Watershed: The Blog

Reindeer Games

2006-12-19T11:41:00.000-06:00

This is a holiday mini-quiz based on the National Wildlife Federation's article Reindeer: The Truth Behind the Legend. Select either true or false.

1. Reindeer are called caribou in North America.

2. Dasher, Dancer et. al are male.

3. Reindeer have two pairs of "shoes".

4. Reindeer cannot swim.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Answers:
1. True! Reindeer are caribou. Who knew?

2. False (probably). They are probably female since male reindeer shed their antlers in the fall while females retain their's.

3. True (kinda). Their hoof changes from a soft footpad in the spring when the tundra is wet and soggy (good for bouyancy) to a hard rimmed hoof in the fall (perfect for breaking through ice.) Of course, if they are female, the shoe thing makes much more sense.

4. False. They are good swimmers thanks to an adaptation in their coat.

Fifth Graders on the Big Sioux

2006-12-11T13:55:00.000-06:00

Last September, fifth grade students in the Sioux Falls Elementary Gifted Program tested the water quality on the Big Sioux River. Since they are following standard scientific process, they wrote up the results and published their report on the SD Discovery Center's website.

Mom Was Right: Go Before You Go.

2006-12-04T13:18:00.000-06:00

China, apparently, is working on changing its color from red to green. According to British newspaper, The Guardian, China is working on doubling its use of renewable energy by 2020 in response to worsening air and water quality as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Related to, although not part of, this initiative is that Chinese Southern Airlines is now encouraging passengers to use the bathroom before boarding a flight in order to reduce the amount of fuel used in flight. According to the article, one flush uses one liter of fuel. And then there are the fuel costs related to hauling the extra weight from the human waste, although I tend to think if someone can't use the bathroom before the flight does it really matter if it's in or out of the person?

I don't really want to know the answer to that, just mindless speculation on my part.

I have no idea if these fuel figures are applicable to US airlines.

So, when your mother told you that you should have gone before you left home, you didn't know she was being environmentally responsible. Props to moms everywhere.

Citizen Scientists on the Appalachian Trail

2006-11-27T11:05:00.000-06:00

The Appalachian Trail is a long way from South Dakota. But I will be keeping an eye on doings out there per this AP article in the NY Times this morning. For those who don't wish to register (even though it's free) I'll paraphrase and quote.

The National Park Service, in cooperation with a slew of other non-profit and educational partners, including one corporate entity, is going to attempt a comprehensive environmental monitoring project of the Appalachian Trail in an attempt to document changes that have environmental and human impacts. Part of the monitoring will be conducted by citizen scientists which is similar to what volunteer, water- quality monitors do in South Dakota.

The purpose of this project according to Brian Mitchell, coordinator with the Park Service's Northeast Temperate Network in Woodstock, VT, is "to get a better understanding of what's happening on the trail so we can better manage it. ...[and] to take the lessons we learn from the trail and show people that what's happening on the trail does actually affect us."

Reports will be issued from the data collected, providing information about the environment/human impact link.

Dave Startzell, executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, said smog levels and air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains were good examples of useful information.

"People will read that on 25 or 30 days in a given year, it's considered
unhealthy to walk on the Appalachian Trail," Mr. Startzell said,"and we think that's going to grab people's attention more than if they just read about air quality trends in general."

As with most projects of this ilk, the purpose isn't just to provide information but also to more deeply engage citizens in what is known in the environmental education field as "responsible environmental behavior".

"Part of our hope is that as people become more aware of trends affecting those lands, they'll be motivated to take action," Mr. Startzell said, "whether that means switching to a hybrid car or just conducting their own way of life in a little more energy efficient manner, or going to a town hall meeting and
advocating for more open space."

Project coordinators (the article never did make clear which agency was the lead sponsor) are hoping to have two volunteer programs available within the next year. If Cornell is involved, I am betting one of them will involve birds.

A cursory internet survey via Google doesn't show a central webpage for this project.

The Worst Hard Time

2006-11-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

The National Book Award for non-fiction was awarded Wednesday, Nov. 15 to The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl. This past weekend, I heard author Timothy Egan speak courtesy BookTV about this project. (Watch now). It is now on my "must read" list.

The Dust Bowl, according to Mr. Egan, was caused by a "perfect storm" confluence of economic, geographic and climatological events and the result was indeed horrific. By turning ever increasing amounts of grassland into cropland, the stage was set for disaster when a ten year drought hit.

The book focuses mainly on the lower part of the Great Plains, the Texan pan handle through Nebraska, but in his speech Mr. Egan fields a question about the impact of the Dust Bowl on the Dakotas (thanks to a North Dakotan in the audience). The Dakotas, while severly impacted by the Dust Bowl, did not suffer the same degree of decline since they had not experienced the same degree of prosperity during the 20's.

There are modern day lessons for us in this tale. Mr. Egan spoke of how the Dust Bowl survivors knew they were pushing the limits and likened it to the same sense people have about the current drawdown of the Ogallala aquifer. Sobering, indeed.

Incidently, the Soil Conservation service was born from this time thanks to the foresight and passion of Hugh Hammond Bennet as well as well timed Dust Storm.

Fighting Poverty, One Toilet at a Time

2006-11-14T09:31:00.000-06:00

A recent article published by the NY Times (registration required) underscores the critical need for clean water on a global scale.

The toilet and the latrine, which helped revolutionize public health in New York, London and Paris more than a century ago, are among the most underused tools to combat poverty and disease in the developing world, says a United Nations report released yesterday.

“Issues dealing with human excrement tend not to figure prominently in the programs of political parties contesting elections or the agendas of governments,” said Kevin Watkins, the main author of the report. “They’re the unwanted guests at the table.”

The human cost of that taboo, however, is more unspeakable than the topic itself, he said. Every year, more than two million children die of diarrhea and other sicknesses caused by dirty water and a lack of “access to sanitation.”

That is the common euphemism for the reality that more than a third of the world’s people — 2.6 billion — have no decent place to go to the bathroom, while more than a billion get water for drinking, washing and cooking from sources polluted by human and animal feces.

At any time, almost half the people in developing countries have one or more of the main illnesses associated with inadequate water and sanitation and fill half the hospital beds, the report said. They are plagued by diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, trachoma and parasitic worms. Toilets Underused to Fight Disease, UN Study Finds

Two sentences from this article stop me cold.

Sentence one: The toilet and the latrine ...are among the most underused tools to combat poverty and disease in the developing world

Sentence two: At any time, almost half the people in developing countries have one or more of the main illnesses associated with inadequate water and sanitation and fill half the hospital beds,.

Whoa.

I don't begrudge AIDS or genocide in developing countries being a cause celebre. Heaven knows we need to address those things and loudly. But someone needs to speak up for the value of basic infrastructure improvements which will have a quick and positive impact on the quality of life of so many, especially children and the elderly.

There are many good and worthwhile organizations involved in bringing clean water to developing countries. World Vision is one I support and yes, they have Clean Water programs.

Autumnwatch

2006-11-09T13:24:00.000-06:00

The BBC (British Broadcasting Company) has this odd little show dedicated to nature watching. In the spring, it's called Springwatch and in the fall, it's - not surprisingly - Autumnwatch. It's not your typical American nature show. The hosts and the reporters toodle around the countryside, watching badgers and puffins and the like. People send in video footage of foxes cavorting in their gardens. There are lots of nest cams. Nothing really happens and the production values are a little quieter and more restrained than what you see on your average Discovery Channel show. It's very British.

We had the good fortune to be visiting the United Kingdom this past June when the spring version of the show was airing. We got sucked into the drama (yes, drama) of the migration of brent Geese from Ireland to their summer breeding grounds in Arctic Canada. Ten geese were tagged, transmitter-ized, then christened after a famous historical pilot They were released, of course, so their migratory progress could be documented in semi-weekly updates on a map. The first goose to reach Canada was quite a compelling story and we all got a little more involved than we'd like to admit.

Thanks to the miracle of modern communications and the internet, I can check back on the geese. Out of the ten geese, four are "lost", which may mean dead or it may mean that the transmitter fell off. One, Douglas, may he rest in goosey peace, is confirmed dead. And five returned to Ireland, having completed the 8,000 kilometer (almost 5 thousand miles) round trip trek.

These are fun pages to look at it and if you are a closet anglophile, you'll enjoy feeling as if you are there.

Autumwatch

BBC - Wild Britain

Breaking News from Pierre!

2006-11-01T15:01:00.000-06:00

Bigger than the figures from the latest poll on Referred Law 6. More interesting than page scandals. The breaking news is...

... the geese are back.

It is officially autumn. Watch your step.

Election Free Blog Entry!

2006-10-30T14:43:00.000-06:00

This week's entry will not be about the election. Since writing about how I am not writing about the election is semi-tantamount to actually writing about the election, that is all I will say about that. On to other things.

Last week, after submitting a copy of the SD Discovery Center's IRS 501(c)3 confirmation AND a scanned copy of my driver's license to the Academic Superstore (Microsoft is apparently serious about cracking down on software pirates), I purchased Front Page. This means I can update webpages.

First on my list of things to put up is a copy of the South Dakota Guide to Water Pollution Prevention. Later this fall, there will be a presentation about the Clean Water Act, South Dakota geology, and water quality monitoring. Listen, I know you are thinking you will never go to these webpages BUT I'm suggesting you go, book mark them and save them for one of those nights that you are tooling aimlessly around the internet. Otherwise, you know will end up reading about Britney Spears and will hate yourself in the morning. Save yourself the shame.

Nature Journal: Oprah meets Bill Nye

2006-10-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

One of the ways my job has enriched my life personally is that I have taken up nature journaling. A nature journal is the layman's version of a proper field journal, a tool used in zoology and botany to document field work. These are proper scientific documents in their own right and are contributing much to our understanding of climate change through their documentation of species distribution.

Field journaling was developed by Joseph Grinnel of the University of California Berkley. According to the article, Grinnel kept notes from New Year's Day, 1894 when he was 17 until five days before his death in 1939. Forty five years of notes. That's prolific.

I like this particular overview of the protocols on field journaling from the University of Western Ontario. Notes On Keeping A Field Journal. My favorite piece of advice: "Alcohol consumption will adversely affect your ability to transcribe field notes. Hold back until after you are through with your journal." Apparently those zoologists have a lot more fun in the field than they let on.

My journal would not be approved by Dr. Grinnel as a scientific document. That's ok. My journal is mainly about what's important to me. It gets me out into nature and makes me slow down enough to see. (This is the Oprah aspect). I do draw in my journal not because I am adding to the body of knowledge about a particular species or ecosystem but because drawing helps me observe. I see things differently if I draw them.

For the record, I can't draw worth spit.

One of the themes I am thinking about incorporating into my next year's work plan is nature journaling. There's a lot that can be done with this activity. The next issue of the Volunteer Monitor will focus on observational monitoring. I see potential here.

More Nature Journal Links

Ranger Rick Journal
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4

Getting Started
Learning To See

Clare Walker Leslie's Guide To Sketching Trees (Ed. note: I can draw a recognizable tree thanks to this guide).

How To Keep a Field Journal from the American Museum of Natural History. Includes great field journal stories from Eleanor Sterling. You can imagine Indiana Jones keeping a field journal after looking at this.

Missouri River Exposed

2006-10-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

If you love the Missouri River, you absolutely need to make a trip to the Pierre Mall soon in order to catch the showing of Missouri River Exposed. Pierre native Joe Riis has captured breathtaking photographic images of the river and its environs. With some thought provoking text about the management of the river, the Missouri River Exposed project goes beyond the pretty pictures to looking at the river as a valuable and significant resource.

Highly recommended.

www.joeriis.com
Capitol Journal article

Alton Does Water

2006-10-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

In last year's World Water Monitoring Day, I said that I wrote into my favorite foodie show Good Eats to ask him to create a recipe to honor the day.

Not surprisingly, there was no reply (he's a busy man and it was a lame request - I understand this.) However, there was something better.

Alton did not one but TWO shows about water, most recently shown in September. They are not yet available on DVD but deserve the time should they ever be re-broadcast.

Water Monitoring Day

2006-10-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, October 18 was World Water Monitoring Day, the culmination of a month worth monitoring activity from people around the state, country and yes, even the world. South Dakotans were represented in this effort. Jeff Nixon's fifth graders monitored Skunk Creek in Sioux Falls. Bill McKee took his Sturgis Williams Middle School sixth graders out to monitor Bear Butte Creek as he has been doing for several years now. And Sarah Caron and husband Duane sampled Lake Kampeska.

Volunteer water quality monitoring will get a big boost this spring when three lakes will begin piloting bacteria monitoring.

For more about World Water Monitoring Day, read my last year's post on the subject: World Water Monitoring Day: October 7, 2005

CSI on the Farm

2006-10-16T10:37:00.001-05:00

Scientists have found the smoking cow pie. The same strain of Ecoli found in contaminated spinach was also found in cattle manure near the fields where the spinach was grown. Scientists do not yet know how the contamination was spread, although wild pigs are suspected at having played a part. For those of us who work in water quality issues, it is significant to note that agricultural water has not been ruled out.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/13/MNG71LOT711.DTL

Dump No Waste, Marine!

2006-10-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

What a month. I figured that Oct. 13 was a good day to re-energize the blog. I don't know how all the hard core South Dakota bloggers out there do an entry (or sometimes two!) every day. It must be that farm boy work ethic.

Part of the reason for my absence from the blogging world has been family related. My oldest son just graduated from Marine boot camp so the whole family plus four assorted other people went to San Diego to watch him graduate. It's quite the event, I'll tell you. My job really skews the way I see things since one of the first things I noticed about Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD San Diego) is that the storm drains were all stenciled with reminders about how the drains empty into the bay.

My husband and my new Marine also pointed this out to me. This lead to quite the discussion (ok, lecture) about how the military has played a significant role in environmental protection, especially in terms of keeping wide open expanses of land undeveloped.

And speaking of development, the Smart Growth network has released a new publication entitled This Is Smart Growth.

You can download an electronic version of the document (http://www.smartgrowthonlineaudio.org/pdf/TISG_2006_8-5x11.pdf)or contact the Smart Growth Network. Send an e-mail to ncepimal@one.net and request the publication. Ask for publication number 231-K-06-002. Be sure to include name, organization, address, and telephone number with your request.
Call the EPA National Service Center for Environmental Publications at 800.490.9198. Ask for publication number 231-K-06-002.

Mug shot

2006-09-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

Does anybody need a mug? Not even a nice one with a company logo?

