Rascally Rabbits

Two years ago in mid to late spring I noticed that our bird feeders were not emptying at their normal pace for that time of year. I later discovered why.  Three Cooper Hawks had taken up perching in a large tree adjoining our yard and had scared off, not to mention probably eaten, smaller birds that had previously been prevalent. I recall that summer watching the hawks dive bomb to try to get a chipmunk or a rabbit, with the small mammals moving fast to avoid being griped in the talons of a hawk doing its best impression of a Japanese WWII Zero dive bomber. What we also had that growing season was less damage to our flowers and vegetables. This year we have not been so fortunate. Peter Rabbit getting into Mr. MacGregor’s garden continues to this day. But, I don’t think it is only a mischievous boy bunny, it is also adult rabbits.

...Where are you, your wascially wittle wabbit
Aug 2014 Cooper Hawk seaching for its prey

As a gardener, I always expect a few parts of plants to succumb to the teeth of the furry cuddly-looking creatures. As you approach, and look into such an innocent face, even the Donald’s heart would melt. They may be cute, but they are also cunning. A few years ago, even after best efforts to secure the garden fence they were still getting in the garden. My garden fence is graduated, with smaller openings near the ground, and the openings get larger as you move up. Small bunnies were leaping above the small openings, and squeezing themselves into the mid-sized opening. I placed chicken wire around the existing fence, which solved that problem. Yet, as years go by, I have noticed the fence is getting worn, and does not fit as tight to the ground, so they find an opening in such a location as I saw earlier this week. With the chicken wire attached the outside of the main fence, one has yet to get caught between the two fences.  This past Tuesday, I was sufficiently fortunate to see one in the garden and watched as he tried to escape, making several attempts to get below a small gap between the fence and the ground.  On the fourth attempt, the bunny made it out into the raspberry bed. The rabbits also like to conjure, with the squirrels below the bird feeder and eat the large amount of seed the birds flip off the feeder.  But, this easy picking is not sufficient.

Hosta, after the bunnies got a hold on it

The rabbits have eaten, and continue to eat hostas, spiderwort, and echinacea, cut off rose buds, and an assorted variety of other flowers. of course, some have snuck into the garden where they ate the Swiss chard to the ground, cut some of the pea plants, mow down the spinach, and cut off carrot tops.  Not to mention eating broccoli and cabbage seedlings. Contrary to popular belief they really do not much bother my lettuce.   Knowing that I cannot fence off all of my flower gardens, as it would destroy appearance, I decided to once again try the natural fence alternative to keep rabbits and deer away, putrefied eggs.  I took the large container, while having to put up with the putrid odor made my way around my rose and perennial bed.  My wife thinks we need to fence the whole yard and trap and release all the rabbits outside the fence.I suspect they would still make their way to the tasty flowers and vegetables in our yard.

Oh, they are so cute
Eating grass

Early last Sunday morning, the day after having spread the putrefied egg mixture, my wife looked out to see a rabbit eating in one of our flower gardens. As I approached the bunny, I stood amazed as I realized the inspiration for the large logging machines that have replaced man power in the woods of the nation.  Modern logging equipment can grab a large diameter tree, cut it near the base, strip off the branches and than cut the long log into specified, usually 8' lengths.  This rabbit must have been the inspiration, as in one fell swoop he cut off an stem of yarrow, about 18", and promptly and, appearing effortlessly, mulched the whole length into his mouth.  

Eaten yarrow stem

 Our evergreens and perennial beds provide a nice cover for the furry creatures.  I know from having watched, that six play at one time in our yard. How many others may be lurking in the undergrowth, I do not know.   I suspect they are thumbing their nose at me.  My wife is more concerned when two are playing together, as she wonders how many more babies we will see following the short 30 day gestation period. 

WI State Journal Cartoon from 2 June 2016

Of course, things could be worse, there could be coyotes, or other larger mammals of which to contend, but given the damage accomplished by a convention of rabbits, one wonders what the large mammals would do.  I do know, that one dry summer, it was likely deer that feasted on the vegetable garden by reaching over the 4' garden fence to eat the tomato plants, usually about 3' above grade.  Those plants, a few feet in from the fence, were not damaged.  Suburban living probably upsets, to a degree, the circle of life.  Hawks and other rabbit predators may not be as present to keep the population down. The mild winter probably assisted the rabbit population as there was likely ample food supply without having to dig through snow.  They apparently will feed in close relationship to their warren, which makes me think they habitat under my backyard deck since most damage is within 50' of the deck.  Of course, they like to hide under the large spruce of my neighbor which sits near the property line.

Swiss Chard, nubbed off, photo shows some new growth
being ripe for another attack

The cute bunnies would be much more appreciated if, instead of eating my flowers and vegetables, they would eat the weeds, and in particular the volunteer trees popping up in my flower beds. This is one year I would like to see the hawks reappear.  Two years ago I was watching those dive bombing hawks I cheered for the bunnies to get away.  After what they have done to my gardens I am now less sure I would cheer for that underdog.  The circle of life.

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Traits

A year ago while my spouse and I were on a long distance drive with another couple, it occurred to me that wives have some common traits. This post will provide a few examples of this thesis, to which I am sure observers will relate. Obviously this is not a formal sociological monograph, but is based on observation, albeit of persons in similar socio-economic class. In that sense, one could consider it a cultural aspect of this subgroup. However, I suspect many of these “wife traits” will go well beyond this one demographic subgroup.

