Adaptation

When I was a child, over forty years ago, we used to go boating in our small tri-hulled boat on the Madison lakes. For over 25 years I have lived in McFarland, and have, either canoed or kayaked on parts of the Yahara River, Mud Lake and Lake Kegonsa. Perhaps it was my age, but I really do not recall the water quality being as poor as I see today. I see the weeds and algae getting worse. The past few years have brought about the emergence of toxic blue-green algae. Weeds, and algae grow too well in the Madison lakes. Money has been spent, and projects undertaken to clean up the lakes. Phosphorus is one contributing factor to weed growth and lake eutrophication, and point sources have tried their best to manage and reduce loadings of that element. Phosphorous has been banned from detergents. It has been banned from most home-use fertilizers. Urban storm water basins have been designed to help reduce the movement of suspended solids, which carry phosphorus and nitrogen, into the waterways. Some farmers have done better than others in reducing phosphorus from their operations, but agriculture consists of such a high percent of the watershed that it has a great impact on pollutant loadings. Of course, there are still feed lots near streams, and drainage ways plowed over. There also are natural sources, such as leaves. That is why it is disconcerting to see leaves piled in the street gutter and when it rains a dark tannin colored phosphorous tea is formed that is carried to our public waters.

Law Park 

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) has been removing phosphorous for years, but it, and other point sources, are facing even tighter permit limits. Point sources seem to bear the brunt of regulations. The easy processes to remove phosphorous have been accomplished. Past permit limits were accomplished by an addition to the Nine Springs Sewerage Treatment Plant. However, rather than doing a plant addition that would cost over $100 million (with costs like that you think it was a military project), they have decided on another tactic. This involves a partnership with other stakeholders to reduce phosphorous loadings by use of methods more in keeping with natural systems. These measures may involve grassed filter strips next to streams by use of an easement, rather than the farmer planting up to the stream edge. It may involve use of providing for a cover crop, after a crop is harvested, to cut down on soil erosion. These are just but a few items that could come about with the use of a new management practice referred to as Adaptive Management. The Yahara WINs project, after having been tried through a pilot project north of Lake Mendota is now set to go full scale. Much is left to learn, but that is the beauty of adaptive management, you stick to your goals, but remain flexible in techniques used to obtain the goals. In contrast a plant addition would not provide much flexibility if it did not work properly. It would be only more money expended on concrete to correct any deficiency. I have had the privilege of serving on the MMSD commission for over 24 years, and be a part of innovative projects the district has undertaken. The US EPA feels this project could become a national model. Others are doing adaptive management, but none on the scale being accomplished with so many stakeholders as in the Yahara WINs project spearheaded by MMSD. The lake quality is a complex problem with no easy solution, but adaptive management will, over the course of time, improve the quality of water in our streams, rivers and lakes, for young and old to enjoy.

Blue-Green Algae

This past Monday, as President of the 9 member governing Commission of MMSD, I had the opportunity to provide a few remarks at the Yahara WINs full scale kickoff event.

Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Nine Springs Sewage Treatment Plant

My remarks to those gathered at the event follow:

As you drove into the Nine Springs Treatment plant today, you saw a great deal of concrete and red brick buildings.  Since its inception, the sewer district has often used concrete, bricks, and equipment to address changing permit limits.  Those tangible buildings and equipment have well served the population of the district, and the wider region.  Today, the District and its partners recognize that concrete, bricks, and equipment are not the only answer to improving the quality of surface waters and the environment.  This partnership embarks on a course of cooperation designed to further reduce Phosphorus loadings into our streams, rivers and lakes, through a program known as adaptive management.  

Like many watersheds, the Yahara watershed is threatened by excessive phosphorus from sources including agricultural runoff, discharges from wastewater treatment plants and industries, and urban stormwater. All of these sources are required to reduce phosphorus and sediment loads to meet water quality objectives established by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  These sources typically work independently.  The result is solutions that are expensive to implement, narrow in geographic scope, and which lack coordination to meet the overall water quality objectives for the entire watershed.  

Adaptive management represents a different solution to the issue of water quality.  Rather than a large single purpose building construction project to solve the phosphorus loadings in our surface waters, the partnership that has been formed looks to use a more holistic, natural approach in keeping with environmental systems.  Adaptive management represents a change in the way of thinking and sets forth a future course of mutual cooperation among diverse partners to move ahead to better our common goals.    The end result is improved environmental outcomes at a lower overall cost to the watershed.  The Yahara WINs effort will save residents of the watershed an estimated $13.5 million dollars per year.  

Change has been brought on not only by regulation, but also by a need to be better stewards of our natural and fiscal resources. Adaptive management has the capability of providing more than one benefit to our environment.  For example, use of natural vegetated buffers will not only reduce Phosphorus, but also reduce suspended solids and nitrogen, and assist wildlife.    When you combine the environmental benefits, with the fiscal benefits, the use of this new approach is further realized.  In short, this more natural alternative should help stabilize sewer service rate charges.  Clean water does not have to be expensive.  

This approach is only possible because of the remarkable level of collaboration to clean our waters, of which the district is glad to be a part.  It was achieved through a great deal of effort, as work days stretched long into the night.   Although, to make this effort successful, many more long days and nights will be ahead.  Today we move beyond a pilot project, to kickoff this new kind of venture at full-scale, in undertaking a different approach to water quality improvements.  Even with knowledge gained from the pilot program, our patience will still be tested by a learning curve as to what measures best be deployed.   

I wish to thank all of those who have taken part in making adaptive management a reality.   It is a recognition that going-it-alone concrete and brick additions, while having their place, are not the only method to reaching our goal of cleaner water for us and future generations who occupy our common home.  Again, thank you to all those who have strived to advance the efforts of this new course of action, and the District looks forward to working with current and future partners in this important endeavor.

For those who are interested, you can listen to a short Wisconsin Public Radio news story, which can be found here.

Madison, WI is in the Gulf of Mexico Watershed