I didn't think so. The space in my cupboard for mugs is overflowing with fancy mugs, plain mugs, pretty mugs, gift mugs, souvenier mugs, mugs I have no idea where they came from. I've got mugs, baby. And I'm betting you do too.

The topic of mugs came up when I was emailing the coordinator of the Water Festival's hospitality suite. I told him we wouldn't need Styrofoam cups since our them was Reduce/Reuse/Recycle. "I'll order everyone a mug," I wrote.

Then I priced corn based plastic mugs. And I got to thinking about how really, if you are in a position where you are out in the workaday world you don't need mugs. So I decided not to buy any new mugs.

I toyed briefly with the idea of asking people to bring their own mugs. I attended a woman's social at church where we did that and it was great fun. However, this isn't a church lady event and people will have their minds and hands filled with Water Festival equipment. They do not need to be worrying about mugs.

Then, I decided that if I am awash with mugs, then surely so is everyone else. I will ask the local thrift stores to donate some of their spare mugs. I figure this means having to haul the mugs back to my house to properly wash them but since we are hitting two R's out of three (Reduce/Reuse) I consider this a good investment.

Wanted: Connectors and Mavens

2006-09-08T14:40:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of reading The Tipping Point right now. I know that absolutely everybody else in the world has read it by now and everybody knows what role they play in regards to the Tipping Point (except for me, I'm only on Chapeter 3) and this has been talked to death.

But...

My job would be much easier if I could find a few connectors and mavens to start implementing behaviors that protect water, specifically water from non-point source pollution. I think my counterpoints in the ag world have seen the tipping point in regards to no-till and buffer strips, but I have a more urban focus. So, if you consider yourself a connector or a maven in the area of Urban Planning email me.

FIgured it out

2006-09-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

I figured out the presenter gift. It's practical, recycled and, ironically, fuzzy (see my comments from yesterday).

And no, it's not a blanket.

The high school guides will receive a pair of eyeglass holders that say "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" on one side and "I used to be a soda bottle" on the other. Just what every teenager wants. We will have an abundance of these, (minimum order is 100) so I foresee these being premiums for different workshops and SD Discovery Center events. If you want one, stop in with a printout of this entry and we'll rustle one up for you.

You R-R-R Kidding

2006-09-05T14:54:00.000-05:00

The theme of this year's Make A Splash Water Festival is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This being the water festival the focus is, of course, on water and how recycling benefits water. But since the ecology is an interconnected set of systems, we'll include information about other types of enviornmentally friendly reduction, reuse and recycling.

I've been looking for an appropriate premium for our presenters who do a bang up job. And yes, they need some sort of recognition besides the warm fuzzy of teaching kids and a free lunch. The trouble is - what do you get someone when stuff is antithetical to the message you are trying to convey? I went looking for a cool recycled gift but honestly, does anybody in this world need one more mug, even if it is made from corn instead of petroleum? I suppose I could have been strict and say in the interest of reducing, nobody is getting anything this year except the fuzzy and the lunch, but I need them to come next year.

I decided a blanket made from recycled plastic would be nice. Everyone can use an extra blanket. May I just say that finding a reasonably priced blanket that meets this criterion is more difficult than I thought it would be? Maybe I need to reconsider the blanket idea. Or maybe I need to get real about what it costs to buy recycled. Anyone have any ideas?

http://www.americarecyclesday.org/

Size matters

2006-08-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

I've been doing some more thinking about nature deficiency. I have an as yet untested theory as to one of the its contributing causes.

Bigger houses.

According to a press release issued by the National Association of Home Builders, US Census Bureau data for 2005 showed that "(t)he average floor area in a newly built home last year reached an all-time high of 2,434 square feet - up from an average 2,349 square feet in 2004 and just 1,645 square feet in 1975. "

If you have been in a furniture store lately, then you will know what I am talking about. I recently went to the opening of Pierre's newest furniture store. I walked around trying to imagine some of the furniture - massive overstuffed couches, raft sized coffee tables, televisions larger than a pre-schooler - in my 13 by 23 living room. And when I try to imagine it in context of my childhood living room, I think maybe one piece might have fit. Maybe.

The house I grew in was built in 1955 or so. It was small by today's standards. My mother often made me go outside to play simply because there were days when I think she was tired of the noise and mess that children constantly generate. And inviting friends into play was a Big Deal. If a friend came over, out you went. More often than not when I was a kid, you didn't want to go out, you had to go out.

Kids today aren't much different I imagine. There aren't many reasons to go out and lots more to stay in. And as a parent, if you can put the noise in a room and close the door, if Sponge Bob is just a distant voice, if there is someplace else to send the children that is anywhere but where you are (be honest now), then the unintentional result will be children don't go outside as often.

That's my pet theory anyway.

While I have no proof about larger homes and outside play, larger home sizes do increase impervious cover in a watershed, the cumulative effect of which can leave a sizeable ecological footprint. Perhaps a movement to decrease home sizes would be good for the environment and good for children's health? Something to think about.

Nature Deficiency

2006-08-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Nature Deficit Disorder? Richard Louv the man who coined the term describes NDD as

It's the cumulative effect of withdrawing nature from children's experiences, but not just individual children. Families too can show the symptoms -- increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention, feelings of not being rooted in the world. So can communities, so can whole cities. Really, what I'm talking about is a disorder of society -- and children are victimized by it. (Salon.com)

This might be a little overwrought for a South Dakota audience but I think many (most?) adults share some of his concerns about too much media (computer, game, TV) too much organized activity and too few natural experiences.

Like many parents, I squirm when I think about this in context of my own children's lives, so I am not pointing a finger here. And while the answer is as simple as turning off the electronics, it's as hard as that, as well, especially once the children are past the primary grades.

Some groups are taking steps that would have seemed ridiculous 25 years ago, like the National Wildlife Federation's Great American Backyard Campout or promoting the effort for families and children to experience a "Green Hour" (outside time) each week. BUt this is the sign of the times, I guess.

When I think about my job, raising awareness about water and watersheds and more importantly, getting people to make behavior changes as a result of that awareness, I know that people won't change if they a) don't care or b) are afraid. There are enough barriers to change without adding more. So please, parents, especially parents of little ones, go outside.

Survey about Nature Deficit

One Montana man's experience

Trouble Down the Drain

2006-08-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

Sioux Falls residents had a dramatic lesson in storm drain operation on Friday. A fuel tanker overturned, dumping some of its load into a storm drain that empties into Skunk Creek.

Let me repeat that: the storm drain empties into Skunk Creek. The storm drain does not empty into the water treatment plant. Even though one news program that shall not be named repeatedly said "storm sewer" (and they were not incorrect to do so), a storm drain in Sioux Falls does not carry sewage. It carries rain, snow melt, car wash and lawn watering water, and any other detritus that gets picked up or dumped in there. For a little while on Friday, that particular storm drain carried fuel as well.

At the beginning of the month, a nice chunk of change was spent to run a radio campaign about how storm drains do not go to water treatment plants (Why is the stream brown, Daddy? Where does the rain water go, Mommy?) It is my hope that the commercial made some people aware of how a dump into a storm "sewer" can go into a creek and why the booms and all the rest are necessary.

Woodpecker 1, Corps - 0

2006-08-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

Below I posted a story about the Ivory Billed Woodpecker and the lawsuit brought against the Corps of Engineers to halt an irrigation project that would impact the woodpecker's habitat.

On Thursday, July 20, a judge ruled to halt the project for more studies. The Corps may not have been in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A federal judge temporarily stopped construction on a $320 million irrigation project Thursday, ruling the changes could disturb the habitat of a woodpecker that might or might not be extinct.

The first purported sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the area was in 2004, but more than 100 volunteers and researchers who spent weeks last winter trying to find conclusive evidence of its existence came back empty-handed.

Still, U.S. District Judge William Wilson said that, for purposes of the lawsuit brought by environmental groups, he had to presume the woodpecker exists in the area. Federal agencies may have violated the Endangered Species Act by not studying the habitat fully, he said. read more

Good to be back.

2006-08-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

It's good to be back to blogging. Now that summer is almost unofficially over, I can turn my time and attention back to the blog. During the summer, I am out and about mainly holding watershed workshops. I love doing the workshops - even the ones where it's 109° and we are camping in the back country of the Cheyenne River. However, they are a lot of work not only to facilitate but to prepare for, as well.

Water Festival Day at the Capitol

2006-03-07T13:38:00.000-06:00

Last January - the first day of session as a matter of fact - folks from around the state that are involved in the Water Festivals came to the Capitol to do a mini Water Festival for the 6th & 8th graders from the Georgia Morse Middle School across the street. We want to show the legislators what a great experience this is for kids.

It was a high energy, fun experience. I've uploaded some pictures of the day.

SDSU Professor Dave German (Brookings Festival) brought aquatic insects for kids to study through microscopes.

Georgia Morse tutor Mary Ashley gets into the act by playing the Incredible Journey.

Senator Johnson was in the building that day and stopped by to visit. People in the picture are Jay Gilbertson, East Dakota Water Development District (Brookings Festival); Mary Clawson, GF&P Habitat Manager (Aberdeen Festival); Senator Johnson; myself (Pierre Festival), Dave German; and Ross Vander Voste, SDSU student and Pierre resident.

Harley Shaffer, Minnehaha Conservation District (Sioux Falls Festival) and Mary Clawson visit with Governor Rounds.

People Start Pollution; People Can Stop It

2006-03-06T12:59:00.000-06:00

If you are of a certain age (ahem), "people start pollution, people can stop it" probably sounds familiar though you might not be able to immediately place it. Need another hint? William "Iron Eyes" Cody.

"People start pollution..." was the tag line to a 1971 Keep America Beautiful campaign featuring the "Crying Indian".

I've been on retro environmental kick this morning having heard several things about the SD Vietnam War Memorial dedication in September over the weekend. I got to wondering whether there was any linkage between that era and the work I do and sure enough I came up with the following:

Clean Air Act - 1970
Woodsy Owl - created 1970; "Give A Hoot, Don't Pollute" PSAs
Clean Water Act - 1972

And of course, Earth Day. The Wikipedia entry for Earth Day provides a good overview of the scope and history of Earth Day, including the little known fact that the April 22nd observance is mostly an American convention. The UN observes International Earth Day on the vernal equinox, this year at 1:26PM EST on March 20.

Theories as to why the April 22nd date was chosen ranged from college students are between spring break and finals and thus more available to participate in campus events to Arbor Day - also April 22 - was already an established observance and could be used to include groups involved in tree planting to April 22 was Lenin's birthday. Whether those who pointed out this fact felt we were being softened up to accept Communist rule (this was the Cold War Era after all) or just being manipulated to give unwitting recognition to our arch enemy, I don't know.

Anymore, Earth Day is mainly the purview of school groups and TV weathermen.

And environmental educators.

As a girl, I remember reading an Archie comic in which the gang is visited by a dyspeptic elf named Jingle (I think) who is outraged by the pollution he encounters. I wasn't able to find a reference to that particular comic but it seems that Archie comics is still concerned about environmental causes.

Alternative Fuels and Clean Water

2006-03-03T10:23:00.000-06:00

After the warmest January on record and reports of melting polar caps, Global Warming seems to be upon us. Alternative fuels are becoming more mainstream to the point that President Bush, long considered a Friend of Big Oil mentioned switch grass as a source for the up and coming biofuel industry, specifically ethanol.

From where I sit, I can only see the alternative energy industry benefiting South Dakota. Unlike Wyoming, Texas or West Virginia we don't have much of a fossil fuel industry, but we do have plenty of land, wind, sun and a big dam. All of these can and are being leveraged to produce energy.

However, as we march forth into a cleaner, renewable energy future we should keep in mind that bioenergy can and does have its own environmental impacts, particularly in regards to water but also to habitat. Those who are in the vanguard of these industries would do well to develop them with one eye on the unintended though not unexpected consequences.

First robins

2006-03-01T10:07:00.000-06:00

Last week I saw a flock on the edge of town. This week, they are spreading out, claiming territory, looking to hook up. It's all about the sex, violence and birdie drama done in song, chirps and tweets. Not unlike Shakespeare and West Side Story now that I think about it.

And to think it cheers my winter weary heart to hear all that.

More Outdoorsy Fun Stuff

2006-02-21T12:22:00.000-06:00

If you want to go beyond the regular tomatoes and petunias this year in your garden, check out Izaak Walton League's Wetland Webcast.

Wetland-Friendly Lawn and Garden (March 28, 8:00-10:00pm, EST)
What you plant in your garden and how you take care of your lawn can affect water quality in your neighborhood. In this Webcast series, the concept of backyard conservation will be introduced, as well as some of the basic things people are doing to make their yards more eco-friendly. The focus of this segment will be practical, and will include how-to sections on creating rain gardens, installing rain barrels and designing wetland-friendly landscapes on your own property. Additionally, we will document the experiences of actual homeowners that have successfully implemented these practices in their own yards.

Wet Spots into Wonderlands (April 25, 8:00-10:00pm, EST) Do you have a wetland on your property? Discover the many benefits (both environmental and economic) of "greening" your property, and find out how you can ensure that these sensitive ecosystems remain healthy. No wetlands on your property? Learn how to create vernal pools and backyard bogs that are guaranteed to attract wildlife and reduce storm-water runoff. Using low-cost materials and simple techniques, this program will demonstrate how you can transform your backyard landscape into a "greenscape."

The new seed catalogs are here!

2006-02-13T12:15:00.000-06:00

The new seed catalogs are here! The new seed catalogs are here! They are arriving in our mailbox twice, thrice weekly. And even I, who have a certifiable brown thumb and have had plants commit suicide to avoid a lingering death, look at them longingly. Especially the tomatoes. Is there anybody who doesn't love home grown tomatoes?

I'm also thinking about gardening because I am putting together the section on soil testing for the South Dakota Guide to Residential Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention which is copied below.

“If a little is good, more must be better.” This attitude towards lawn fertilizing is more common than it is common sense. Dr. Ron Gelderman, soil testing program manager at SDSU, says many lawns do not require fertilizer as testing shows already elevated levels of nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen. When soil testing results do show a need for fertilizer, it is usually less than the fertilizer companies would have you believe.

Common sense fertilizing is a two step process. Step I of common sense fertilizing is to make sure that fertilizer only goes on the lawn and not on the sidewalk or street. Fertilizer on concrete will most likely be washed into a storm drain or drainage ditch where it ultimately ends up in a lake, river or stream.

