Lower Wisconsin Basin/GMU IEM Projects

• Devils Lake Ecosystem Restoration Project
• Master Plans and Feasibility Studies
• Farm Bill Implementation - Lower Wisconsin Basin
• Baraboo River Restoration
• Black Earth Creek Watershed Management

INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROJECT (LAND DIVISION)

TITLE:Devils Lake Ecosystem Restoration Project

LOCATION: Devils Lake State Park, South Central Region

CONTACT: Tim Miller, Devils Lake Sub-Team Leader, (608) 356-8301

DESCRIPTION: The Devils Lake Ecosystem Restoration Project is a cross program initiative, involving internal and external partners, to plan for and eventually restore about 400-500 acres at Devils Lake State Park to a pre-settlement vegetative condition as directed in the park's Master Plan. The project includes planning, mapping, site inventory, plotting, burning, cutting, trail construction and interpretive signing. The Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation and the National Parks System have proposed locating an additional segment of the Ice Age Trail through this area that would be used for interpretive services by the park naturalist. Wisconsin Power and Light has offered to help with this project to make a "seamless" boundary with their Lake Wisconsin Watershed Restoration Project. All of the partners have been contacted and have expressed interest in the project.

OBJECTIVES: The goal is to restore about 400-500 acres at Devils Lake State Park to a pre-settlement vegetative condition as directed in the park's Master Plan.

PROJECT PARTNERS: Wisconsin Conservation Corp., The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Power and Light, Sauk Prairie Restoration Council, Prairie Enthusiasts, National Park Service, Ice Age Trail and Park Foundation, and Friend's of Devils Lake.

PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: 500 hours

TITLE: Master Plans and Feasibility Studies

LOCATION: South Central Region

CONTACT: Land Leader, South Central Region

DESCRIPTION: Master Plans are property specific documents which provide a uniform planning process for the management and development of state owned properties. The plans insure opportunities for public involvement in helping to develop the boundaries, goals and objectives for property ownership and management. Feasibility studies are used to analyze the need for establishing or modifying a property boundary. The South Central Region will be involved in the following Master Plans and feasibility studies: Nevin Master Plan, Blue Mounds Park Boundary, Mirror Lake-Dell Creek Master Plan Expansion Study, Cross Plains Feasibility Study, Lower Wisconsin River Boundary, Devils Lake Park Boundary Expansion Study, Sauk Columbia Ice Age Trail, and Snow Bottom Natural Area Corridor Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal is to provide integrated resource management techniques to state properties using a long range approach with maximum public involvement.

PROJECT PARTNERS: Local and county governments, regional planning commissions, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Congress, and various specialized users groups.

PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: The region would contribute 5,990 hours.

TITLE: Farm Bill Implementation - Lower Wisconsin Basin

LOCATION: Lower Wisconsin Basin, South Central Region

CONTACT: Richard Wojciak, Land Basin Leader, (608) 275-3249

DESCRIPTION: The 1996 Farm Bill offers the strongest conservation title of any Farm Bill in recent history. Funding for the Farm Bill has been established at $2.5 billion annually through 2002. This project will address all aspects of the Farm Bill including Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Through these measures, the DNR plans to conserve biodiversity and to affect landscape scale basin management.

OBJECTIVES: The goal is to assist with establishing beneficial cover and conservation practices on private land.

PROJECT PARTNERS: The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Services Agency, land conservation departments, Pheasants Forever, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Wings Over Wisconsin, National Wild Turkey Federation, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, Ducks Unlimited, and Wisconsin Prairie Enthusiasts.

PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: The basin would contribute 8,500 hours and $7,000.

TITLE:Baraboo River Restoration

LOCATION: Lower Wisconsin Basin, Baraboo, Sauk County, South Central Region

CONTACT: Tom Bainbridge, Water GMU Leader, (608) 275-3279

DESCRIPTION: In collaboration with many partners, three dams in the City of Baraboo will be removed in order to restore a four mile stretch of the Baraboo River to free flowing conditions. This stretch, with its steep gradient and rocky bottom, is rare in Southern Wisconsin. The dams restrict fish movement, impair public navigation, reduce water quality and aquatic habitat, and pose a public safety hazard. This project will be a catalyst for development of the river as a recreational and environmental corridor through its 62 mile reach, and large scale ecosystem restoration on a watershed basis.

OBJECTIVES: The goals are removal of three dams; development of strong working relationships among public and private groups, private citizens, government agencies, and the basin team; development of educational materials; and monitoring of ecological habitat changes, and fishery and angler use changes. Land tasks along the corridor include wildlife habitat improvement, tree planting, assisting private landowners with management, and public access and other land acquisition.

PROJECT PARTNERS: City of Baraboo, U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Narrows Creek Priority Watershed Project, Sauk County Natural Beauty Council, Baraboo River Canoe Club, Baraboo Range Preservation Association, Sauk County Land Conservation Association, Village of Rock Springs, Reedsburg Sportsmen's Club, Webb High School, North Freedom Rod & Gun Club, Baraboo Bassmasters, Wisconsin Power & Light, and National Guard (Baraboo Unit).

PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: 400 Hours and $223,000 (est.)

TITLE:Black Earth Creek Watershed Management

LOCATION: Black Earth Creek Watershed, Dane County, South Central Region

CONTACT: Andy Morton, (608) 275-3311; e-mail: MORTOJ

DESCRIPTION: This project supports an on-going effort in that it provides a Limited Term Employee (LTE) to assist the Black Earth Creek Watershed Association in running the organization.

OBJECTIVES: The goal is to insure water quality protection in Black Earth Creek and to maintain the integrity of the Black Earth Creek Fisher Area. The project will manage development and land use changes to maintain high water quality and the wild brown trout fishery; to provide financial support to the local association so they can effectively coordinate and manage activities within the watershed; to revise the fishery area master plan; to assist in implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) to protect water quality; and to work with the Village of Cross Plains to design and install BMPs to control nonpoint source pollution from stormwater impacts.

PROJECT PARTNERS: There will be many internal partners including the Bureaus of Watershed Management, Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection, and Facilities and Lands. External partners include the Dane County Land Conservation Department, the Black Earth Creek Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited.

PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: 4,470 hours and $13,000 will be needed for both years of the biennium.