FMR Updates
As regular Mississippi Messages readers know, FMR and the National Park Service have teamed up to develop the State of the River Report. This long-awaited and groundbreaking report highlights the status and trends of 13 critical indicators of water quality and ecological health in the metro Mississippi River, and is being released September 27th. While our release event at the Science Museum of Minnesota has reached capacity (although you can still sign up for the waitlist), we’ve scheduled three additional presentations — in St. Cloud, Minneapolis and St. Paul — and are ready to schedule one for your group as well.
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While the media buzz about Asian carp may have slowed a bit over the summer, these invasive marauding fish certainly haven’t. And the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been busily preparing to implement barrier technology to slow their spread, some of which would likely be the largest of its kind in the world.
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FMR and our partners, Macalester College and Dakota County, recently celebrated the establishment of a conservation easement ensuring that the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area will never be developed. This parcel, which is part of the larger Pine Bend Bluffs, will continue to be owned by Macalester and operated as a biology field station.
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FMR has openings for corporate, school, church and other groups of 30 or more who would like to help clean up the river this fall. Daytime weekday outings can be scheduled according to your group’s needs (and the coordinator’s availability), are all-supplies-provided and include an educational presentation that can be tailored to your members. Interested? Contact Katie at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23. (Katie also coordinates our "Spray Paint for a Good Cause" or storm drain stenciling outings, see calendar listing below.)
Until September 30th, Patagonia St. Paul will donate $10 to FMR for every Patagonia shoe or boot you buy at its 1648 Grand Avenue, St. Paul location. There are no magic words to say to the cashier — the donation is automatic and a great way to benefit the river while gearing up for fall and winter. Plus you’ll receive a free album download with 40 tracks from artists including G. Love, Jackson Browne and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Visit the store website for location and hours.
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A September 6 article in the Star Tribune raised criticisms of the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program which FMR helped to get started with the passage of a county-wide bond referendum in 2002. The article claimed that while the program had successfully protected more that 8,000 acres, it hadn’t provided for public access to protected lands. FMR staff felt the story was inaccurate and misleading. Executive Director, Whitney Clark’s letter to the editor responding to the story was published on September 10th.
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St. Paul's ambitious plan to remake its 17-mile long river corridor is moving into the final phase of the public review process, and will be the subject of a public hearing at the St. Paul Planning Commission Meeting, Friday, September 21st, 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, room 40.
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FMR would like to extend our gratitude and well wishes to our excellent summer interns, Kalei Holt, Iain Wilson and Cassandra Moe!
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September 10th, over 40 volunteers cheerfully hauled brush in one of FMR’s newest restoration sites, Gateway North Open Space Area (formerly known as "Camel’s Hump") in Cottage Grove. They were helping to implement one of the first steps in the site’s restoration management plan completed by FMR this January — transforming a buckthorn infested thicket into an open, oak savanna. Read on for more information about the restoration of this 54-acre site of oak savanna, woodlands and rare blufftop prairie.
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Mississippi River News
After years of dreaming, planning, demolition and planting by the National Park Service, this historic riverfront park is returning to its native landscape. Read more in this September 3rd article in the Star Tribune by Josephine Marcotty.
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"...(F)ederal and state governments...put all the emphasis on clean water and flood management and then continue to ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room..."
A pair of recent articles highlights this ‘gorilla’: artificial drainage. As wetlands and prairies give way to artificially drained farm fields, the impacts on downstream flooding and water quality can be severe. The articles highlight the loss of 1.3 million acres of grassland to farmland between 2008 and 2011, the millions of feet of new drain tile installed in recent years, and the loss (in some areas) of over 90% of wetlands from pre-settlement conditions:
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As this recent photo of the dry spillway at Lock and Dam #1 demonstrates, this summer’s drought is taking its toll on the Mississippi River. As of September 16th the 24 hour average flow at Lock and Dam #1 was less than 2300 cubic feet per second. For more on the drought, read this September 17th article in the Star Tribune by Bill McAuliffe.
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Calendar of Events
September 21-23
Wellstone Center, 179 E. Robie St., St. Paul, 55107
Mandy Gonzales is a finalist at her school’s science fair for her invention of a fence that would stop silver carp from spreading further up the Mississippi River. After a scuffle breaks out at school, Mandy bumps her head and wakes up in the magical world of Underland. Along with a giant carp, a green goose, and a school of little flying carp, Mandy embarks on a quest to stop the villainous Prince Aubergine from turning the river purple, all the while searching to understand more about who she is and where she comes from.
West Side Theater Project's "Once Upon A River" explores the relationship between the Mississippi River and St. Paul’s West Side, drawing upon real-life events such as the redevelopment of the West Side Flats and the recent silver and bighead carp invasion.
