THE IMPACT

Road salt affects water density and nutrient levels, causing changes in aquatic animal and plant life expectancy.

A study published in 2008 by the Ecological Society of America indicates road salt could travel up to 172 miles from a highway into wetlands, decreasing the survival rate of frogs and salamanders.

“It doesn't biodegrade, it doesn't break down, it doesn't go away,” Fortin said.  “Every winter we add this to our water and our lakes and our rivers and it has been accumulating for however many years we have been deicing.”

A 2010 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that all streams studied in eastern and south central Wisconsin had elevated chloride levels that at some point in winter exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chronic water quality criteria.

During the winter months, researchers found chloride levels greater than 10,000 milligrams per liter, higher than the water quality criteria of 230 milligrams per liter and acute water-quality criteria of 860 milligrams per liter. Aquatic animals begin to die when chloride levels are greater than 230 milligrams per liter.

“There isn't anything really out there yet that is environmentally friendly,” said Michael Sproul, Wisconsin Department of Transportation winter maintenance engineer.

“They are all chlorides of some sort, they all get into the ecosystem and pollute. The object is to use as little as possible, that is where we are trying to be more environmentally friendly. If we only use the amount of salt necessary to get the snow or ice in plowable form … then we're saving our environment," Sproul said.

THOUSANDS OF TONS

The amount of salt used each year is dependent on Mother Nature and pavement temperature. A salt truck typically drops 300 pounds of salt per lane mile. With the use of an additive, it goes down to about 200 pounds.

In the 2008-09 winter, Rock County and the municipalities it supplies used 1,612 tons of salt. The winter before, 8,685 tons were used. Last winter, 11,471 tons of salt were used, and this winter is shaping up to be about the same.

Rock County is responsible for maintaining 2,900 lane miles, the equivalent of a one-way trip to San Diego, Coopman said.

Until the mid-2000s, the county used a sand-salt mix. Now, it uses straight road salt, Coopman said.

Why not sand? Though the abrasive helps tires find a grip, when sand is mixed with salt, each reduces the effectiveness of the other.  Sand can be harmful, too. An Oregon Department of Transportation study in the early 1990s found 50 to 90 percent of sand applied to pavement remained in the environment after clean-up.

The rock salt sprinkled onto roads is effective until the temperature drops below 16 degrees. That's when additives, such as calcium chloride or magnesium chloride come in handy. They decrease the temperature that salt can melt ice to as low as minus 25 degrees.

The goal of deicing is not to melt the ice entirely but to break the adhesion between the pavement and the ice so plows can remove it later.

“In winter maintenance, the first priority is to plow,” Sproul said. “The goal is to only use the smallest amount of salt needed to melt and then be able to plow.”

So far this winter, Walworth County has used about 17,000 tons of its 30,000-ton salt supply, Brunner said. The county has an additional 2,750 tons on order.

County crews are responsible for maintaining Interstates, state highways and county roads. Town, village and city roads are the responsibility of the municipalities.

Walworth County is responsible for about 700 lane miles. That's compared to Whitewater, the county's largest city, which is responsible for about 50 lane miles, Brunner said.

THE ALTERNATIVES

The salt that county trucks sprinkle is pre-wet and has calcium chloride added. Pre-wetting helps the salt stick to the road.

“We pre-wet everything so it stays on the highway more,” Brunner said. “(We) found that by pre-wetting, about 30 percent more (salt) stays on highway.”

Public works directors, winter maintenance supervisors and environmentalists agree that 30 percent of dry salt broadcast onto roads bounces off and lands on road shoulders or nearby vegetation.

Salt that bounces onto road shoulders can kill trees and plants because they have a difficult time absorbing water with an increased salt content.

Pre-wetting cuts the amount of salt used about 25 percent because it has more melting power. It also reduces the bounce rate to 3 percent.

Only four counties in the state don't do pre-wetting, a method Sproul and Fortin recommend all counties use to protect their pocketbooks and the environment.

Area municipalities are coming up with creative ways to decrease the melting temperature and cut the costs of winter maintenance.

Beloit began adding beet juice to its salt several years ago. The juice is leftover after sugar is removed from sugar beets. Beet juice is used for deicing and anti-icing municipal roads.

Milwaukee is in the midst of a pilot program to use cheese brine, a product leftover from making cheese, to help pre-wet the roads and rock salt. Brine can be added to salt and then be applied before a snowstorm. It doesn't allow snow or ice to form a bond with the road, making it easier for plows to come through and clear the roads. Milwaukee sends trucks to Wisconsin's 140 cheese plants to pick up the brine. 

In Walworth County, county officials are taking a look at using Kikkoman soy sauce and mixing it with salt to make brine, Brunner said. Soy sauce has a high salt content that can expedite melting.

Fortin, who provides training for Minnesota and Wisconsin winter maintenance crews, understands that science has not come up with a complete alternative for salt, but she is adamant that there are practices that are better for the environment.

It starts with choosing plowing over salt and homeowners being proactive.

To minimize residential salt use, homeowners should shovel snow as it falls or before it's compacted by walking or driving, she said.

She also suggests homeowners use salt sparingly--no more than a half pound per 150 square feet. An average coffee mug can hold one pound of salt, and an average parking space is 150 square feet.