Mississippi Messages - September 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 8:03AMFMR Updates
Good news and bad news on invasive carp
There is good news and bad news on the invasive carp front. First the good news. We learned last week that Rep. Keith Ellison had succeeded in adding language to a larger water resources bill that would close Upper St. Anthony Falls lock within a year of the bill’s passage. This language matches an amendment added to the companion bill in the Senate by Sen. Klobuchar. The Senate version has already passed so this measure has a real chance to become law. Now the bad news...
Vermillion Stewards have much to celebrate; join us in Hastings this fall
From clean-ups to trout surveys, the Vermillion Stewards program has had plenty to celebrate this year. Volunteers and participants in the Vermillion Stewards program experienced first-hand the restoration of valuable land and had opportunities to learn about water quality and conservation.
Join us in Cottage Grove’s "Tunnel Valley"
With its namesake ravine—featuring 80- to 100-foot slopes dotted with woods, prairies and wetlands—not to mention beautiful Ravine Lake, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park features an amazing variety of habitats to explore and enjoy. Join us for a wetland ecology tour or to bust buckthorn and restore habitat. Or, let us know if you’d like to organize a presentation for your Cottage Grove group!
Fall FMR events at iconic Indian Mounds Park
Whether you want to get your hands dirty in a restoration project or join a walking history tour, Mounds Park is the place to be! FMR will host two fall events at this scenic and historic Saint Paul park.
Following a growing trend, FMR introduces goats as a buckthorn management tool.
Using Mississippi River water to refill White Bear Lake
The Star Tribune recently covered the growing call for action to refill White Bear Lake in the east metro area. The lake has lost 25% of its volume over the last decade, due primarily to unsustainable groundwater use in surrounding communities.
FMR welcomes Valerie Were to Board of Directors
FMR’s newest Board member brings a natural resource science background and a love of the big river to the organization.
Policy Advocate position available
FMR is looking for a smart, flexible, self-motivated person to assist with planning, coordinating and executing our strategic river and clean water policy objectives. The position starts at 30 hours/week and includes benefits. Application deadline is Sept. 26, 2013.
Mississippi River News
Rice Creek Chain: Take a paddle on the wild, north side of town
The Star Tribune recently highlighted the wonderful Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. This nearly 5,300-acre chain of lakes is a tremendous recreational, cultural, and natural resource.
Legacy of Fr. Hennepin looms large on the Mississippi
Father Louis Hennepin, a Recollect friar, spent only a few months in Minnesota, but his influence left a lasting mark on the state.
Coon Rapids dam project running behind schedule
High river flows in May, June and July and unexpected debris found upstream of the dam have put the Coon Rapids Dam rehabilitation project about 30 days behind schedule, despite efforts to catch up.
Minneapolis Park Board planning improvements to trails along West River Road
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is collecting feedback on plans to improve 3.5 miles of bike and pedestrian trails along the river's west bank from Franklin Avenue to Plymouth Avenue.
Minneapolis Park Board approves purchase of property for riverfront trails
The Minneapolis Park Board has agreed to purchase what it hopes is the first of several pieces of residential riverfront property in Northeast that will some day become a linear park in the mold of Lake Calhoun or Lake Harriet.
Calendar of Events
Woodland Wildflower Rescue Part II: The Planting!
Saturday, September 21 — 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Hastings Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings
This spring, Vermillion Stewards volunteers dug up hundreds of ferns, heaptica and other native plants that would have otherwise been destroyed by road construction. After being tended for the summer construction season, we now need volunteers to help us replant the woodland natives in the Hastings Scientific and Natural Area. 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.
National Public Lands Day at Bruce Vento Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Park
Saturday, September 28 — 8:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Just east of downtown St. Paul
Join Friends of the Mississippi River, the Lower Phalen Creek Project, Bravely Be, the City of St. Paul and other community organizations to celebrate the continued restoration of Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Indian Mounds Park! Learn more and sign up via the event page.