Step II of common sense fertilizing means applying only enough fertilizer, specifically fertilizers with phosphorous, to nourish plants. Phosphorous is a “sticky” molecule and attaches itself to soil. Whatever phosphorous your lawn does not use remains in the soil. If that phosphorous laden soil gets washed into a river, lake or stream, the phosphorous then becomes available to fertilize algae and other aquatic plants. And that, in turn, can negatively impact water quality.

Testing your soil to find out your fertilizing requirements is common sense. You can contact your cooperative extension agency to receive a soil testing bag and instructions (look in the blue pages of your phone book in the county section) or go online to SDSU’s soil testing page (http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/soiltest/). For a minimal fee ($14 as of spring 2006) you can have your soil tested for nitrate-nitrogen, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, pH, soluble salts and texture class. If you are having problem areas in your lawn, you can also take this opportunity to describe them and have the soil tested to address those areas as well.

The soil testing process is novice friendly. The data sheet you send to the lab provides step by step instructions to collect soil. The results sheet which will be mailed to you will have the results, what they mean, and recommendations for your soil. Suggested tips on fertilization and a pamphlet discussing the different kinds of fertilizers are also included with your results.

A copy of the instructions that accompany the soil sampling data sheet is below. And of course, you can always contact your extension office for assistance.

Corps vs Woodpecker

2006-02-07T12:04:00.000-06:00

The Corps of Engineers and the Ivory Billed Woodpecker squared off in court yesterday over an irrigation project. At the heart of the matter:

The project would draw 158 billion gallons per year from the White River. Farmers have been using underground aquifers but their continued use threatens to deplete that natural resource.

Attorneys for the National Wildlife Federation and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation argued Monday that the project will kill off trees and its noise will stress the bird.

This trial has not been without controversy all ready. The first judge, Judge Thomas Eisler, recused himself after learning that Audubon Society filed a brief on behalf of the plaintiffs (the bird). Judge Eisler has made a contribution to the Society in the past.

For more information go to: msnbc.com

Looking ahead to summer

2006-01-31T10:25:00.000-06:00

Our most popular professional development courses involve overnight kayaking trips. Our methodolgy is to first bring the outdoors into the classroom and then the classroom into the outdoors. This year we will do three courses and three different trips: the White River, the Cheyenne and the Missouri. If you are (or know) a teacher, a college student preparing to be a teacher, a paraprofessional teacher, or have the responsibility for conducting outreach or outdoor activities (we've had National Guard staff use our materials), let them know about our courses.

Basic Project WET
April 6 & 13
4PM - 9PM (no kayaking)
one credit hour; no registration fee

Discover A Watershed I
July 17 - 19
classroom session plus two days/one overnight
two credit hours; $100 registration fee

Discover A Watershed II
July 24 - 27
classroom session plus three days/two overnights
three credit hours; $150 registration fee

Lewis & Clark Ecology Expedition
July 31 - August 2
classroom session plus two days/one overnight
two credit hours; $100 registration fee

Below are some pictures from previous workshops. Darn, our state is beautiful.

The Big Here

2006-01-12T08:24:00.000-06:00

Kevin Kelly has put together a list of 35 questions to test your knowledge on the The Big Here (Hat tip to Rachel for the link up.). From his post:

You live in the big here. Wherever you live, your tiny spot is deeply intertwined within a larger place, imbedded fractal-like into a whole system called a watershed, which is itself integrated with other watersheds into a tightly interdependent biome. (See the world eco-region map ). At the ultimate level, your home is a cell in an organism called a planet. All these levels interconnect. What do you know about the dynamics of this larger system around you? Most of us are ignorant of this matrix. But it is the biggest interactive game there is. Hacking it is both fun and vital.

The following exercise in watershed awareness was hatched 30 years ago by Peter Warshall, naturalist extraordinaire. Variations of this list have appeared over the years with additions by Jim Dodge, Peter Berg, and Stephanie Mills among others. I have recently added new questions from Warshall and myself, and I have edited or altered most of the rest. It's still a work in progress. If you have a universal question you think fits, submit it to me.

The questions and my answers in parens:

1) Point north. (Right out my front door)

2) What time is sunset today? (I was within 15 minutes. Close, but is that close enough to call it right?)

3) Trace the water you drink from rainfall to your tap. (Rain falls into the Missouri River, is pumped up through the wells in Griffin Park to the water tower and to my house)

4) When you flush, where do the solids go? What happens to the waste water? (Last summer, I took kids on a tour of the wastewater treatment plant. Trust me when I say I know this one.)

5) How many feet above sea level are you? (I said about 1400, depending on where you are in town. The official reading is 1480. I don't know where that was taken, but I'm still a little low)

6) What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom here? (Crocus which is also our state flower.)

7) How far do you have to travel before you reach a different watershed? Can you draw the boundaries of yours? (This is a case of me knowing too much. My first question was "how far down the hydrological unit code do you want me to go?" I settled on my major watershed - the Missouri River (HUC 011) and yes, I can draw the boundaries. I have to go about 175 miles NE to get to the next nearest watershed [Red River]. I have to go about 3 miles north to get to the next sub watershed)

8) Is the soil under your feet, more clay, sand, rock or silt? (clay, clay, clay courtesy of the inland sea mentioned below. )

9) Before your tribe lived here, what did the previous inhabitants eat and how did they sustain themselves? (Buffalo for both questions.)

10) Name five native edible plants in your neighborhood and the season(s) they are available. (I could only name 4 off the top of my head - cattail, sage, buffalo berry, milk vetch all available starting late spring. Purple coneflower is technically edible but it will numb up your mouth faster than the stuff they rub on your gums at the dentist).

11) From what direction do storms generally come? (West.)

12) Where does your garbage go? (The landfill outside of town.)

13) How many people live in your watershed? (I chose to go down to the smallest HUC for this one - about 17,000.)

14) Who uses the paper/plastic you recycle from your neighborhood? (Dunno.)

15) Point to where the sun sets on the equinox. How about sunrise on the summer solstice? (On the equinox, it sets at the end of our street. Sunrise on the summer solstice is in the general direction of the Super Walmart up the street.)

16) Where is the nearest earthquake fault? When did it last move? (It's in Wyoming, under Yellowstone and moving towards Billings MT. However, I don't know the last time it moved.)

17) Right here, how deep do you have to drill before you reach water? (Near the river? About 6 feet.)

18) Which (if any) geological features in your watershed are, or were, especially respected by your community, or considered sacred, now or in the past? (The Black Hills are considered to be the cradle of the Lakota people. They were birthed out of the hole near Wind Cavern. Even today, the Lakota believe this to be true.)

19) How many days is the growing season here (from frost to frost)? (If you are the cautious sort, you count on May 15 - Sept. 15. You usually can go longer than that, although most people don't put their gardens in till late May or early June.)

20) Name five birds that live here. Which are migratory and which stay put? (Canadian geese - migratory and how, robin - may migrate but local populations overwinter, sparrow - non-migratory, mourning dove - supposedly migratory but I see a pair at my bird feeder occasionally, junco - migratory)

21) What was the total rainfall here last year? (Dunno.)

22) Where does the pollution in your air come from? (Cars. We essentially have no air pollution. The capitol dome's copper patina is black and not green because of the lack of pollutants.)

23) If you live near the ocean, when is high tide today? (Boy, do I not live near the ocean.)

24) What primary geological processes or events shaped the land here? (To my east - glaciers; to the west - an inland sea. See question above about significant geological feature. And locally, the soil is referred to as gumbo which is also the name of the high school yearbook.)

25) Name three wild species that were not found here 500 years ago. Name one exotic species that has appeared in the last 5 years. (I can't name three wild species other than horses. The recent exotic species is the salt cedar; this is a watershed phenomenon as I don't believe any are in Pierre, yet.)

26) What minerals are found in the ground here that are (or were) economically valuable? (I'm reaching out into the watershed for this one to the Black Hills since I don't think manganese, the primary mineral in Pierre has any value except to the makers of Rust-B-Gone laundry additive. The valuable mineral used to be gold; now it's probably silicon.)

27) Where does your electric power come from and how is it generated? (I'm fudging on this one but I will say our power comes from WAPA and some of it is generated by the Oahe Dam, though I know that not all of it is.)

28) After the rain runs off your roof, where does it go? (In the drain and eventually out into the Missouri behind the causeway.)

29) Where is the nearest wilderness? When was the last time a fire burned through it? (I'm counting the Ft. Pierre grasslands as our nearest wilderness and a controlled burn was held last year. I was coming into town and that day and saw the flames in the distance.)

30) How many days till the moon is full? (Dunno.)

The Bigger Here Bonus Questions:

31) What species once found here are known to have gone extinct? (Mosasaur).

32) What other cities or landscape features on the planet share your latitude? (Does Blunt count? One interesting factoid about our latitude, mint produces oil only within certain latitudes both north and south of the equator and we are within that window.)

33) What was the dominant land cover plant here 10,000 years ago? mixed grass (prairie.)

34) Name two places on different continents that have similar sunshine/rainfall/wind and temperature patterns to here. (Dunno)

Whacked the Code

2005-12-16T13:28:00.000-06:00

I am in the process of putting together the annual report for the Citizen's Water Quality Monitoring project. In this report, I analyze the data sent to me by those South Dakotans (and one Wyomingite in the Belle Fourche headwaters) who test a local river,lake or stream to track the trends in water quality.

Since this is not an official State of the State's Waters report, I don't crunch numbers so much as smoosh them or maybe pinch them. Nevertheless, I have my share of fancypants formulas with logarithms that I use to make the raw data meaningful. Until yesterday, I used a calculator that any high school freshman would have in his or her possession. This was not an ideal tool since it makes quality assurance of data that much more time consuming, requiring me to check and re-check my figures to ensure that I was not transposing numbers or putting a decimal point where a decimal point has no right to be. Number crunching could get rather tedious and quite honestly, was not a favored part of my job.

However, yesterday I figured out how to add my own functions to MS Excel. It took me a while since Visual Basic is not nearly as understanding about parentheses as my freshman calculator is (note to youth: see? you DO need to understand how to write a proper numerical equation). So for the three other people out who might want to do the same thing, I offer the Visual Basic code for adding the formulas to calculate the Carlson's trophic state indices for Secchi disk, total phosphorous and chlorophyll a.

My apologies to all humanities majors - here is where I descend into geekitude.

In MS Excel, click on Tools, click on Macro, click on Visual Basic Editor, click on Insert, click on Module. For the formula for Trophic State Index - Secchi Disk (TSISD) copy or write the following in the Module Box:
Function TSISD(MyNum)
TSISD=60-(14.41*Log(MyNum))
End Function

To note:
1. You can call the function anything you want. TSISD makes sense to me.
2. Once you hit Enter after the first line, End Function should automatically pop up.

The pattern is the same for Trophic State Index - Total Phosphorous (TSITP) and Trophic State Index - Chlorophyll a (TSICHLA)

Function TSITP(MyNum)
TSITP=14.42*Log(MyNum)+4.15
End Function

Function TSICHLA(MyNum)
TSICHLA=9.81*Log(MyNum)+30.6
End Function

If you receive your Total Phosphorous data in milligrams per liter (mg/L), don't forget you will need to convert it to micrograms (u/L). To make the conversion from milligrams to micrograms in the formula, set up the function as follows:
Function TSITP(MyNum)
TSITP=14.42*Log(1000*(MyNum))+4.15
End Function

World News

2005-12-07T11:22:00.000-06:00

Name that fish: This fish is endangered because of overfishing and habitat loss in part caused by upstream dams. And, it's huge.

Give up? It's not the pallid sturgeon, though it could be. I was thinking specfically of the MeKong catfish found in Cambodia, as profiled on Morning Edition on NPR this morning. (Link) I thought I would cast some of the issues we deal with here in South Dakota in an international light. Same problems, different language. Though, thankfully, we do not have some of the issues to contend with that the Cambodians do.

As an aside, isn't it nice to hear a story about Cambodia that does not reference Pohl Pot?

And while I'm looking around the globe, I found this slideshow about the Marsh Arabs while following links about the MeKong catfish. I wonder if Sadaam's persecution of this group will be brought up in his trial.

For all the sad and bad news coming out of Iraq right now, this is a very uplifting slideshow, focusing mainly on the restoration of the wetlands and the Marsh Arab lifestyle. A tiny glimmer of hope, indeed.

I don't understand Zip

2005-12-06T09:11:00.000-06:00

I don't understand the national fascination with the Zip tower story. I literally gasped in disbelief when I opened AOL on Saturday and the story was the national news feature on their endless scroll of top stories. The only reason I could fathom that this would of interest to the rest of country is that a feed tower is/was the state's tallest building. I imagine there's a certain rustic charm to this idea for people that live in suburbs and cities and are surrounded by asphalt or concrete.

Which brings me back to banging the smart growth drum. The agrarian, wide open spaces lifestyle is hugely attractive to people. We should plan now for when people come looking for this life so we don't end up littered with McMansions and Starbucks and not being appreciably different than other locale.

Gift Ideas for Clean Water

2005-12-05T11:52:00.000-06:00

Give the gift of clean water this year. Below are a few ideas.
Low flow showerheads,
Front loading washer,
New dishwasher with "water miser" cycle,
Water friendly soaps and cleaners (www.lehmans.com),
Clean Water for a third world country - As an example: World Vision's clean water gift catalog,
Shade grown/organice coffee,
Gift certificate for native grass seed or natural fertilizer this spring,
Mulching lawn mower,
Stokes Backyard Bird Book & CD,
Kayak, canoe or vacation which includes the above

Full Disclosure

2005-12-01T11:53:00.000-06:00

Watershed: The Blog is now included on the list of Realistic Blogs by Real South Dakotans (http://sodakbloglist.blogspot.com/) maintained by Doug Wiken who also writes the Dakota Today blog. (both are blogrolled to the right).

In reading Realistic Blogs' Building Better Blogs post, I realized I should explicitly disclose a few things. I allude to and mention these things throughout the blog, but better that it is one place where it can remain permanently linked.

So here it goes.

My paid job is to administrate the 319 Information and Education Project, 319 being that section of the Clean Water Act that references watersheds. I am funded by a block grant from the EPA through the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The purpose of this blog is to experiment with a method of outreach to South Dakotans about watersheds and water quality. The following points form the foundation of this work.

1. Good water quality and good watershed health are vital to the physical, social and economic well being of South Dakotans.
2. Best management practices as recommended by the EPA and the SD DENR that reduce and/or prevent polluted runoff from agricultural, residential and industrial sources should be implemented.
3. An informed and educated citizenry is key to seeing widespread implementation of these practices.

