Mississippi Messages June 2013

FMR Updates Want a FREE, brand new Wenonah canoe or QCC kayak? FMR and the Mississippi River Challenge are proud to officially announce the details behind this year’s big giveaway! You won’t want to miss out on a chance to win one of these beautiful boats, currently being built right here in Minnesota. Read more » You can still sample Preservation Mild Ale – while supplies last A hearty Huzzah! to Fulton Beer for a great release of their new garage series brew in honor of FMR’s 20th anniversary. FMR members and volunteers showed up in style, and we met a lot of new folks, too. You can still get a taste of this great brew at the Fulton tap room. Read more » Only a few weeks left to get $2 off Peace Coffee! We suggested iced coffees last month and one of these days, it WILL be warm enough for a tall glass of iced coffee. You’ll be ready for that day if you use Peace Coffee’s $2 off and 20% for the river coupons before June 30th! Read more » Help us earn a $20K 20th anniversary challenge gift Becoming a member, giving a gift membership, or increasing your membership gift over last year’s amount all count toward earning the challenge before June 30th. Show your support for the river right now or read on for more info about how this works. Read more » Come protect the prairies, June 27 and July 11 Did you know just 1 percent of Minnesota’s native prairie remains? Prairies are important for our heritage, and critical for our local wildlife and waters. Come learn about and help restore two high-quality metro-area prairies being managed by FMR staff and volunteers. Join us in the Hastings Sand Coulee, Thursday, June 27th, or the Pine Bend Scientific and Natural Area in Inver Grove Heights, Thursday, July 11th. (Capacity is limited; early registration encouraged and appreciated.) Read more » Above the Falls Master Plan: Minneapolis Council embraces design standards, expanded parkland Design standards will ensure the long-term compatibility of new development along the riverfront. And in a unique twist, even though the City Council has formally approved the Plan, the exact width of parkland at Upper Harbor Terminal remains unsettled. Read more » Minnesota’s new municipal stormwater permit approved After more than three years of work, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens’ Board recently approved reissuance of the state’s “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System” (MS4) general permit. Read more » Drenched volunteers rescue hundreds of woodland plants Despite multiple reschedulings courtesy of the spring snowpacolypse and a constant downpour the morning of the event, FMR and DNR volunteers moved hundreds of native woodland plants out of harm’s way at Hastings Scientific and Natural Area Saturday, May 18th. Read more » Mississippi River News Farm runoff pushes Iowa nitrate pollution to record levels Last week, nitrate pollution from farm runoff made national news in Iowa, as the threat to drinking water and river health reached unprecedented levels. To keep the nitrate level in check, Des Moines had to switch on a $4 million nitrate-removal system – which costs local taxpayers $7,000 a day to operate. Read more » Pioneer Press op-ed: Making our investment in clean water pay off An op-ed submitted by MN Senator John Hoffman, co-author of the recently passed “Clean Water Accountability Act,” highlights how the bill will help protect and restore our state’s freshwater resources. Read more » As old bridge comes down, ArtSpace considers relocating to Hastings “Big Blue” — the half-century old Hastings river bridge on US61 — was memorialized, bagpipes and all, at a ceremony in early June. A replacement bridge has been under construction, and is slated to be completed by the end of 2013. A few feet upriver from the site of the memorial ceremony, the former Hudson Manufacturing Plant lies in the shadows of the US61 bridge. The older brick plant is one of a few sites being considered for a new Arts and Cultural Center in Hastings. The City of Hastings joined with non-profit developer ArtSpace to look at the potential market for such a center. Minneapolis parks ranked #1 in the U.S. Many of us know that the parks and parkways in Minneapolis are second to none, but now a national group has made it official, as reported recently by KARE 11. Minneapolis was chosen because of the close proximity to parks for all Minneapolis residents, but also for the tremendous regional parks that line the lakes, creeks and river. In spite of this top ranking, there is still more to do, especially along the river in north and northeast Minneapolis. Read more » Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program begins Four Minnesota watersheds were recently selected as pilot areas for a new program, the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. FMR remains deeply concerned about the direction of this program. Read more » Calendar of Events Worknight in the Rare Prairie Thursday, June 27 — 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings With its tall grass and wildflowers, the Sand Coulee offers a different kind of beauty. While not your average park visitor's destination, for animals and insects it is no less than