National Public Lands Day Cleanup and Vermillion Stewards Celebration
Saturday, September 28 — 9:00 a.m.-noon
Lake Rebecca and Schaar's Bluff, Hastings
This National Public Lands Day, come celebrate and contribute to the great work accomplished by all the Vermillion Stewards! First, we'll help pick up litter along the Mississippi River at Lake Rebecca during the lower water levels of autumn, then we'll enjoy a brief celebration of Vermillion Stewards accomplishments with lunch and refreshments! All are welcome! 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.
Indian Mounds Park Walk and Talk
Thursday, October 3 — 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Indian Mounds Park, Blufftop, St. Paul
The area surrounding Mounds Park is as rich in history as it is beautiful. Join towboat pilot Hokan Miller and staff from Friends of the Mississippi River for this popular walk and talk along the bluffs overlooking the river and downtown St. Paul! We'll cover the incredible history of the park and the Mississippi River below as well as its exciting volunteer-powered habitat restoration. 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.
Oak Savanna Invasive Brush/Buckthorn Removal
Saturday, October 5 — 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Near 36th and West River Pkwy., Mississippi River Gorge, Minneapolis
Join Mississippi River Gorge Stewards volunteers to help remove invasive brush, including buckthorn — the invasive woody species that degrades our local native plant communities and wildlife habitat — in the rare oak savanna and woodland in south Minneapolis. This area includes the highest quality plant communities remaining in the River Gorge, including a mesic prairie and remnant oak brushland/woodland.
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.
Seed Collection at the Sand Coulee/Rare Prairie
Saturday, October 12 — 9:00 a.m.-noon.
Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area, Hastings
Enjoy a hands-on seed identification and collection in this rare sand-gravel prairie. Seed gathered at this Vermillion Stewards event will be used for further habitat restoration. Large quantities — of volunteers and seed alike — are needed! No experience required, however, this activity is very detail-oriented and generally best suited for teens and up.
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.
Help Restore Habitat at Pine Bend Bluffs
Saturday, October 26 — 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, this site is only accessible to the public for special events such as this. Working with ecologists and staff, volunteers will remove invasive species — helping to stack pre-cut buckthorn brush — and assist with other restoration tasks in the oak forest area above the river. All supplies are provided, including lunch! Individuals, groups and families are welcome, but participants must be 15 and up. Learn more on the event page, or sign up now with Lindsay at lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. (Registration for this event closes October 18th.)
Bust Buckthorn in 'Tunnel Valley'
Saturday, November 2 — 9:00 a.m.-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 these slopes were covered by oak woodland and savanna, but have become overgrown in with trees and invasive nonnative shrubs. Volunteers are needed to work with FMR ecologist Karen Schik to help restore this beautiful landscape by hauling away brush, which will open the canopy and make way for more beneficial native plants to return.
No experience is required and all supplies, as well as lunch, 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.
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.
Resources of the Month
The 7,000 streams that become the Mississippi River
New online tool maps the thousands of connections among U.S. rivers.
An Astounding Map of Every River in America
As reported in Wired, a California-based software engineer who set out to create a vector map (a map consisting of Geographic Information System data) using open source data has created a work of art. All Rivers is a gorgeously detailed look at the waterways in the 48 contiguous states.
Whose View? From Where?
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.
In spite of a hot busy summer, we had a handful of responses to our August 2013 photo.
Phenology
Day length is now mimicking that of spring causing unseasonable hormonal havoc in animals and plants.
Supporting FMR
The versatile and attractive Mississippi River Challenge 10th Anniversary stainless steel pint cups (complete with ring & clip) are a great way to support FMR’s work and get something cool in return. At $10 each (plus $3 shipping for one cup + $1 for each additional cup) they are a real “steel.” To order, visit our donation page and indicate how many you want and where you’d like them shipped (or if you’re picking them up) in the “Gift Details” box. Then enter the total in the “Amount” box. You can also choose your ring colors (orange, blue, light green, dark green) while supplies last. Bottoms up!
Quote of the Month
“Autumn...the year’s last, loveliest smile.”
- William Cullen Bryant
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