Furthermore, I will abide by the following code of ethics:
1. I will not delete or alter a post in any way except to correct grammatical errors. Those errors which are corrected will not alter the meaning or intention of a post.
2. This blog is funded by public monies and therefore is a public blog. I invite and encourage all South Dakotans and those with an interest in South Dakota to express their opinion via the comments section or emails to me at annelewis@sd-discovery.com.
3. I will not delete any comments.
4. I will publish all emails of general interest upon receiving approval from sender.
5. I will reference and "hat tip" the appropriate sources.

I may update or change this as the standards of blogging develop but I think this is a good start.

Geese and sky pictures

2005-11-30T12:29:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in a post below about getting shots of geese on Capitol Lake. And so I did. Since the snow has come, there are many (many!) more geese. I also got carried away by a beautiful sky one day. The picture was taken on Poplar Avenue in front of the school administration building and I estimate the time to be afternoon, based on the position of the sun.

The weather outside is frightful ... and the roads are a mess

2005-11-30T08:50:00.000-06:00

The streets are slowly but surely being cleared out in Pierre as I hope they are where you live. We only got stuck once yesterday and I would just like to point out for the record that I was not the one driving. May I also add for the record that I think that one of life's important lessons for teenagers is to know how to calculate the ratio of perceived snow depth and tire height in a moment's glance to decide if it really is a good idea to turn into a road with only one clear lane and an oncoming truck while driving a four cylinder car. Nothing teaches like experience, I say.

Naturally, everyone has roads and snow removal on the brain. Since snow removal has the potential to impact water quality through the oft-mentioned runoff of sand and salt, I went looking for what was new and interesting in the world of snow removal.

I was not disappointed. Anti-icing (applying anti-ice agents before storms), "smart plows" with GPS and agriculturally based de-icers (including one made from beer by-products) are the hot thing in snow removal. This document from the EPA discusses these initiatives in the early stage of their development.

And for teachers and other educators, there is even a classroom activity about snow removal, courtesy of the National Engineer's Week Foundation entitled Winter Storms: How Transporation Agencies Respond to Keep You Moving Safely One caveat: there is locale specific information there (i.e. about deciding about school closings) that you may need to modify for classroom use.

Blizzard of 05

2005-11-28T11:57:00.000-06:00

Did anyone else get caught on icy I-90 yesterday afternoon? We did.

I awoke in Iowa shortly before 5:30AM to a blinding flash. Since lightening is one of the last weather phenomena I expect to see in late November, it took me until I heard the low rumble of thunder and the immediately ensuing rain to figure out what it could be.

We left the farm shortly after 7 AM in the rain and 57° temperature. As we drove north the temperature dropped but not by much. As we turned onto I-90 from I-29 at Sioux Falls around 10:30 we started discussing where were we going to have lunch, the consensus that Mitchell was a good place, though I mentioned Chamberlain as a possibility since I'm one of those drivers.

A few miles east of Mitchell I said "I don't like the way roads are looking." since the side of the road had the slightest slushy quality to it. A few minutes later the semi in front of me started slowing down and I could see the tell tale signs that we were approaching a traffic accident.

Traffic was re-routed eastwards off the 335 exit and through Mitchell on 38. We gassed up, got food and headed out.

The roads were pure ice and traffic was at a crawl. A sand truck had been out so we were able to do between 35 - 40 mph for part of the way, but once we passed the truck we dropped immediately down to 25 mph and even that felt like we were pushing it. The worry in the back of our minds was the hill at Chamberlain - what would that be like?

We noticed quite a few cars in the ditch. We passed one spot with what we found out later had ten cars in the ditch in a chain reaction accident (we counted 12 but some of those must have been good Samaritans). The ambulance was just arriving as we passed; the most badly crumpled car had a passenger standing outside and he/she waved off the ambulance.

We also passed an accident that appeared to have just happened. A blue pick up was upside down in the ditch and people were clustered around but no emergency personnel were on the scene yet; again, no reports of injuries when we watched the news, thank goodness.

The roads started to clear shortly before reaching Kimball. We were so skittish, though that we didn't increase our speed. It took us until Chamberlain to believe that the roads were indeed no longer slick.

We stopped again in Chamberlain to stretch some of the tension out of our muscles and knock the ice off the wiper blades. The passenger side doors had about a quarter inch of ice on them; my oldest son and my husband had to muscle them open. Our Christmas tree on top of our car had about half an inch diameter of ice around the tie down ropes and netting. We were happy to see that the eastbound cars were not covered in ice, though I think those travellers were a little dismayed to see what was ahead for them. We noticed that most of the accidents, save the one on the James River bridge near Mitchell, happened in the eastbound lanes. I am thinking that the road conditions changed so quickly that drivers did not notice it till they spun out.

I hope that you and yours made it home safely. The cities of Pierre and Fort Pierre are all but shut down today. It's hard to tell whether we are still getting fresh precipitation as of this writing but there is still plenty of snow blowing around. We shoveled out my son's car which was parked in front of the house to move it into the driveway and I can attest personally that it "ain't a fit day out for man or beast."

Over the river and through the woods

2005-11-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight my family and I will be going over the river (two rivers, actually, plus a few streams) and through some woods to grandmother's house in south west Iowa. It's 450 miles exactly door to door and I for one am very very glad I am not making this trip in a horse drawn conveyance of any kind. The trip is seven and a half hours, which is bad enough in a climate controled mini van with padded seats and a radio/tape player (no DVD player). I don't want to contemplate the "He's touching me!" fights during a bouncy wagon ride even half that long.

Today and Sunday are considered the busiest travel days of the year and nothing in my experience over the years contradicts this. In my mind's eye, I picture a bird's eye view of a map of the US which comes alive with wee little cars at the sound of some mysterious mid afternoon whistle. If I let my imagination run riot, I can picture little airplanes zig zagging across country and along the Eastern seaboard, tiny Amtrak trains chugging up and down the line.

We like our ability to travel and this week end we will be doing a lot of it. Without making people feel guilty for wanting to go see aged great-grandparents (as we will be doing), we need to give some thought as to what sorts of choices have we made to have this ability, particularly in terms of road construction. Road construction is not inherently evil, in fact a good road system is often considered one of the hallmarks of an advanced society.

But road construction does impact water quality by increasing impervious cover in a watershed, which in turn increases run off from rain and snow melt and this has all sorts of water quality impacts. Conventional wisdom says that road construciton follows development but the corollary is just as true - development follows road construction.

So what is a Thanksgiving traveller supposed to do? Go visit your family without guilt,eat turkey, watch football or the parades and spend a few minutes planning a holiday season that involves less driving than usual.

Today's Lesson: Bad Fence/Good Fence

2005-11-16T14:10:00.000-06:00

Today, we will learn the difference between bad silt fencing and good silt fencing. This way, when you drive by a construction site, you can be a citizen inspector of fencing and if they are not in compliance you can notify your local public works department or perhaps just frown in their general direction.

This is the bad fence. Notice how it is doing absolutely nothing to contain silt, some of which will get washed into the storm drain with the next big rain or snow melt.

This is good fence. Not only is the fence upright but the bare soil is hayed over.

Any questions?

And no, I don't want you tromping around private property to look at silt fencing. However, if you are having construction done on your property you are well within your rights to ask for a silt fence to be erected at no extra cost to you.

Geese to Capitol Lake

2005-11-15T08:34:00.000-06:00

Like very large and noisy swallows to Capistrano, the Canadian geese are returning to Capitol Lake. I noticed a few last week and I thought that maybe I had just been oblivious to a few lollygaggers that summered over. But their numbers are sufficiently large enough now that these geese have definitely come from somewhere else.

While I don't like thinking about the fecal coliform levels in the lake (don't fall in there with an open wound is all I can say), I have to say that the geese add a certain charm to the city during winter - the huge wavering V's that make Pierre busier than O'Hare airport about half an hour before dusk, the honking, the stately parade of geese as they pace across a main thoroughfare at rush hour.

Ok, maybe that isn't charming but it cracks me up everytime I see it even while I'm leaning on my horn and inching forward trying to get them to fly instead of walk.

While I'm out and about today, I will get some photos.

South Dakota Scenery

2005-11-11T11:09:00.000-06:00

In my drive out to Spearfish the other day, I took some scenic pictures. I know that as far as quality goes, I'm no Ansel Adams. But I post them today to honor all South Dakota veterans who have served this country and this state. To see a larger version, click on the picture.

Wetlands area, West River.

The little black dots in the center of the picture is Bridger, South Dakota. A tiny little reservation community, I actually know a family that hails from there.

This picture was taken just west of Bridger from the new picnic area on the north side of 34. I'm trying to convey just how wide open these spaces are.

More pictures from the picnic area, only this time focusing more on the Cheyenne River transitional area between the riparian area and the uplands. Sometimes when I look at this, I see drainage patterns and other times I see watershed sculpture.

These ducks watched us do our raft activity yesterday. They seemed very content to paddle around in that pool.

Environmental Learning Includes Beer Can Boats

2005-11-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with some Black Hills State outdoor education majors about Project WET. We did the activity entilted Water Crossings part of which entails building a raft from found materials and trying to make it float for two minutes. The kicker is that the raft has a "passenger" - a hardboiled egg.

Since the classroom is across the street from Spearfish Creek, I decided to model good environmental education practice and go outside. This activity can be done inside with a pan of water but it's much more interesting and instructive to go outside. More about that in a minute.

After some discussion about water crossings in an historical and developmental context, we got down to business.
Building the boat. I had brought some standard science center materials (pipe cleaners, aluminum foil, styrofoam cups, twine). All the students opted to use at least some of those. If wanted to make the task really challenging, I could have limited them to using only what was found outdoors, but we only had 50 minutes.

But can they float? The next step was to see if their rafts could float. All of them could, though a few looked, well, not very stream-worthy. This particular creation was crafted of some bark with a styrofoam cup lashed onto the top in which sat Captain Egg. The team later added a plastic baggie to serve as a sail.

The moment of truth. The craft had a good start but quickly ran into trouble when it hit rough water. Note the baggie.

Look closer You can't really see it on a blog sized photo, but the raft is made out of beer cans. The cans were lashed together and the egg was nestled in the cleavage between the cans. The raft did overturn but the egg remained secure. Just for the record, the cans were found along the streamside and not brought by me or the students.

The activity was a lot of fun. The students, not surprisingly, got into the challenge of building and sailing (or attempting to sail) their boats. After we did this activity, we had some discussion about using the outdoors as a classroom. How did the outdoors make the activity more interesting and engaging (a critical component for memory)? What were some of the parts of the activity that did not work so well outdoors?

And this segued nicely into my theory of "mediated settings for learning". A lot of environmental learning, study, planning, etc. takes place in a mediated setting, i.e. that there is something - usually a classroom - between you and the outdoor environment. The benefits of using a mediated setting are that it is easier to concentrate within one, it is more physically comfortable and the threat of physical danger is greatly reduced.

The disadvantage to mediated setting is that learning is mostly limited to visual or aural modes and novelty is hard to create. The default mechanism for creating novelty in a mediated setting is through books, videos and internet (all forms of media - coincidence?).

Mediated settings, like most things in life, range along a spectrum from high (i.e. a special classroom) to low (i.e. a remote wilderness area). Part of being a good educator is knowing which setting to use and when.

I'm Not The Only One Who Sees Growth in SD's Future

2005-11-07T11:32:00.000-06:00

The problem with holding a not-so-widely embraced point of view is that you can feel like a crackpot sometimes. However, if I am a crackpot in saying that South Dakota will experience growth pressures someday, then I am in good company.

From today's South Dakota Magazine blog post:

When the rest of America discovers that South Dakota is a place where you can live safely, cleanly and sanely we will have a new set of problems. Not how to develop but how to control development. Small towns in western Nebraska are already feeling the movement, as are Black Hills communities and some towns on the I-29 corridor in eastern South Dakota. We’ve heard anecdotal news of people in small rural towns selling their homes for twice what they hoped for via the internet — to people who bought twice the house they thought they could ever afford for half the money. A Californian recently bought the Tripp steakhouse and is doing good business. Two young ladies moved to the Midwest and reopened the Bowdle hospital as a steakhouse and inn.

Naturally, I had to respond. I was thrilled to see someone else concerned about this issue.

I'm glad to see that someone is pointing out that the time to prepare for growth in South Dakota is now. Planning for “smart growth” now will help facilitate affordable housing construction, minimize sprawl and sprawl’s air and water quality impacts, and keep more areas of wilderness and agricultural land intact for the future when growth does happen. And like you, I think it’s only a matter of time before South Dakota becomes the new hot place to live.

Smart growth policies and procedures take time to research, develop and implement. Local governments have the choice of starting that process now or waiting until a controversial development plan has been submitted for zoning approval. Unfortunately, controversy polarizes the growth choices to either unrestrained growth or no growth, neither of which is in the best long term interest of the community.

For more about smart growth and development, visit these sites:
www.epa.gov/watertrain/smartgrowth
www.smartgrowthamerica.org
http://southdakotaswatersheds.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-best-friend.html

The results are in.

2005-11-04T11:05:00.000-06:00

My results from yesterday's scavenger hunt:
1. Terminal bud on leafless branch. Found it. There's a bud there. Already the trees are getting ready for spring.
2. Two birds. Sparrows and I heard a robin. Oh, and I noticed two geese at Capitol Lake. Maybe they were always there, or maybe they are the "scouts".
3. The sunset. Oh, yes. Beautiful. Pink tinged clouds. Even though sunset comes way too early, they are unequaled this time of year.
4. Guess the relative humidity. I guessed it at 35% at around 6 PM last night. My hubby said, no it's got to be higher since it is so raw outside. He was right - the relative humidity was at 56%.

So, how did you do?

Scavenger Hunt - November Edition

2005-11-03T14:54:00.000-06:00

Time to play scavenger hunt. This game is to get you to slow down and NOTICE things about the outside. Today find:
1. The terminal bud on a twig that has just lost its leaves
2. Two birds
3. The sunset
4. Try and guess the relative humidity. (log on to weather.com or accuweather.com to find out how close you are.)

Good luck!

A new best friend

2005-11-01T08:25:00.000-06:00

Smart growth has a new friend. Its name is affordable housing.

The National Association of Counties has released a report discussing affordable housing. Affordable housing, not just new construction but housing for the young, the elderly, single parents and middle income families, can be (should be?) a companion to smart growth.