Advance and reserved tickets are $10 and are available online; remaining tickets will be sold at the door on pay-what-you-can basis.
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Saturday, September 22 — 3:00-5:00 pm
Riverside Park, Mississippi River Gorge, Minneapolis
Whether recent immigrants or longtime residents, students or restoration professionals, individuals, families or small groups — many people from the neighborhood and from throughout the Mississippi River Gorge have contributed their time and talents to help restore this community gem.
Come learn about these efforts and enjoy a September afternoon walk in Minneapolis's oldest riverfront park!
Sign up immediately via the event listing.
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September 27 — 7:00-8:30 pm
The Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul
Note: We are now taking a waiting list for the 9/27 launch event. Be sure to check out the other dates and locations, 9/28, 10/20 and 10/26 on the FMR events calendar!
How is the health of the Mississippi River? Can I safely swim in it? Is water pollution improving? Can I eat the fish I catch? What can we do about Asian carp? Do I need to be concerned about bacteria in the river? How are bald eagles faring? At FMR we hear questions like these all the time. That's why we've partnered with the National Park Service's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area unit (MNRRA) to develop the "State of the River Report."
Join us on this special evening at the Science Museum of Minnesota as we launch and present this groundbreaking report. The State of the River Report will provide a clear, concise snapshot of the health of the Mississippi River. Based upon a broad range of water quality and aquatic ecosystem data, the report zooms in on the status and trends of 12 key indicators of river health highlighting the swimming, fishing, aquatic life and emerging contamination issues facing the river as well as priority solutions for each.
We are excited to launch this long-awaited report at the Science Museum of Minnesota. After a brief introduction by the museum, the report's principal authors — FMR Watershed Program Director Trevor Russell and MNRRA Water Quality Coordinator Lark Weller — will quickly and concisely summarize a wealth of water quality and aquatic ecosystem data. From Asian carp to bacterial contamination, eagles to swimmability, Trevor and Lark will highlight key trends and emerging issues that impact the river as well as provide an overview of potential solutions to protect our river and its watershed.The second half of the event will feature a hosted conversation or panel discussion with Trevor, Lark and additional water quality experts involved in the making of the report. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute questions.
This event is free, including entrance to the Science Museum and parking in the museum's lower ramp. Learn more or register online via the event listing.
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Saturday, September 29 — 9:00 am-12:00 noon
CP Adams Park on the Vermillion River, Hastings
Come celebrate National Public Lands Day with us! Help pick up litter along the Vermillion River during the lower water levels of autumn, helping to beautify this trophy trout stream!
Volunteers will be picking up in areas near lakes and wetlands that feed/border the Vermillion River just south of downtown Hastings. The park is known for both its recreational activities — such as its frisbee golf course and paved trails — and high-quality natural areas.
To ensure adequate supplies (including lunch!) pre-registration is required. To learn more, or sign up, please see the event listing or contact Jennifer at sept29cleanup@gmail.com.
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Saturday, October 6 — 9:00 a.m.-noon
Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings
Enjoy a hands-on seed identification and collection training while enjoying a rare example of a sand-gravel prairie. Volunteers will be working in the newest addition to Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area. Seed will be used for further habitat restoration. Large quantities — of volunteers and seed alike — needed!.
Previous seed collection is not required — all abilities and groups are welcome. This activity is very detail-oriented, and generally best suited for teenagers and up.
Capacity is limited to ensure a high staff-to-volunteer ratio in this highly protected area, and to ensure a positive volunteer experience. To sign up, please contact FMR Program Assistant Katie Clower at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23. Or, for more information, please see the event listing.
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Now through mid-October, 2012
City of Saint Paul
If you're looking for a great service outing that is educational, active, outdoors and provides a significant community benefit, consider storm drain stenciling. It's just one and a half to three hours in length, and can be set at a time and St. Paul location convenient for your group. Reservations are now being taken for outings through October 2012.
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Saturday, October 20 — 9:00 a.m.-noon
Hastings Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings
Hastings SNA is a small but diverse, high-quality natural area adjacent to the Vermillion River bottoms. Floodplain forest and marshland cover the low-lying areas, while oak forest and sugar-maple basswood forest cover the steep, 170-foot limestone bluffs. The site has a wonderful array of woodland wildflowers, but exotic brush like buckthorn is creeping in from the edges.
Volunteers will work to begin the restoration of some of the blufftop areas by hauling cut brush. Professional crews will have already cut the brush prior to the event, and by hauling it out volunteers will help open the canopy, making way for more beneficial native plants to return.
To ensure a high-quality experience, capacity is limited and preregistration required. To learn more, or sign up, please see the event listing or contact Katie at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23.
