"Our mission is to optimize opportunities
for sustainable economic growth, healthy communities and a healthy environment
in the Town and Country RC&D area through the support and coordination
of our region's agencies, municipalities and organizations."
Town and Country RC&D is participating
on the Plan Advisory Committee which is developing recommendations
for communities in our area to better coordinate their use and
protection of our ground and surface water resources .
To see progress so far, go to the web site of the SE Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission.
www.sewrpc.org
A Menu of Demand Side Initiatives for Water Utilities
Waukesha
Water Conservation Coalition Sponsors Waukesha Water Contest
The Water Conservation Challenge is the program created to involve
homeowners in water conservation and get them thinking about water
usage. The program was available only to Waukesha Water Utility
customers. Registration for the program ended on November 30,
2007. Details of the contest are in the Water
Challenge flyer. Over 200 people registered to take part
in the year long contest. You may check the status of the contest
to see how much water is being saved. Prizes will be awarded to
those homeowners showing the greatest water reduction on their
utility bills. There are also prizes for the most innovative methods
to save water. You may enter your great innovations for water
savings with these postcards.
You don’t have to be entered into the Water Conservation
Challenge to help conserve our groundwater resources. If you would
like to learn some great ways to conserve water, please visit
theWaukesha
Water Utility conservation pages for ideas. You may also
read the Water Challenge Newsletter for tips and the latest news.
If you would like more information about the Water Conservation
Challenge, you may call Nancy Quirk of the Waukesha Water Utility
at 262-521-5272 or Jayne Jenks of Waukesha County at 262-896-8305.
Community Lawn
Fertilizer Ordinances Protect Lakes and Streams from Excess Phosphorus
Controlling phosphorus runoff from our watershed is one of the
most important things we can do to control excess algae and to
keep our area lakes healthy. Since local soils are naturally high
in phosphorus, the application of additional unnecessary phosphorus
in lawn fertilizers does not benefit our lawns, and can cause
big problems for the lakes. When soils are saturated with phosphorus,
it runs off into our lakes and streams where 1 lb. of phosphorus
can generate 500 lbs of algae.
Research documenting the difference a ban on unnecessary phosphorus
for lawn fertilizer can make in phosphorus loading to lakes has
been done in Minnesota. http://lakeaccess.org/
The result was a statewide ban. Closer to home, in Wisconsin,
Dane County and the Cities of Pewaukee, Oconomowoc and Delafield,
the Villages of Lac La Belle, Chenequa, Oconomowoc Lake and Nashotah,
and Towns of Delafield, Merton, Oconomowoc, La Grange, and Delavan
have all passed phosphorus ordinances to protect the lakes in
their communities. Sample
ordinance - City of Oconomowoc
Farms are exempted from these regulations, as are gardens, tree
and shrub applications, and lawn areas where a soil test indicates
that phosphorus is needed in the soil. Also exempted are organic
soil enhancers such as compost that are beneficial for the soil
and naturally low in phosphorus.
Because the storm sewers and roadside ditches in our local communities
feed into our lakes and rivers, this ban is important throughout
our community, not just for lakefront property. As communities
in our area pass these ordinances, we shall turn a patchwork into
a solid blanket of protection for local waters.
The RocK River Coalition has aPowerPoint
presentation available, and if you would like more information
or a presentation to your community, contact Lisa Conley (262)
567-5947
SENSE OF
PLACE PROJECT
(SOP)
River/Lake/Environmental Partnerships, Communications, Schools
in the Milwaukee River, Fox River, Root/Pike Rivers and Rock
River Basins
A Sense of Place Project
Is
a celebration of a community's place in history,
in space, its natural resources and its people.
A Sense of Place Project
Consists of
Existing events, like local festivals, new events,
small or large, held under the SOP theme
Project goals can include:
Deeper engagement of area residents in awareness and protection
of their natural resources.
Building cross-generation awareness and respect by fostering
communication between older and younger people.
Increasing partnering among community organizations, citizens,
businesses, and schools.
Providing a school curriculum that more deeply involves students
in the learning process.
Increasing knowledge of a community’s history and its
cultural and natural resource base.