From the report:

Along with their concerns about how to house aging Americans, counties say they need more entry-level housing for young people, middle-income working families, and single parents. Assuring a range of housing options plays a key role in a sustainable community development strategy. From an economic and business development standpoint, counties cannot expect to attract and retain quality businesses if there are no places for young workers to live. If they cannot find any suitable housing they can afford near their jobs, citizens move farther and farther from employment and community centers—the textbook formula for sprawl. The related stresses put on infrastructure, transportation, the environment, and families become an enormous burden for counties.

Is anyone else thinking about Minnehaha County when they read that?

The examples highlighted in the report focus on reducing the permitting and planning process for developers. Time is money, especially in development and if you reduce the time you reduce the costs. In New Castle County Delaware, county planning and engineering staff work with developers from the get-go to plan with environmental review in mind.

EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS
New Castle County, DELAWARE
Sustainability in Action: Housing and the Environment

New Castle County, Delaware understands the value of preserving a healthy physical environment and requires all new developments to undergo an environmental review process. To protect its resources in the most efficient manner while still promoting development opportunities, the county has streamlined its environmental review process. The expedited environmental review process is designed to facilitate conversations between developers and the county.

The Environmental Review Process
New Castle County strongly encourages developers to meet with the county planning and engineering staff prior to the initial planning stages of their projects. The county assists developers in drawing up plans that will pass county inspections, reducing the likelihood that plans will be rejected or caught up in lengthy and costly debates.

The county’s first assistance on the environmental review process comes in the form of a series of layered maps showing the environmental resources within a 1,000 foot radius of a site. The maps provide developers and the county with an overview of sensitive environmental resources on a site, enabling them to discuss methods to protect these resources at the front end.

The county’s top priorities in the environmental review process are to:
• Link environmental resources throughout the county
• Develop storm water management systems that respect the natural drainage characteristics of sites and enable optimal infiltration
• Identify any historic resources on the site early in the development process
• Review transportation system needs for the site and its area
Effectiveness

The county’s expedited review process is proving to be a great success. Developers are extremely appreciative of the county’s efforts to expedite their projects by working with them at the front-end planning stages rather than entering into debates or negotiations later in the process.

With the environmental review process in place, developers are protecting sensitive areas on their sites. They are beginning to understand, early on in a project, the concepts best used to preserve their environments. As a result of its efforts, the county and local developers are saving both time and money. The process is even preparing the county for the future by putting it in a position to comply with Federal Total Maximum Daily Load pollution control standards that will go into effect in the near future.

In addition to the cost savings seen by developers and citizens as a result of the expedited environmental review process, by working with developers to position itself to more readily comply with environmental mandates, the county may be saving itself hundreds of thousands of dollars in the coming years.

And finally...
Smart Growth in a Post Katrina World
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.com/katrina.html

Ask me for some money

2005-10-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

I have money to give away. And no, I'm not joking. The money is for projects pertaining to outreach or awareness regarding watersheds, wetlands, water conservation and/or water quality.

The fine print? Well, there is an application process and just because you apply doesn't mean you will get funded. But competition is not terribly intense and a well written, well thought out project proposal has a pretty good chance, especially if the project is directed at adults.

So please. Ask me for some money. Application

And if you can't use the money, pass the word along to someone who can.

Bad Idea

2005-10-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

Having the phrase "Wet T-Sh1rt"(1) on a post was a bad idea. My hit numbers are up but guess what everyone is looking for?

Bleah.

(1) I wrote the term substituting the numeral 1 for the letter i to avoid even more wayward hits.

Storm Water

2005-10-26T08:26:00.000-05:00

Did you ever take a term that was familiar to you but actually rather arcane and stand back a bit to think about how it sounds to the rest of the world? I'm doing that with the term "storm water". Storm water sounds as if it could be something you would hear on SDPB's New Age Collage or maybe the hero of a romance novel. I think of churning, foam spraying, gray waves. Drama. Action. And maybe a little bit of danger.

Storm water as I use the term is not any of those things except for maybe the danger part (and even that - not so much). Storm water is that water which flows through the storm drains. Usually, (ideally) that water comes from storm events but storm drains also take in water that comes from car washing, lawn watering, driveway cleaning, fire hydrants and the occasional kiddie pool.

The danger part in storm water is that the water, whether from storms or kiddie pools, usually carries other stuff into the drain with it as well. This storm/car/lawn/driveway/hydrant/kiddie pool water with assorted leaves, grass, pet doo, dirt, fertilizer, soap, etc. goes into the drain, flows through the twists and turns of the underground pipes directly to...

a river!

Ok, it doesn't always flow to a river. Sometimes, it flows to a lake or a stream.

Notice I haven't said anything about it flowing to a water treatment plant.

This is hard on the river/lake/stream that takes in this water. Compounding this extrememly efficient pick up/delivery system, is the problem of dumping. People like to wash their paint brushes into the storm drain. People like dump oil there too.

So you can see, there are a lot of issues attendant to storm water. The long and short of it is if it's on the ground, it can end up in the water and is that what you really want to drink from/swim in/boat on/fish from?

More about this in the upcoming months...

Follow Ups

2005-10-24T08:08:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I like to go back and do a follow up of things I discussed earlier. I probably like to do this for the same reason I like reunion shows. It brings a sense of closure.

World Water Monitoring Day
I was in Chicago for the actual day and no, they didn't bring us out to monitor despite being literally on the banks of the Chicago River. However, Scott Corbett, science teacher extraordinaire in Hot Springs, did bring his students out to the Cheyenne River (only the most beautiful river in SD and maybe the Great Plains, IMHO). His results were as follows:
Transparency: 31 cms.
pH: 7.7
Water Temp: 11°C
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.9 mg/L

A note is made in the margin of the paper: "Ducks on river".

In a moment of sheer capriciousness, I wrote Alton Brown of Good Eats, asking for a recipe that celebrated World Water Monitoring Day. As of yet, I have not received an answer, just as I still haven't received an answer yet from the Clorox company whether the surfactants in Pine-Sol are oleo or petrol based.

Christmas Lights
My Christmas lights are up. Yes, it does look odd but now that the weather has turned a wee cooler, I'm glad I did it.

Final Week Before Mini-Grants Are Due
Next Tuesday, the proposals for NonPoint Source Information and Education Projects are due. If you or a group you work with would like to do a project relating to watershed ecology, wetlands, water stewardship or conservation then please contact me. Read about it at the SD Discovery Center's website or go directly to the request for proposal (requires Adobe reader).

Sioux Falls
I will be in Sioux Falls on Saturday, doing a Project WET workshop. Also, look for the Every Drop Counts book at the Sioux Falls library with a sticker directing adults to watch Every Drop Counts on CityLink 16 starting the beginning of November.

Outreach and the Windy City Blues

2005-10-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

Before I get to the news about the blues, first an update about the NPS and Stormwater Education Programs conference. One of the recurring topics of presenters at this conference is evaluating outreach programs. Does outreach work? is the recurring theme. And after listening to the discussion, I would say that it does, if done correctly - the operative word being correctly.

The EPA has a spiffy guide to doing outreach if not correctly than at least better than it has been done, called Getting In Step. (GiS) The foundational thesis of GiS is that outreach is a form of marketing, termed social marketing. (How this differs from political marketing as so many in SD Blogdom are involved in, I don't know.) This foundational thesis may seem to be painfully obvious to those who are marketing saavy but keep in mind that outreach is often a task tacked on to other job responsibilities. I look forward to bringing more social marketing to South Dakota.

Ok, about the blues. I went to a blues club last night. It was dark, smoky and loud, everything a blues club should be. (For the record, I drank diet pop all night). I've never heard blues played live before. My goodness, that's some kind of music. Blues essentially migrated up the Mississippi and Illinois River, being carried in the hearts and guitars of the blacks leaving the South from 1865-1970's. Rivers and music. Who would have thought it?

Blogging from Chicago

2005-10-17T18:22:00.000-05:00

I am in Chicago for most of this week, attending the Non Point Source and Storm Water Pollution Education Conferece (I think that's the name - I don't have the flyer at hand to ensure I got all the details right.) Blogging from conferences is one of the things that bloggers do so that those who cannot be there have a sense of immediacy and participation. Sort of like postcards, only without the pretty pictures.

My first impression of Chicago. Living where I do, I forget just how ... developed cities are. I look out my hotel room window - which happily does not have a view of an elevator shaft - and as far as I can see there are skyscrapers and pavement. Except for the Chicago River, (which looks more like a canal) there is very little sign of any natural feature. To someone whois used to stepping out onto the back deck and seeing the endless expanse of the prairie, this vista has all the warmth and familiarity of a Martian landscape.

Do I sound like crotchety rube? I know my attitude was colored more than a little by the discomforts of air travel (am I getting old or is air travel more uncomfortable than it used to be?) I should probably re-evaluate this when I am better rested and fed.

Opening Day

2005-10-14T08:09:00.000-05:00

Everywhere else in the US, Opening Day refers to the first day of baseball. Here in SD, Opening Day is the first day of pheasant season. Pheasant numbers are expected to be the highest in 40 years. I honestly don't know much about pheasant other than I was once startled almost to the point of passing out by inadvertently flushing one. So I went looking at different pheasant related websites to learn something new. This is what I learned:

1. Pheasant habitat is by and large good for water quality. Dense, herbaceous vegetation (acts as sediment and pollutant filter); woody cover (riparian trees moderate water temperature) and wetlands (stores and filters water) are important for pheasants.

2. Pheasants have a behavior which biologists call "loafing". I'm not sure exactly how loafing differentiates from resting but it sounds as if the pheasants needed to start pulling more of their own weight. I also wonder if young males might not actually be engaging in loitering.

3. Pheasant numbers in South Dakota are the highest they have been for 40 years. This is good for the economy and probably good for the auto body industry since a pheasant hitting your fender at 70 mph is hard on both the pheasant and the fender.

If you are going to be part of the Orange Brigade tomorrow, have fun and be careful.

Boughts of winter

2005-10-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

Local and regional news is all atwitter with the long range winter forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Cliff Notes version of the forecast is that SD has a pretty good chance of being warmer than normal with no odds being given as to whether we will be wetter, drier or just normal. However, according to NOAA Adminstrator retired Vice Admiral Conrand C. Lautenbacher, we will have "boughts of winter".

So what does this mean?

It means I am still putting up my lights this weekend as long as boughts of winter are in the forecast.

It also means that we will have to wait and see what will happen with the spring runoff. Winter is the time those of us who are involved with non-point source pollution mitigation take our collective breath since very little runoff is being carried into the water.

For those of us who are weather fanboys, I've included some of the highlights from the press release below.
______________________________

An excerpt from the press release reads:

The 2005-2006 U.S. Winter Outlook calls for warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of the central and western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The Midwest, the Southern Californian coast and the East Coast have equal chances of warmer, cooler or near-normal temperatures this winter.

The precipitation outlook calls for wetter-than-normal conditions across most of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas. Drier-than-normal conditions are expected across the Southwest from Arizona to New Mexico.

As winter approaches, nearly 20 percent of the nation is in some level of drought compared to around 30 percent of the country this time last year as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor. For the sixth year in a row, drought remains a concern for parts of the Northwest and northern Rockies. Wet or dry conditions during the winter typically have a significant impact on drought conditions. Winter-spring snow pack is particularly important in the West, as much of the annual water supply comes from the springtime snow melt. NOAA cautions it would take a number of significant winter snowstorms to end the drought in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies.

55% (pink) - 60% (red) chance of having winter temps warmer than normal

NOAA

Equal chances means that neither wetter nor drier than normal conditions favored.

NOAA

Why I Am Putting Up My Christmas Lights This Weekend

2005-10-12T14:14:00.000-05:00

I had an epiphany of sorts on Monday while watching Denver be buried in snow (and they need every flake). It had to do with Christmas lights. I like Christmas lights. Next to the tree and perhaps a really good dinner, it it my favorite holiday tradition. What I do not like is putting up the lights in the cold and the dark while perched precariously on a ladder seven feet above a slushy driveway.

I checked whether or not the drought is predicted to end any time soon and long range forecast from NOAA(1) is some improvement. While this might seem a less than rosy prognosis for dry land farmers, those of us who who are wimpy about putting up lights shouldn't take any chances. Hey, it could happen the one or two available weekends in November/early December will be snowy as well.

When you consider that this weekend's forecast is 71° and sunny, I think it makes perfect sense to put up the outside lights.

(1)I tried to check the Farmer's Almanac forecast online but it cost five dollars to do so. In addition to being wimpy, I'm also cheap. I'll look it up in the library, later.

Winterizing The Lawn
While I'm putting up my lights, most people engaged in outside work will probably either be raking leaves or "winterizing" their lawn. I've never winterized my lawn before but after reading this article Winterize Your Lawn in Fall to Improve Spring Look and looking at the author's website (www.yardener.com), I decided it looks easy, effective and environmentally friendly.

Sioux Falls Gets WET

2005-10-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't a weather report but rather an announcement of a free 6 hour workshop that I will be facilitating at the Outdoor Campus on Saturday, October 29. WET stands for Water Education for Teachers, although the workshop is not just for teachers. Anyone who has to do outreach as part of their job will find something of value in WET. Homeschooling parents will also find WET useful, especially if they belong to a cooperative of some sort.

If you or someone you know would like to attend this workshop, email me at annelewis@sd-discovery.com or call the SD Discovery Center at 605-224-8295. Provide your name, phone number and email or postal mail address.

Oh, and lunch will not be provided but since we are going to work straight through, you can either bring your own or chip in for pizza.

Do I Get To Sleep In?

2005-10-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

October 18 is World Water Monitoring Day, a day to go out to a local river, lake or stream and test all or any of these key indicators of water quality: water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity (or water transparency). I've excerpted below a little about each of these parameters from the GLOBE manuals. GLOBE is a comprehensive, school oriented environmental monitoring program but there's a lot in there for those of us who haven't had a science course since the last century. Should anyone become inspired to go out and monitor, contact me and I can hook you up with some of the equipment.

As far as days of observance go, World Water Monitoring Day is strong on purpose but weak on other holiday qualifications such as food and time off work. (Maybe you can take an extended lunch hour by the river to monitor it?) Personally, I think World Water Monitoring Day needs a few recipes associated with it to give it some more visibility. I shall have to see if I can't find a recipe that involves temp., pH, DO and turbidity somehow.

(Ed. note: all category links require Adobe Reader)
Temperature

Temperature is an easy measurement to make. It is, however, very important because it allows scientists to better understand other hydrology measurements such as dissolved oxygen, pH and conductivity.