an oasis in a desert of habitat; some 14 rare plant and animal species call the coulee home. On this summer evening, volunteers will work with FMR Restoration Ecologist Karen Schik to help protect this rare patch of prairie by learning to identify and helping to halt the spread of the invasive species cow vetch and spotted knapweed. Capacity is limited and preregistration required. Learn more on the event page, or sign up now with Lindsay at lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. Read more » History Walk with John Anfinson Wednesday, July 10 — 6:30-8:00 pm Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, St. Paul Enjoy a history walk with esteemed historian and FMR board member John Anfinson, exploring the rich stories behind and beneath the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, located just below Indian Mounds Park near downtown St. Paul. There will be approximately 1 mile of walking on somewhat uneven terrain. This Lower Phalen Creek Project event is free, but registration is required. Sign up and view directions here. Read more » Mississippi River Challenge Meet-ups Last Tuesday of the month Various locations This year, Mississippi River Challenge paddlers, volunteers and enthusiasts are all encouraged to come to our series of meet-ups and social hours. Held the last Tuesday of every month at various Twin Cities locations, meetups will feature door prizes, Q and A with staff, and special registration promotions. Whether you're there to register with one of our special promotions, learn more about the Mississippi River Challenge, or just to meet and greet with others involved in this world-class paddling event, each meet-up will be a great chance to get involved in the Mississippi River Challenge community! For more information, please visit MississippiRiverChallenge.org, or subscribe to our Facebook and Twitter feeds!! Read more » Worknight in Pine Bend Bluffs Thursday, July 11 — 6:00-8:00 pm Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, Inver Grove Heights Volunteers will learn about one of the most beautiful areas in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, and assist with critical habitat restoration work in this hidden gem. Ecologist Ellen Fuge will train volunteers to identify and remove invasive spotted knapweed to protect the prairie's threatened native plants, which wildlife rely upon for much-needed habitat and better control erosion and filter pollution. As always, training, gloves, tools and guidance will be provided. Capacity is limited and registration required. Learn more on the event page, or sign up now with Lindsay at lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. Read more » State of the River Report, a special Vermillion Stewards showing Thursday, July 16 — 6:00-8:00 pm Hayes Community and Senior Center, Apple Valley 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 partnered with the National Park Service's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area unit (MNRRA) to develop the "State of the River Report." The report provides a clear, concise snapshot of the health of the Mississippi River, distilling a broad range of data to zoom in on 13 key river-health indicators. It highlights the swimming, fishing, aquatic life and emerging contamination issues facing the river as well as priority solutions for each. Since its release last fall, the report has served as a framework for addressing state water issues; several problems and solutions addressed in the report (such as issues with the common hand sanitizer triclosan) have received heightened media and legislative attention. Capacity is limited and registration required. Learn more on the event page, or sign up now with Lindsay at lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. Read more » Earth Day in the River Gorge: The Reboot! Tuesday, July 23 — 6:00-8:00 pm Oak savanna, Minneapolis River Gorge, Longfellow neighborhood We just couldn't let the late April snows take this year's River Gorge Stewards Earth Day cleanup away. It's a tradition — people come from throughout the local river corridor neighborhoods and metro area to contribute to the health and vitality of the Mississippi River Watershed. We’ll meet at the bluff top, along the parkway at East 36th Street and West River Parkway, an oak savanna actively being restored by FMR Gorge Stewards volunteers. Get all the details and directions to the meeting spot on the event listing! Read more » Paddle or volunteer for the Mississippi River Challenge! Saturday-Sunday, July 27-28 The Twin Cities stretch of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers Join us for the 10th Annual Mississippi River Challenge and help FMR celebrate 20 years of river stewardship. Experience up close the beauty and power of Minnesota's two greatest rivers. Volunteer with the Riverfront Support Crew, or paddle a one- or two-day route through the Twin Cities — or both! Read more » Upcoming State of the River Report presentations Various dates Various locations In September 2012, Friends of the Mississippi River and the National Park Service released the first-ever State of the River Report, detailing the ecological health of the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River. While