Building partnerships in the watershed
Contact person:
Ruth Johnson, Rock River Basin Planner, w 920-387-7869/
h 920-349-3055,
Focus: “Coming Home – To the Rock River
and Mayville”
Theme: “How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affects
you – How you affect the River & the Marsh”
Objectives
Educating area school children and residents about
their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy
lake/river system to their personal and economic health
and quality of life
Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations,
implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh
watershed system
Partners: DNR, USFWL, Mayville Mainstreet, Mayville
School teachers, Chamber of Commerce, UWEX, Community
Cable, Cultural Waters, Rock River Headwaters, Lake Sinissippi
Assoc. Alan Fuller Professional Singer/song writer
Funding: Various Grants
DNR Lake Planning Grant: $3000
Superior Landfill Funding: ~ $2500
Wisconsin Humanities Grant:~$9000
USFWL Challenge Grant “Year of the Refuge”:
$5000
G. Events in Mayville’s Sense of Place Project
2003 Summer School Classes focused on Sense of Place
(art, writing, videoing interviewing of elders by students,
radio script of Horicon Marsh history. Ended with Sense
of Place Celebration - all summer school kids and parents/participants
Audubon Days: Reprise Sense of Place Celebration and
SOP Project Display/Public Input in Conservation Tent
Area Libraries displayed Art from the SOP project
Story Teller’s Workshop: About 20 people attended/wrote
their river/marsh ‘stories’
H. Products
Publication on Sense of Place (Story Tellers writings;
School art project; historical photos)
Videotape oral histories of community elders
CD of Sense of Place Celebration
Professional Logo
Hands-0n Watershed Model for educational purposes
Publication on Sense of Place: All products included
II. WAUPUN SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006
Focus: “Coming Home – To the Rock River
and Waupun”
Theme: “How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affect
you – How you affect the River and the Marsh”
Objectives:
Educating area school children and residents about
their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy
lake/river system to their personal and economic health
and quality of life
Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations,
implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh
watershed system
Partners: Waupun School District; Historical Society,
DNR, USFWL, Cultural Waters
Funding Grants: USFWL ~ $5000 (shared with all 3 communities)
; DNR Lake $3000; Wis Humanities Grant ~$7000 (shared
with all 3 communities)
Events/Projects: Accomplished/Planned
2004 Summer School Classes focused on Sense of Place
(canoeing/art/writing/etc). Ended with Sense of Place
Celebration
Area School-wide Writing contest Public & private
schools and home schooled children
National Truckers Jamboree: Sense of Place Canoe Races
Waupun ‘Volksfest’ festival: Sense of Place
Display at Masonic Temple, included ‘polling’
of area residents on major resource concerns in watershed
DNR Voyager Canoes: All District 5 graders involved
in Education day at the Mill Pond. Education stations:
Water Quality, Journaling; Forestry; Watershed/Horicon
Marsh plus
“Lewis & Clark, the Fur Trade and the Rock River
(Voyager canoe trips)
Story Teller’s Workshop: 12 adults participated
Sense of Place Displays at Area libraries and Historical
Society
Area-wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities
(see Horicon lead below)
Area-wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and
4 communities (see Horicon lead below)
Area writer and Waupun library, held a ‘student
artist’ contest to help illustrate her new book
“The Marsh King”
III. HORICON SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006
Focus:”Coming Home – To the Rock River
and Horicon”
Theme: How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affects you
– How you affect the River and the
Marsh”
Objectives:
Educating area school children and residents about
their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy
lake/river system to their personal and economic health
and quality of life
Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations,
implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh
watershed system
Partners: Community Promotion Organization, Mayor,
DNR, USFWL, Historical Society, Local Cable Committee,
Lake Sinissippi Association
Funding: USFWL(see Waupun above), Wis Humanities Grant
(see above).
Events/Projects, Accomplished/Planned
Area wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh in relationship
to Waupun, Horicon, Hustisford and Mayville
Area wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh in
relationship to Waupun, Horicon and Hustisford
Developing Grade School Curriculum for Sense of Place
Story Teller’s Workshop: 8 adults participated
Fall Pumpkin Fest with Bonfire and Story Telling
Area writer and Horicon library, held a ‘student
artist’ contest to help illustrate her new book
“The Marsh King”
IV. HUSTISFORD SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006
Focus:”Coming Home – To the Rock River
and Hustisford”
Theme: How the Rock River and Lake Sinissippi affects
you – How you affect the River and the
Lake ”
Objectives:
Educating area school children and residents about
their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy
lake/river system to their personal and economic health
and quality of life
Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations,
implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh
watershed system
Partners: Hustisford Historical Society, Hustisford
School District, DNR, USFWL, Lake Sinissippi Association
Funding: DNR Lake Grant $3000, USFWL (see Waupun above),
Wis Humanities Grant (see above)
Events/Projects, Accomplished/Planned
Elementary School (2004/2005) conducting classes/special
field trips/projects on Sense of Place
Story Teller’s Workshop: 12 adults and 1 child
participated
Area-wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities
(see Horicon lead above)
Area-wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and
4 communities (see Horicon lead above)