Temperature influences the amount and diversity of aquatic life. Lakes that are cold and have little plant life in winter, bloom in spring and summer when water temperatures rise and the nutrient rich bottom waters mix with the upper waters. Because of this mixing and the warmer water temperatures, the spring overturn is followed by a period of rapid growth of microscopic aquatic plants and animals. Many fish and other aquatic animals also spawn at this time of year when the temperatures rise and food is abundant. Shallow lakes are an exception to this cycle, as they mix
throughout the year.

Water temperature is also important because warm water can be fatal for sensitive species, such as trout or salmon, which require cold, oxygenrich conditions. Warmer water tends to have lower levels of dissolved oxygen.

Finally, water temperature is important for understanding local and global weather patterns. Water temperatures change differently than air temperatures because water has a higher heat capacity than air. Water also helps to change air temperature through the processes of evaporation and condensation.

pH - pH measures the acid content of water. The pH scale (measured from 0.0 – 14.0 pH units) is a logarithmic scale of the hydrogen ion concentration. Solutions with a pH greater than 7.0 are classified as basic and ones with a pH less than 7.0 as acidic. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Each pH unit is ten times greater in hydrogen ion concentration than the next. For example, a pH 4.0 water has 10 times the hydrogen ion concentration of water with a pH 5.0. A pH of 3.0 contains 100 times the acid content of pH 5.0. For this reason a small change in pH could have significant effects in water quality.

Most lakes and streams have pH values that range between 6.5 and 8.5. Pure water that is not in contact with air has a neutral pH value of 7.0. Water with impurities may also have a pH of 7.0 Water with impurities may also have a pH of 7.0
if the acids present are in balance with the bases. Oceans are well buffered and have a constant pH of about 8.2. One can find waters that are naturally more acidic in areas with certain types of minerals present (e.g., sulfides). Mining activity can
also release acid causing minerals to water bodies. Naturally occurring basic waters are found typically in areas where the soil is rich in minerals such as calcite or limestone. Acids and bases can also enter water bodies as by-products of human activities.

pH affects most chemical and biological processes in water. pH has a strong influence on what can live in the water; aquatic organisms have certain pH ranges they prefer or require. Salamanders, frogs and other amphibian life, as well as many
macroinvertebrates, are particularly sensitive to extreme pH levels. Most insects, amphibians and fish are absent in water bodies with pH below 4.0 or above 10.0.

Dissolved Oxygen

Just like animals that live on land, animals that live in water need molecular oxygen to breathe. However, there is much more oxygen available in the atmosphere for animal respiration than in water. Roughly, two out of ten air molecules are molecular oxygen. In water, however, there are only five or six oxygen molecules for every million water molecules. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water determines what can live there. Some animals, like salmon or mayfly larvae, require higher oxygen levels than other animals like catfish or leeches.

We call the amount of dissolved oxygen the water will hold (under specific conditions) the solubility of dissolved oxygen. Factors affecting the solubility of dissolved oxygen include water temperature, atmospheric pressure, and salinity.

Cold water can dissolve more oxygen than warm water. For example, at 25° C, dissolved oxygen solubility is 8.3 mg/L, whereas at 4° C the solubility is 13.1 mg/L. As temperature goes up, water releases some of its oxygen into the air.
Water can hold less dissolved oxygen at higher elevations because there is less pressure. Solubility of dissolved oxygen also decreases as salinity increases.

Dissolved oxygen can be added to water by plants during photosynthesis, through diffusion from the atmosphere, or by aeration. Aeration occurs when water is mixed with air. Such mixing occurs in waves, riffles, and waterfalls.

The amount of dissolved oxygen also is affected by what lives in the water. Just as photosynthesis by terrestrial plants adds oxygen to the air we breathe, photosynthesis by aquatic plants contributes dissolved oxygen to the water. Water
may become supersaturated, meaning that the dissolved oxygen levels are greater than its solubility. The extra dissolved oxygen would then eventually be released back into the air or be removed through respiration

Water Transparency

How clear is the water? This is an important question for those of us who drink water. It is an even more important question for the plants and animals that live in the water. Suspended particles in our water behave similarly to dust in the atmosphere. They reduce the depth to which light can penetrate. Sunlight provides the energy for photosynthesis (the process by which plants grow by taking up carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients, and releasing oxygen). How deeply light penetrates into a water body determines the depth to which aquatic plants can
grow.

Transparency decreases with the presence of molecules and particles that can absorb or scatter light. Dark or black material absorb most wavelengths of light, whereas white or light materials reflect most wavelengths of light. The size of a particle is important as well. Small particles (diameters less than 1 µm) can scatter
light.

The fate of light entering a water body depends on the amount, composition and size of the dissolved and suspended material. “Hard” water lakes with lots of suspended CaCO3 particles preferentially scatter blue-green light, whereas lakes with organic materials appear more green or yellow. Rivers with high loads of sediments
are often the color of the sediments (e.g. brown).

Sediments can come from natural and human sources. Land with little vegetative cover (such as agricultural land and deforested land) can be major sources of sediments. Colored organic material can come from in situ productions such as detritus and biota or from inputs into the water body.

National Publication Recognizes Sturgis 6th Grade Watershed Heroes

2005-10-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

I normally don't blog twice in one day, but I'm pretty excited. About two years ago, Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) asked for Watershed Hero stories. I submitted the story of Sturgis middle school teacher Bill McKee and his students who have stenciled over 300 storm drains with the message "Dump No Waste" to alert people to the fact that anything in a storm drain goes directly to a water body without detouring through a treatment plant first.

This story was selected as one of four Watershed Hero stories profiled in their KIDS Storm Water booklet. I expect this booklet to have a fairly significant distribution nationally as stormm water outreach and education is huge right now. The EPA requires that municipalities of a certain size to do outreach about this very topic.

Way to go Mini-Scoopers!

Why There Is A Blog About Watersheds

2005-10-05T09:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I had to submit a GRTS report (Grants Reporting & Tracking System I believe) that summarized the watershed outreaches conducted this past year. In tallying the numbers, I found that this blog to be one of the most cost effective forms of outreach. Go blogging! And thanks to all you readers who pop in to read a little about South Dakota from a watershed perspective.

Watersheds, as I said in one of my very first posts, is not a particularly sexy topic, especially since many people may not even be that clear on what a watershed is, exactly. If you don't know, do not feel bad - you are not alone. The short answer is that watershed is a geographical region whose boundary is defined by drainage. It's not a floodplain and it's not a wetland, though it may have floodplains and wetlands within its boundaries.

I put together a presentation on watersheds entitled Watershed: It's Where We Live. (link below) I use this presentation when I exhibit at shows, meetings, and conferences. In two and a half minutes of automated PowerPoint(TM), I try to convey the basics about watersheds. In watching people watch this presentation, I know the exact point at which people will turn away. It's where the presentation changes from the easily recognizable (a family, a farm, an eagle, etc) to the unfamiliar (maps of watersheds).

I'm the original little Engine That Could so I will keep on showing the presentation, but I like this blog because it makes the connection between the personal (of or relating to the person) and the technical (of or relating to a scientific body of knowledge). I try - too hard sometimes, not hard enough other times - to keep that technical, science-y aspect of watersheds approachable and interesting.

Since it's been a while since I've done something technical, I have reposted maps of South Dakota watersheds, one with a political boundary and the other without.

South Dakota's watersheds

South Dakota's Watersheds, w/o state lines.

Watershed PowerPoint(TM)
Requires PowerPoint (TM) or Office Animation Runtime if you do not have PowerPoint

Dakota Autumn

2005-10-04T08:46:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, I walked around Hilger's Gulch in shorts and a sleeveless top (and I was still hot). Today, I am wearing jeans, turtleneck, sweater and light rain coat and the forecast predicts a chance of snow for tonight and tomorrow. Welcome to autumn in Pierre.

Despite the heat this past weekend, however, I could tell that it was not August. For one thing, when the sun went down on Friday night, I went from being hot in my Governor green long sleeved mock turtleneck and shorts to wrapping myself in my green blanket. And on my walk in Hilger's Gulch, I heard the sounds of dry leaves skittering over pavement in the breeze. And the flocks of blackbirds are getting larger. These things only happen during fall.

Blue Jay Update
I saw two blue jays in my neighborhood yesterday. This is unprecedented. Neither one has come to my feeder yet. Maybe the blackbirds are scaring them away?

Every Drop Counts

2005-10-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

If all goes according to plan (and I have no reason to think it won't), the Sioux Falls libraries will distribute a booklet published by Project WET entitled Water: Every Drop Counts at the beginning of November. This booklet is targeteted to grades 4 - 7 and features 16 pages of information and activities about the importance of water and its stewardship. The front of the booklet will have a sticker directing adults to watch Water Wise - Every Drop Counts on Sioux Falls public access channel, City Link 16.

Water Wise - Every Drop Counts the video will be available for check out through the libraries. It can be viewed online (will need a media player to view the link).

I like this project because it connects discrete elements and synthesizes them into something new. Collaborative and partnership are overworked words with a cachet of earnest do-gooderism about them, but sometimes collaboration and partnership get the job done.

If you would like a similar project brought to your community, please contact me. Our next grant cycle will close November 1 and I am actively searching for projects that reach adults with the message of water conservation and stewardship. Or you can go straight to the Request for Proposal (requires Adobe® Acrobat® reader).

President Bush Calls For Less Driving

2005-09-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

If it weren't for the internet and X Box, I'd swear that society had time warped back to 1977. President Bush is calling for less driving, an unprecedented move for his administration - indeed for any administration since President Carter. ( see: The President's Proposed Energy Policy: April 18, 1997 )

From a water quality perspective, a short term reduction of total miles driven will only have minimal impact. New road construction and the resulting increase in impervious cover only will be postponed unless people become committed to the idea of less driving. The only way I see that happening is via the financial carrot and stick for Everday Jo(e)'s. Maybe some amalgamation of tax incentives for high mpg cars and public transit (or self powered transporation) and high gas costs for low mpg cars will cause some to embrace a more fuel efficient lifestyle.

And speaking of financially induced conservation:
Those of us who live in Pierre now have a huge incentive to conserve water. From Wednesday's Capitol Journal :

Presently water customers are charged $11.30 per month for the first 500
cubic feet of water with overages of 100 cubic feet at $1.85 more. Following the
increase at the first of the year, the residential rates for water goes to a
minimum of $11.65 per month for the first 500 cubic feet of water. Extra water
will cost $1.90 per 100 cubic feet.

It may be time to install the low flow shower head.

One Disaster for the Price of Two?

2005-09-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

The Argus Leader has an excellent article on potential cuts in wetlands spending in the Conservation Reserve Program to help pay for the restoration of the post Katrina Gulf Coast.

I know the money has to come from somewhere. I would just like to put out this thought. The Great Plains will never suffer from a Category Five hurricane. Our natural disaster is drought. Wetlands are natural basins which contribute to groundwater recharge which is critical in times of drought. Imperiling wetlands to pay for Katrina damage seems to me to be setting up a downward spiral of reaction instead of proaction regarding natural disaster mitigation. If Congress does decide to cut CRP funding and thereby imperil wetland protection, are we setting ourselves up to pay for two natural disasters instead of one?

Quote o' the Week:
"...you can't fool Mother Nature. You can't even head fake Mother Nature."

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Work Group on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

It's not if you win or lose, it's whether you play the game.

2005-09-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

So I played my own scavenger hunt yesterday, at least for a little while. If the purpose of the game was to complete the list, then I didn't do so well. If the purpose was to slow down enough to notice the small things, then I accomplished the mission.

My results:
1. A coniferous tree not on your property. yes, the tree behind the Chamber building
2. A bird other than a sparrow. yes, many blackbirds
3. Clouds (extra point if you can find a shape like you did when you were a kid) no, no clouds in the sky
4. Two pebbles, each of a different color. no
5. The position of the sun at different times of the day. no
6. Condensation on a cold drink/steam rising from a hot drink (depending on the season) no

Nor did I see a v shaped flock of ducks. I did try to guess the temperature and was within 5°.

Scavenger hunt

2005-09-26T08:25:00.000-05:00

If you feel like you are living at 65 miles per hour and would like to move over to the 20 mph zone, incorporate a scavenger hunt into your day. The rules are easy: make a list of items to notice as you go throughout your day. Careful while you are driving.

Here's a list to get you started:
1. A coniferous tree not on your property.
2. A bird other than a sparrow.
3. Clouds (extra point if you can find a shape like you did when you were a kid)
4. Two pebbles, each of a different color.
5. The position of the sun at different times of the day.
6. Condensation on a cold drink/steam rising from a hot drink (depending on the season)

Extra activity point:
7. Guess the temperature without first consulting a thermometer.

Seasonal point: find a V shaped flock of birds or a huge group of blackbirds.

Good luck.

Earth Science Week

2005-09-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

In college, I took a "rocks for jocks" class which introduced me into the world of geology. I was fortunate enough to have been taught by professors who were passionate about their topic, even when dealing with humanities and business majors. They did their best to instill in us if not a passion then at least a passing interest in geology. We took field trips to outcroppings of rocks along state highways (I can only imagine what people whizzing by at 60 mph must have thought). We looked at dinosaur footprints and studied about Igneous Schist (which sounded like a Dickens character to me). We went to the Smithsonian and literally handled one of a kind fossils. It was fun and it worked since to this day I enjoy looking at the geology of the landscape as much as the landscape itself.

Now, I'm doing my best to pass that on by promoting Earth Science Week October 9 - 15. Earth Science Week is sponsored nationally by the American Geologic Institute to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. Here in SD, the SD Discovery Center has compiled a list of resources, activities and links to celebrate Earth Science week. Furthermore, during the month of October only, the rental fee for Groundwater model, the Just Understanding Groundwater kit and the Secret Agent Worms Soil Science kit will be waived (shipping charges apply) for teachers, youth leaders and community outreach organizations.

If you could use one of these items for your class or outreach project, please contact me.

Watershed News
The EPA has published another issue of Watershed News is updated.
http://www.epa.gov/win/news.html

Interconnected

2005-09-23T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today is the day the My Home Planet Earth (MHPE) exhibit ships from the SD Discovery Center. This was a darn fun exhibit and I will miss it, especially since I do not think we will have it back any time soon ($adly). In calling the Children's Museum of Houston, the exhibit's owner, to arrange some last minute logistics we got the message that everyone was evacuating due to Hurricane Rita.

The loose ends that we need to tie up here are not life and death matters. During a normal seaon, the logistics fall somewhere around the heartburn level on the health annoyance spectrum (with death being the most serious). In light of Hurricane Rita, these fall to the health annoyance level of paper cut.