the report is available in its entirety at StateoftheRiver.com, FMR and NPS staff will also be presenting the report several times over the coming months. We encourage you to attend any one of a number of public events, listed at StateoftheRiver.com. Read more » Schedule your stenciling outing today! Now through mid-October, 2013 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 2013. Read more » Above the Falls Biking or Walking Tour (Plus 'Huck Finn'!) Monday, August 12 — 6:00-8:00 pm North and Northeast Minneapolis riverfront What pops to mind when you think of the North and Northeast Minneapolis riverfront? Industry? Boom Island? Concrete? Yes, these are elements of this area, but there’s much more to get to know — and even more to come. Join us, on foot or by bike, and get to know some of the lovely riverfront parks and trails just upstream of St. Anthony Falls and learn about the exciting new riverfront developments slated for our not-so-distant future. Then catch “The Adventures of Huck Finn” movie on the riverfront! Learn more and choose whether you'd like to participate in the 7-mile biking or the 1-mile walking tour on the event page. Capacity is limited, sign up and get directions and details from FMR Registrar Lindsay Hefferan, lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. Read more » Wade into your watershed, Stream Health Evaluation Program training Saturday, August 24 — 9:00 am-3:30 pm Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes, participants must live in Rice Creek Watershed SHEP volunteers are everyday citizens who live or work in the Rice Creek Watershed District and are trained to meet professional-grade stream health testing standards. After receiving this training in August, Stream Health Evaluation Program volunteers conduct testing and data analysis in the stream and the laboratory throughout September and October. Volunteers work in small teams and put in an average of 40 hours between training, sampling, and data analysis. The program is led by scientists from the Rice Creek Watershed District and Fortin Consulting, with training and laboratory sessions held at the Wargo Nature Center in Lino Lakes. Read more » Whose View? From Where? June 2013 Each month in this section, we feature a photo from somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant, important, or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. Read more » May 2013 answer We had two correct responses this month, even if one was part guess. Read more » Phenology The Twinkling Lights of Summer Ah the firefly. Who doesn’t marvel at the flickering glow of these amazing animals. But there is a dark side to some firefly species. Find out who does what to whom and why! Read more » Supporting FMR Have you made a gift to help FMR earn the $20,000 challenge by June 30th? If you’ve reached this point in the Mississippi Messages, you are probably well aware of how much work FMR is doing to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its Twin Cities watershed. If you haven’t shown your support yet, please take a moment now to consider making a gift to support this great work. Read more » Quote of the Month “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”         - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby   FMR Updates Want a FREE, brand new Wenonah canoe or QCC kayak? You can still sample Preservation Mild Ale – while supplies last Only a few weeks left to get $2 off Peace Coffee! Help us earn a $20K 20th anniversary challenge gift Come protect the prairies, June 27 and July 11 Above the Falls Master Plan: Minneapolis Council embraces design standards, expanded parkland Minnesota’s new municipal stormwater permit approved Drenched volunteers rescue hundreds of woodland plants Mississippi River News Farm runoff pushes Iowa nitrate pollution to record levels Pioneer Press op-ed: Making our investment in clean water pay off As old bridge comes down, ArtSpace considers relocating to Hastings Minneapolis parks ranked #1 in the U.S. Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program begins Calendar of Events Worknight in the Rare Prairie History Walk with John Anfinson Mississippi River Challenge Meet-ups Worknight in Pine Bend Bluffs State of the River Report, a special Vermillion Stewards showing Earth Day in the River Gorge: The Reboot! Paddle or volunteer for the Mississippi River Challenge! Upcoming State of the River Report presentations Schedule your stenciling outing today! Above the Falls Biking or Walking Tour (Plus 'Huck Finn'!) Wade into your watershed, Stream Health Evaluation Program training Whose View? From Where? June 2013 May 2013 answer Phenology The Twinkling Lights of Summer Supporting FMR Have you made a gift to help FMR earn the $20,000 challenge by June 30th? Mississippi Messages is a twice-monthly e-mail update distributed by Friends of the Mississippi River to help our members and subscribers stay informed on issues, FMR events, and opportunities related to the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities area. All subscribers' names and e-mail addresses are kept confidential. Original contents copyright 2013, Friends of the Mississippi River http://www.fmr.org