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Saturday, October 27 — 9:00 am-noon
Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, Cottage Grove
Centered around one of the most impressive landscape features in southern Washington County, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park totals nearly 600 acres. Its namesake ravine, known as "tunnel valley," was carved by a subglacial drainageway and is approximately a half-mile wide with 80- to 100-foot slopes.
Historically, the slopes were covered by oak woodland and savanna, however they've grown in with trees and invasive nonnative shrubs. Volunteers are need to work with FMR ecologist Karen Schik to begin the restoration of this beautiful landscape by hauling away pre-cut brush. Professional crews will cut down the brush prior to the event; by hauling it out, volunteers will help open the canopy, making way for more beneficial native plants to return and clearing the way for further restoration efforts.
No experience is required and all supplies, as well as lunch, will be provided.
Capacity is limited to ensure a high staff-to-volunteer ratio in this highly protected area, and to ensure a positive volunteer experience. To sign up, please contact FMR Program Assistant Katie Clower at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23. Or, for more information, please see the event listing.
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Saturday, November 3 — 9:00 a.m.-noon
Pine Bend Bluffs near Highway 52, Flint Hills property, Rosemount
Join Friends of the Mississippi River, Flint Hills Resources and Great River Greening as we return to the Flint Hills property within the Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area along the Mississippi River — one of the largest and most diverse native ecosystems left in the metro area. The site is owned by Flint Hills Resources and is only accessible to the public for special events such as this. This award-winning restoration project includes sand-gravel prairie, oak savanna, and oak forest plant communities. We'll be working in a black ash seepage swamp (which will be dry at this time of year), an uncommon type of habitat along the edge of Spring Lake where skunk cabbage and marsh marigold bloom in the spring.
Working with FMR and Great River Greening ecologists and staff, volunteers will remove invasive species — helping to stack pre-cut buckthorn brush — and assist with other restoration tasks. After clearing the buckthorn, we may get glimpses of the large marsh beyond. All tools and supplies will be provided, as well as lunch at the conclusion of the event. The location is roughly 25 minutes south of Minneapolis/St. Paul and 15 minutes west of Hastings. All registrants will be emailed directions to the meeting spot along with all other event basics.
Individuals, families and small and large groups welcome!
To ensure a high-quality experience, capacity is limited and preregistration required. To learn more, or sign up, please see the event listing or contact Katie at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23.
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Resource of the Month
When’s the best time and where are the best places to enjoy Minnesota’s explosion of fall color? Find out on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fall colors and fall color reports pages. You can also learn about the biology of this annual ephemeral show, find out how weather impacts the display, download a poster-sized map, or find out what park staff-members are color spotting. You can also download their mobile app that integrates park staff reports with Google maps, so you can take fall colors on the road with you.
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Phenology
This weekend marks the official end of summer, and it really was one for the books. It will come as no surprise that the Twin Cities experienced its third warmest summer on record with an average temperature of 74.8 degrees (F) — 3.5 degrees above the norm. Precipitation in the Twin Cities was below normal as well; during June, July and August, Hennepin County enjoyed just 10.05 inches of precipitation compared to the normal 12.59.
What do we have to look forward to for the rest of the year? The powers that be say the Twin Cities will average about 3 inches of rain, 72 degree daytime highs and 52 degree nighttime lows this month, plus another 5.5 inches of rainfall through the rest of 2012. But we’re phenologists, not a prognosticators, so allow us to direct you to the excellent Minnesota Climatology Working Group.
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Supporting FMR
FMR’s 20th anniversary is coming up next year! That means 20 years of connecting our community to its river, and fostering river and watershed stewardship. It’s a multigenerational effort, a legacy that needs to be sustained for many more generations. If you’re interested in learning more about joining the Mississippi River Legacy Society, please contact Jeanine Holden at 651-222-2193 x22 or jholden@fmr.org, or visit FMR’s planned giving page for more information.
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Quote of the Month
“This song of the waters is audible to every ear, but there is other music in these hills, by no means audible to all. To hear even a few notes of it you must first live here for a long time, and you must know the speech of hills and rivers. On a still night, when the campfire is low and the Pleiades have climbed over rimrocks, sit quietly and listen...and think hard of everything you have seen and tried to understand. Then you may hear it — a vast pulsing harmony — its score inscribed on a thousand hills, its notes the lives and deaths of plants and animals, its rhythms spanning the seconds and the centuries.”
- Aldo Leopold, “Song of Gavilan,” A Sand County Almanac
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FMR Updates
Mississippi River News
Calendar of Events
Resource of the Month
Phenology
Supporting FMR
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Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 7:12AM
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