Blue Jay - Part II

2005-09-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

Blue jays could be complicating the research into the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's webiste:

Blue Jays are excellent vocal mimics. They are especially known for their imitations of hawks, but they are also known to utter sounds with an uncanny resemblance to the “kent” calls of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers.

Did autonomous recording units in the Big Woods of Arkansas capture “kent”-like calls from Ivory-billed Woodpeckers or Blue Jays? The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bioacoustics Research team developed a computerized classifier program to help distinguish among calls of the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and Blue Jays, using data from known recordings.

This software has identified nearly all of the calls from the Big Woods of Arkansas as similar to known recordings of ivory-bills. None matched the calls of Blue Jays from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's extensive audio collection. Researchers would like more recordings of Blue Jays making “kent”-like calls for the next round of analysis.

If your neighborhood Blue Jay sounds suspiciously like an Ivory Billed, give this website a looksee.

More pictures
Today's Water Festival pictures are of Game, Fish and Park Staff

Bob Hanten shows students macroinvertebrates.

Chad Tussing demonstrates beaver adaptations. (Note the little guy with a tail)

Blue Jay

2005-09-15T10:27:00.000-05:00

When I was girl, my father listened to John Denver who wondered in song what happened to the robin's song that sparkled in the sky
This song left me with a perfect horror of adulthood since I somehow combined the message of the lost simplicity of childhood with the environmental message of we are destroying ourselves so popular at the time. But I am happy to report that as an adult, I've laid that horror to rest since I understood that the problem wasn't the supply of robins but the inattentiveness of the singer.

A blue jay has taken up residence in our neighborhood and has been sparkling our skies the last few weeks. I've heard it for about two weeks now, but got my first glimpse only this morning. Naturally, the first thing I did after sighting it was to run outside and fill up my bird feeder. I'm not above a bit of avian bribery, even though I come from a tradition that says to never feed birds during the summer.

Blue jays are not very common in Pierre, not like robins or even finches. This is in sharp contrast to my childhood home where blue jays were as common as sparrows. I like blue jays, even though they are often regarded as the bully boys of the bird world. Listening to their raucous cry the last few days has recalled happy instances of my childhood. Hearing a redwing black bird or a robin can do that, too, as can the sound of plane in the distance.

The EPA has an interesting presentation on Birds: Bellweathers of the Watershed. From the opening page

Because they respond to basic changes in landscape and habitat condition, birds can be good indicators of watershed health. Birds are also well-studied and very popular with the public. This module will introduce how birds respond to changes in watersheds, and how landscape conditions can be managed to help birds and improve overall watershed health.

A Good Time Was Had By All

2005-09-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we had 330 fourth graders, 16 teachers, 10 aides and parent chaperones, 18 presenters, thirty guides and me here for the Water Festival. Despite a slightly damp start which necessitated some last minute shuffling of presenters from outdoors to indoors, everything went without a hitch.

Over the next few days, I will be posting pictures of the water festival. Today's pictures are of Rawlins' librarians extraordinaire Beverly Lewis and Pat Weeldreyer.

Field Turf Redux

2005-09-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

In my post of 8/24, I stated that I wasn't aware of any high school football teams that played on Field Turf. I learned on Friday that the Aberdeen Central Golden Eagles play on Field Turf. Friday night's game was played in their brand spanking new stadium that they share with Northern State. Oldest Son said he felt faster but he got more "field rash".* Happily, no one was injured.

*Aside:Why does he insist on showing me every scrape and bruise? We aren't talking tripping on the playground boo-boos but contusions and abrasions that come from repeatedly running into 200 lbs of muscle and bone that is committed to throwing him to the ground.

500 Bottles of Water on the Wall...

2005-09-10T16:47:00.000-05:00

Today I bought 500 bottles of water for the Water Festival. Thanks to the generosity of Nestle Water North America, every student and teacher goes back to school after the Festival with a bottle of water. As I was loading up my van with the 22 cases of water in front of the store, a guy walks by and says "Hey, she's getting ready for Hurricane Katrina!"

Well, no, I wasn't. But it just goes to show how water is on people's minds these days.

Car Trouble and Water Festival

2005-09-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

I never made it to the State Fair. Car trouble. Of course, it's a an old-but-new-to-me car so maybe those funny noises were nothing after all.

So I stayed behind and worked on the Water Festival. This year, more than 300 fourth graders will come to the SD Discovery Center and learn about water. They will learn the water cycle with beads (it's not necessarily a circle), or how beavers adapt to their aquatic environment or hear a story about featuring woodland creatures discussing Nonpoint Source pollution (even though woodland creatures are on my snit list since one trampled my dog). The students will haul water and shoot a fire hose.

None of this would be possible without help from very committed and hard working people and the organizations that so kindly sponsor them: Bob Hanten, SD GF&P; Chad Tussing, GF&P; Eshter Hanson, GF&P; Rob Klumb, US Fish & Wildlife; Chris Henrichsen, Pierre Fire Dep't; Lisa Dorschner, Ag in the Classroom; Penny Galinant, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Beverly Lewis, Rawlins Library; Pat Weeldreyer, Rawlins Library; and the City of Pierre Water Department who last year sent Jake Gunderson and Shane Bothwell (no word who is coming this year).

Good people and organizations all. Thanks, everyone.

South Dakota on my Mind

2005-09-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

Recently, I heard a woman who grew up in my original neck of the woods (upstate New York) comment on how scenery-less the prairie was. I happen to love the prairie. I feel I can breathe here. And I love the sky. And the endless acres of sunflowers.

Scenery is on my mind since I will be driving from Pierre to Huron to go the state fair this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the drive.

Oh, Deer

2005-09-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

Last night around 12:30, I let my cocker spaniel sized dog out to do his doggie thing. He started barking his frenzied bark, which at this time of night was surely not appreciated by my neighbors. I went outside to see what was happening to find him facing off with a doe and fawn. The doe didn't seem to be particularly worried by him or by me for that matter. I got within about ten feet of the doe when she jumped on dog and trampled him.

I shouted and waved my arms and the doe jumped off the dog and then trotted away (not ran but trotted) fawn by her side. My dog was fine as far as I could tell and this morning does not seem to be limping or in any way injured, though we will see how reacts the next time a deer comes in the yard. I suspect emotional trauma, since he is a one of these nervous dogs.

Animals, both wild and domestic, live in watersheds. Domestic/wild animal interaction is usually not a happy thing, despite Disney movie portrayals. Some watersheds that are trying to maintain a high level of protection (usually designated wilderness areas)do not allow dogs not for the safety for the animals but for water quality reasons.

Truly, the things I learn in this job astonish me.

Clean Water

2005-09-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, we take clean water for granted.

EPA Tests Find Dangers Lurking in Flood Waters

Water Tests Back Up New Orleans Evacuation

Title Mine

2005-09-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

I try not to be too postmodernly ironic in this blog. I think that kind of tone is a cheap and easy way to make yourself look smarter than you actually are, plus it lets you off the hook for doing anything constructive. However, may I just say that this headline is a wee bit understated?

Water Pollution a Concern in New Orleans

I don't think it needs much to make the title more reflective of the actual import of the article. If I were the editor (and I'm not, so that should tell me something right there) I would entitle that article Water Pollution a Health Concern in New Orleans. Nothing grabs people attention like making something a health concern. Normally health news is on the fluffy side but when you are talking about public health concerns of this ilk, then I think the content is more substantial.

Local Updates
I was wrong. Apparently there are
10 cases of Legionnaire's Disease in SD (including the mayor of Rapid City). Still no common linkage.

Meta-blogging
I added South Dakota Magazine to my Blog Roll. When blogrolling.com is actually working, you will see I have three blogs. One of these days, I will figure out how to add RSS feed.

Water Dis-ease

2005-09-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

I've heard this more than one during the past week (has it only been a week?): One of the after effects of Katrina is disease. This pronouncement is usually made as a sound bite and rarely expounded upon at least in broadcast media. Quite honestly, I felt a little anxious whenever I heard that since I didn't know what sorts of diseases might be involved.

I checked the Center for Disease Control's website and immediately felt... not better exactly but less worried. Apparently, I am not the only one to have been worried since the first paragraph on their "Katrina page" reads as follows:

Although infectious diseases are a frightening prospect, widespread outbreaks of infectious disease after hurricanes are not common in the United States. Rare and deadly exotic diseases, such as cholera or typhoid, do not suddenly break out after hurricanes and floods in areas where such diseases do not naturally occur.

The CDC goes on to explain that most of the disease concern is from unsafe drinking water and spoiled food. Carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly ventilated generators are also a concern which should be a word of caution to us in the north.

It would be nice if South Dakota never had to worry about water born diseases. However, Legionnaire's Disease was present in our state. Transmission is through "(i)nhalation of contaminated aerosols from devices such as cooling towers, showers, and faucets, and aspiration of contaminated water. Person-to-person transmission does not occur. CDC Legionellosis:
Legionnaires' Disease (LD) and Pontiac Fever

To date, a source for Legionellosis bacteria has not been found.

Water, Water Everywhere

2005-09-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Water, water everywhere... and not much of it drinkable at least in Louisiana. Like many other people, I am debating about what is the best way to store water for emergencies. Do I buy multiple gallons and keep them in the basement? I can see doing that for an emergency that might last a day or two but much beyond three days and you are talking about a heckuva lot of water.

[5 people x 1 gallon per day]+ .5 gallon per day for the dog = 5.5 gallons a day.
5.5 gallons a day x 3 days = 16.5 gallons.

So, yes, I suppose I could store 16.5 gallons. I could probably even store 22 gallons, (4 days) but then space starts to become tight. So the alternative is a water purification system.

Lehman's Hardware Store is located in Ohio in Amish country and they sell cool, low tech, off-the-grid stuff including non-electric water purifiers. I'm looking at this system:

5-Gallon Utility Water Filter
When you need lots of pure water for cooking and drinking, counter-top filters aren't enough. Our utility filter may not look great on your counter but it will supply cooking and drinking water for 10-12 people every day (3 gallons/person).

I am partial to this model because it's big. I figure if things to go Hades in a handbasket, there are going to be more people than just my family and dog that need help. This model is also relatively inexpensive. It also looks fairly sturdy. Who cares that it's not pretty? Now, I just need to find out through an independent source whether or not it works.

My favorite item at Lehman's has nothing to do with water at all. It's the peanut butter stirrer.

Housekeeping

2005-09-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a short break from thinking about watersheds to do some meta-blogging, i.e. blogging about blogging. I normally do not approve of meta-blogging as it can become terribly self indulgent and inward focused. Meta blogging is like housekeeping. Sometimes you just have to do it.

I have added, through some trial and error, a blog roll. So far, I have only two blogs, both politically related. I am trying to honor the concept of equal time and equal access, even in the few bytes of internet space that I occupy. I will be on the lookout for more blogs, particularly those with a sense of place about them.

Which, I might add, will not be easy. Blogs of place seem not to be a particularly significant part of the blogging world. I can't tell if I'm a visionary or a crackpot by doing this.

I wish Blogspot gave me the power to delete comments. I'm not trying to quench free speech only marketing run amuck.

And one comment about football
The Govs play Huron at the Oahe Prep Bowl this Saturday. Huron is located on the banks of the James River, one of the flattest rivers in America. Look at the relief map of SD below. The James runs pretty much down the middle of the flat part to the center right. There's not a lot of topography to move the water.

Tshirt contest

2005-09-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

I almost entitled this section Wet Tshirt Contest to increase traffic to the blog, but that seemed underhanded and cheap. For those that read only the first paragraph of blogs, the first 15 people to send me the correct answer to question 7 on the EPA's self test of the presentation on smart growth (www.epa.gov/watertrain/smartgrowth) will receive a Watersheds of South Dakota Tshirt. Copy the question and the answer into an email and send to: annelewis@sd-discovery.com.

It's that simple.

Watersheds, wetlands and development are heavy on my mind right now due to Katrina. I linked an article about wetlands and New Orleans below, forgetting that most people do not realize that wetlands act like sponges to soak up extra moisture and store it Filling in a wetland to develop it, at the end of the day, is not a very good idea, since it essentially takes away a sponge. That wetland is there for a reason.

Incidentally, getting a permit to build in a wetland is possible. Developers say it is too hard, environmentalists say it is too easy. Basically, the law says that as long as you can build another wetland someplace else, you can fill in a wetland since there is no net loss. I'm oversimplifying of course, but not by too terribly much.

There is a nifty presentation on the functions and values of wetlands, at http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/wetlands/module01.htm

If you can answer question three of the Wetlands module, I'll throw in a glow in the dark magnet of the watersheds of South Dakota as well.

Don't forget to include your mailing address and size. I have adult M - XXL and one color: Baltic blue with lemon type. Cotton/poly blend, too.

Help me get the word out, too, if you can.

Thanks.

Hard Times in Louisiana

2005-08-31T08:18:00.000-05:00

I, like most people, got complacent too soon about Katrina. I think this morning's article in the New York Times says it best:

The scope of the catastrophe caught New Orleans by surprise. A certain sense of relief that was felt on Monday afternoon, after the eye of the storm swept east of the city, proved cruelly illusory, as the authorities and residents woke up Tuesday to a more horrifying result than had been anticipated. Mayor Ray Nagin lamented that while the city had dodged the worst-case scenario on Monday. Tuesday was "the second-worst-case scenario."

I encourage everyone to contribute to the relief effort through the Red Cross, Salvation Army or one sponsored by your denomination or civic group.

I don't know if an intact wetland ecosystem around New Orleans would have prevented the disaster but I sure don't think it could have hurt any. ANyway, wetland destruction and mitigation is something for our city planners and managers to consider.
Wetlands Erosion Raises Hurricane Risks.

Gas Prices
I noticed gas in Pierre was up to $2.79 a gallon for the ethanol mix (not E-85). On Sunday night, my husband, oldest son and I went to fill up our three vehicles which set us back a pretty penny knowing that the already overworked refinery system was about to take another hit from Katrina. I was feeling rather foolish by Monday afternoon since the price was remaining stable at $2.65. But my foolishness was shortlived. What a sour vindication.

I am wondering what higher gas prices, should they stay high for a long time, will do to the navigation debate on the Missouri River. I've heard arguement that the main competitor to navigation is trucks and not railroads. Could navigation rebound with a hamstringed trucking industry?

Stay tuned...

Two Extremes

2005-08-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

Drought
Driving out to Brandon Valley on Saturday to see the Govs/Lynx game, I noticed that things along I90 looked greener than they do around here. According to the most recent drought monitor, Central South Dakota is in an "abnormally dry" situation.

The Governor has put together a task force on drought. The opening page of the Task Force's website reads:

My Fellow South Dakotans:

We activated the South Dakota Drought Task Force in 2004 to closely monitor drought conditions and to implement proactive drought aid. Implementing this task force allows us to look for resources within our agencies, to generate a united plan of action and to work together with state and federal agencies during a drought emergency or disaster.

The drought has impacted not only our farmers and ranchers but also the Missouri River. The task force strategically placed water bladders across the state where water sources were limited to help ease and prevent hardship linked to drought.

Drought is scary since there really is nothing you can do to change it. The future of the drought is unknown and unknowable, even though scientists study the past in hopes of seeing a pattern to predict the future. What we do know is that water conservation practices are important and should be implemented on every scale.

Flood
I'm sure the folks down Katrina's way are wishing for a little more drought. Thank God that the most dire predictions weren't realized. I don't know what the final cost will be in terms of damage and - more importantly - human life but it could have been much much worse.

My thoughts and prayers remain with the people along the Gulf Coast.

Argus Leader article on drought.
MSNBC Katrina coverage

Katrina

2005-08-29T08:27:00.000-05:00

I spent a good chunk of Sunday watching Katrina coverage, partly fascinated, partly distressed. This morning I'm feeling a little restless since there is no tv coverage at work. What's happening?

My fascination is professional. Anything that gets people connected to their location in the environment, particularly as it relates to water and watersheds interests me. If any good comes out of this, I hope it would be that people start thinking about their communities in terms of how they are structured in relation to the evironment.

One of the battles in SD about getting people to think about smart growth and development is that we just have so much dang space. However, there are pockets of development - Spearfish comes to mind - that are feeling the pressure. Civic leaders would be well advised to start addressing this now, rather than later.

My distress about Katrina is strictly personal. I feel for the families that have had to evacuate. My heart breaks for those families for whom this will be huge financial hit. I worry about the abandoned pets, the animals at the zoo and most of all, the children in the Superdome. And yes, I know I'm being way too over emotional.

All I can say is thank God for the infrastructure that we have in place. Even the worst case scenarios predicted are nowhere near as bad as they would be in a place like Bangladesth.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2005-08-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

This Friday night marks the opening of HS football in South Dakota. Pierre's opener is away at Brandon Valley on Saturday. The "Govs" have been ranked #2 in the KSFY's Pigskin Preview. I am expecting a grudge match Saturday since Pierre beat Brandon Valley in the quarter finals last year. Even though it's only Wednesday, I'm getting a little fluttery since my oldest son (a senior) will literally be on the line.

The line (and all the other positions) will be playing on natural grass. All the high school stadiums in SD that I know use natural grass playing surfaces instead of artificial turf. Conventional wisdom states that injuries are less prevalent on natural grass than on turf but googling around the stats does not substantiate that claim. The artifical turf of today is not your father's plastic grass carpets, which from an injury AND an impervious cover aspect is a good thing.

The diagram at right shows how water can infiltrate the artificial turf and permeate the soil. I do find it hard to believe that infiltration through turf occurs to the same degree that it occurs through natural soil. I don't have any facts about this, so I am willing to be shown otherwise. For those stadiums with domes, the question of artificial turf's penetrability becomes moot as the dome would be closed during any precipitation.

Just out of curiosity, I tallied up the playing surface of the NFL teams. The count was 20 grass and 12 turf. A cost break down indicates artificial turf is preferable but I suppose those who make these decisions have their reasons.

AFC stadiums
NFC stadiums

Elms

2005-08-23T08:40:00.000-05:00

If you look at the Google AdSense ads in the banner above, they all reference weeds. In order not to overwork any bot crawling around this page, I'm going to keep up with the weed topic though move on from the dandelion.

Today's subject is what is known locally as the Chinese Elm. I have many of these trees in the tiny little shelter belt in my backyard, most of them volunteers. I never particularly cared for these trees mainly because they crowd out other trees and shrubs and then die.

My antipathy notched up a few degrees when I found out they are an introduced species. The May 2005 cover story of Discover Magazine makes a compelling case that non-native species are not as harmful as conventional wisdom dictates, but when it comes to Chinese Elms, I'm not swayed. The tree is listed as a noxious weed in 45 states according to the National Resource Conservation Service PLANTS database.

I should pause here and explain that Chinese elms are not really Chinese elms but rather Siberian Elms (Ulmus pumila). The NRCS database has a complete set of photos for identifying the tree if you are unsure whether or not you have a Siberian elm lurking in your backyard.

This weekend, I cut down a few of the Siberian elms. A strategically positioned web of a garden spider* kept me from a more thorough eradication. That and the fact that I only had a bow and reciprocating saw with which to work which meant it took about an hour to cut down one tree.

Apparently Pierre is prime Siberian elm habitat. The fact sheet on the Siberian elm published by Northern State University places the state champion in Pierre. Maybe the reason is that Pierre is a little splotch of USDA Zone 5a in a decidely Zone 4 region.

*For the record, I am very pro-spider. I follow a strict capture and release policy for indoor spiders and leave outdoor spiders alone. I'm also pro-snake but that's a different post.

Thanks, Dakota War College

2005-08-22T13:08:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to my fellow South Dakotan at the Dakota War College for a blog linkage. I will hook you back up once I reformat the blog.

The purpose of my blog is more environmental information and outreach than political commentary, so I hope that those of you who are stopping in will visit for a few minutes despite the lack of polemics. My goal is to get all South Dakotans on board with being informed watershed residents, regardless of who they vote for.

Request for Proposal
I sent out the request for proposal today for projects relating to nonpoint source pollution information and education.

I will recap my cover email here:

The SD Discovery is now seeking proposals for information and education outreach projects about nonpoint source pollution related topics.

The goal of information and education outreach is to provide information and action opportunities to South Dakota’s residents that promote support for and involvement in sustainable, holistic non-point source pollution reduction activities. Information and education outreach is a vital element in the effort to protect and restore South Dakota’s lakes, rivers, streams and ground water.

Proposed projects should occur between January 1, 2006 and July 31, 2006. Applicants may request up to 60% of their total project costs, with the maximum amount requested being $7,500 ($12,500 total project costs). The remaining 40% of project costs can be supplied in either in-kind and/or cash match. All requests must meet 319 funding eligibility and the match may not be used to match any other grant.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please send me an email for a copy of the RFP. Or you can check out the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources Wtershed Protection Page or the SD Discovery Center's Watershed Page in the next 24 hours.

If the whole watershed thing is still a little fuzzy to you, then review the Watershed Presentation on the SD Discovery Center's Watershed Page.

Welcome Back

2005-08-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I do ignore this blog.

Would it explain things any better if I said my spring and summer were exceptionally busy?

I didn't think so.

But since I am no longer doing weekly workshops, I have a little bit of breathing room to get back to the matter at hand which is watersheds.

Now where was I. Oh yes. An update. I did try household vinegar on the common dandelion. I don't think I was as consistent in application as I should have been. which is a way of saying our front lawn had dandelions this spring. Through the thorough, albeit unwilling, mowing of my middle son, we were able to keep too many of them from going to seed. That, and I plucked a lot of them. In fact, my youngest son and one of his friends earned entry to Star Wars by picking dandelions at 10 cents a head.

Note to parents: Ten cents a head is way too much. Do a nickel a flower otherwise you will end up with a half de-dandelioned lawn and your workers sitting in a darkened theater munching popcorn. I mean, they went to the matinee showing and all but still.

Common Dandelion

2005-04-15T09:22:00.000-05:00

I read this in Grassland Plants of South Dakota the other day.

Common Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale

Common dandelion is frequently a serious pest, spreading easily and crowding more desirable vegetation. Although generally looked upon with disdain, this tenacious intruder provides good forage on the range and in certain areas is often regarded as important. It is readily eaten by all livestock, especially sheep. Dandelion is an important wildlife food, grazed regluarly by elk, deer, grouse, porcupine, bear, Canada geese and others. In South Daktoa in spring, common dandelion is often the primary food for sharp-tailed grouse. In many areas, dandelions are good honey plants. For centuries, man has used dandelion leaves for greens and the flowers for making wine. The bitter root has long been used medically as a tonic, liver stimulant, and mild laxative.

I am thinking about posting this in my front yard. Alas, elk, grouse, porcupine, bear and Canada geese do not graze in my front yard so I'm not sure the neighbors would buy it. But it's good to know that the common dandelion is so ... friendly.

Unlike field binweed whose presence I take personally. I plan on spending my summer ruthlessly ripping it out since removing its leaves will eventually deplete the food source in its roots and it will die. Field binweed is one of seven noxious weeds in South Dakota. The salt cedar is on the short list for noxious weed status as well.

Story time

2005-04-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

I finished the mystery I wrote about below. (spoiler) As it turns out, the murder had nothing to do with the victim being on the Water Board.

I did not mention below that the setting was on Puget Sound which (spoiler) is intrinsic to the story. I've always considered setting to be an important element in fiction since it makes the story more real. I suppose there are stories that could take place anywhere; but I would think in that case the universality of the human experience would be a theme of the story.

Put me firmly in the camp of liking to know where the story takes place.

Speaking of stories, I've posted a revised Wetlands Reading List on the SD Discovery Center's website. It's formatted especially for printing.

What I'm Reading

2005-04-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Since I opened the topic of reading yesterday, I thought I might as well continue in that vein for a while longer.

Literature, meaning any written text, is the silent facilitator of the scientific method. Without writing down the hypothesis, experiement and results then communicating them to others for reproduction and review, the scientific method would not exisit. Anyone who paid attention in Middle School science should remember how advances in science came hard on the heels of advances in printing. In short, literature is important to science.

But scholarly tomes are not the only reason literature matters to science and by extension (much extension) watersheds. We learn can learn about watersheds through literature even if the point of that literature is not to expressly educate or inform one about wetlands. We can even learn about watersheds through fiction; even easy-breezy fiction.

Confession time. I am reading a mystery novel right now, Donna Rose and the Slug War to be exact. The book takes place in the fictious community of Cedar Harbor WA. The victim was the chairman of the Water Board. Since I have not finished the book yet, I do not know if his demise had anything to do with his position.

But I do think it neatly illustrates that water can serve as a tension builder and source of conflict.

I don't ignore this blog

2005-04-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

In case you are wondering, I don't ignore this blog. I check the visitor activity several times a week, and try to post two or three times a month. In a perfect world, that would be two or three times a week, but like the rest of the world, I have more to do than time to do it in.

So, if you have stumbled across this site and think it's moldy, it's not. It's... aged. Like a fine wine. All the information is current and representative of what is going on with the South Dakota's watersheds.

Watersheds and Reading
I've been doing some work to get ready for Amercian Wetlands Month. The focus of my strategy is to use libraries. Books and watersheds (and by extension wetlands) are not exactly an obvious fit until you consider the basic themes of literature (remember man vs. nature from 7th grade English class?)

I am thinking of all the books that I have read that have to deal with watersheds. Most of these are youth fiction - the Gary Paulsen books The Hatchet, The River, The Island - Return to Gone Away Lake (Elizabeth Enright), and several more that I can't pull up from my memory. I think I need to revisit these books since they are darn good books and find some for adults.

National EE Week

2005-03-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

The first annual National Environmental Education Week will be upon us soon. EE week runs from April 10 - 16. If people want to carry it over into the next week, which culminates on Earth Day (Fri. April 22), I'm sure that would be all right with the National EE Week coordinators.

To observe EE week, I will probably go into classrooms with the Incredible Journey activity, mentioned below. Environmentalism is something of a low visibility topic these days, though I am thinking that $2.00 a gallon plus gas might help raise its profile. Energy conservation, particularly pertaining to fossil fuels, is always a big environmental topic since it hits us squarely in the pocketbook.

I am old enough to remember the Keep America Beautiful campaign featuring the Crying Indian. I don't think people actually knew what to do with environmental information back then except to feel scared and guilty.

I know that commercial left me feeling unsettled.

I wonder, if we were able to harness hydrogen power from water, what would that do to our water supplies?

Back to the Pine Sol

2005-03-09T11:39:00.000-06:00

I know I said I was done with this topic but I have an update of a personal nature. I am reposting the link to the report to Green Seal about Environmentally Preferable Cleaners below. If you enoy reading reports then this one will be of interest. If you don't, then I can summarize.

Pine-Sol and other pine oil cleaners are environmentally acceptable cleaners. Real Pine, since it does not contain isopropyl alcohol, might have a slight edge though when I recently read the label on a bottle of Pine Sol I don't recall seeing the isopropyl alcohol. There are still concerns about the unspecificed surfactants and packaging made with little to no post consumer content recycled materials but as far as the cleaner itself, it's ok. Happily, Consumer Reports in 1993 rated seven pine oil cleaners in their good to very good category.

Ok, about my personal update. The other day, mainly out of being too lazy to walk to the bathroom to get the glass cleaner, I used a dilute solution of Pine Sol (not the ready to use stuff, but a solution I made myself with water in a spray bottle) on my glasses. I wear reading glasses which are forever getting smudged and you can only clean them on the tail of your shirt so many times before you have to do something a little more chemical.

The Pine Sol got them nicely unsmudged. In fact, it did such a nice job that I used my solution on the sliding glass doors, wiping them down with newspaper. Again, a nice job and no streaking.

And you say... so? Well, this means that I can completely stop using ammonia to clean. Ammonia is toxic to aquatic life at relatively low levels. Keeping ammonia out of the water, even waste water, is important to water quality.

http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/ccpct/pdfs/EnvPrefCleaners-wholedoc.pdf

Garden vinaigrette

2005-03-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

I posted below that Martha's gardens are maintained without use of chemicals. So are mine, only mine aren't as nice as Martha's mainly because I don't put the effort into mine that she and her staff do into hers.

As an aside, I'm sure my lawn would look as nice as hers if I had a staff.

I am more or less committed to a chemical free lawn. Last spring in a fit of pique, I came pretty close to using a dandelion herbicide on my lawn... until I saw a female finch jump on a dandelion that had gone to seed and strip the seeds off. It was spring, so she was trying to gain brood weight. There was no way I could use the herbicide, especially since it had dire warnings about its impact on aquatic insects.

This year, I'm determined not to let my lawn become quite as weedy. I am thinking about repeated sprayings of vinegar on the dandelions. The kind of vinegar that you get from the grocery store is only 5% acetic acid and not consistently effective. But it's cheap, and if I start early and spray often, it may do some good.

Failing that, I will try the herbicide grade of vinegar which is 20% acetic acid. St Gabriel Laboratories has several pesticides registered with the SD Department of Agriculture.