While on that car ride a year ago, we were in Honda Accord, which even has side view cameras and an alarm to let him know if he is crossing into another lane or onto the road shoulder. What the car did not have, from a technology standpoint, was an alarm to tell him if he was going faster than the posted speed limit. But, he did not need it because his wife would often make comments about his speed. Any illusion I had that my spouse was the only one to do this was quickly squashed. Heck, his wife would even beat the car alarm if his car was veering across a road marking. One’s wife can certainly take the place of technology and provide commentary much more quickly. Who needs such technology when you have your wife?  The autos in my household do not have the cameras with an alarm to let me know if I am veering, but my wife well plays that role. It is either by a comment, or the more emphatic brace against the car dashboard as if her life is in imminent danger. These instances led me to think about creating, what I call the wife app. If I knew anything about software, I could have a money maker on my hands. What a great father’s day gift.

GPS technologyo

Let me point out some of the significant benefits of the wife app. It could provide commentary on speed, lane deviation, and following too close to a vehicle ahead of you in a female voice, not unlike that of a husband’s better half. It could take existing technology to a whole new level.  The app would of course, have varied choices to apply, just like a real spouse. Passive-aggressive, sarcastic, the “don’t you know what you are doing voice”, and of course the mildly annoyed tone. Current GPS voice commands are rather boring and matter-of-fact, lacking voice inflection. We all know the tone of the voice can convey much more than the words. The beauty of the wife app is that it could add these critical (pun intended) voice inflections. When driving alone or without your spouse, she could even monitor your driving habits on her device by accessing the app. Think of the pleasant conversation you could have when you got home. “How was your trip home, Honey?” your wife would say, to which a man, who are people of few words, would say, “fine.” But then the wife brings up, “Were you falling asleep, I noticed you were about to cross the center line a few times”, or the “weren’t you travelling a little fast.” (Only to get home quicker to see you dear!)  Heck, perhaps she can even control the diction and voice the app would use adding another level of realism

There are other ways in which spouses are very much alike, and they go beyond driving. Let me provide three recent examples. Last week a co-worker said he had to get home early because they were getting a new refrigerator delivered to replace a twenty year old model that had recently died. I asked what model he was getting, and he said, “Oh, I left that up to my wife.” As a husband, I quickly knew what he meant. Men cannot make a choice of a kitchen appliance, lest they make, in their spouse’s eye, the wrong choice. Two other cases involve neighbors. In one instance, both of whom are trained in the design field, cannot come to a consensus on what vanity to place in a bathroom—a conflict of desires in design. Even in this day and age of equal rights, many women still want to follow the edict that the inside of the house is her purview, and that is what the lady of the house felt in this case. Finally, a neighbor was loading her children to take them to the Milwaukee area for a surprise birthday party for her father. She commented to me that her brothers, who are both in the Milwaukee area were making most of the arrangements, and intimated that she really did not know if it would be a surprise. As she noted, her hesitancy of surprise related to whether or not her brothers were able to keep it a surprise. They did.) Women, I believe, tend to fret about certain things more than men. There is no doubt in my mind, that she believed she could plan a surprise party and make sure it was kept a surprise. She doubted her brothers could do the same.   In these three cases I am sure most women would believe they know better than their husbands.

GPS unit

With these similarities, it makes you wonder if women take some sort of “wife class.” I went to marriage preparation courses with my spouse, and to natural child birth courses too. To my recollection nothing dealt with the instances addressed here. Maybe it is high school. In my age group boy and girl health classes were sometimes separated by gender. How else to best explain these remarkable similarities? If not through a class or training, is it engrained in their DNA? In this case, it probably goes back in time before the advent of agriculture to subsistence living of the hunter-gatherer class. In the former TV series “Everybody Loves Raymond” Ray Barone came to the conclusion that he really never had the power in their marriage, that the real power was with his wife, Debra. But, I believe, what is comes down to is that wives, and mothers, do not like uncertainty. I saw it in the perturbations of my mother. I have certainly seen it in my spouse. For example, when our sons were on a high adventure trip of some sort, she really never rested until they were home safe and sound.  In that sense she is like Marie Barone, knowing that the children need to do something that makes them happy and gives a sense of accomplishment, but does not mean she does not have to fret over it.  Uncertainty goes against that part of their DNA where they wish tranquility and harmony, which comes certainty.  Not having certainty kicks into high gear the care-giving instinct which is a natural protective feature of all mothers. Wives, or mothers of the 20th century have taken care-giving to a whole new level.  Think of what is now called helicopter moms.

Apps

The Wife App would have the ability to reduce some of that uncertainty—built in tracker, in the husband, or child’s s car. In use of the Wife App, the wife would have more authority than does the FAA over airline black boxes. Although, I am not sure the app would be able to provide better navigational skills than my navigator wife.  I also don’t know how many, if any, moving violations may have been saved by my in-car personal wife app. She is another set of eyes, if not on the road than on the odometer.  My very squared away, dependable spouse prefers cetainty over the unpredictable.  That, I believe to be a trait she shares with the majority of wives.  That is the basis of the wife app.  Now, what should the icon look like?

Ash to Dust

Years ago there was a proposal by a power company to place a fly ash dump site along Seminole Highway in the then Town of Fitchburg, Dane County, WI. A high end residential subdivision put an end to their hopes. So too, did the coming recycling of waste. Fly ash is a waste product of coal fired power plants. According to Professor Ross Taggart et al, the U.S. currently generates over one-third of its electricity from coal, which in turn produces a large amount of coal combustion products. Times have changed since that power plant proposed the fly ash dump site, most particularly about 45% of fly ash is now recycled, much into concrete or other building materials. Yet, that leaves the majority unrecycled. Fly ash is composed of toxic trace elements which pose concern for ground and surface water contamination. The Duke Energy Dan River Station saw a large toxic spill in 2014. But, this toxic waste also holds valuable rare earth elements (RREs). Researchers are now looking for ways to obtain REEs from the fly ash of power plants, for which there are good reasons, and it is more than just the ability to recycle.

Rare Earth Mineral Movement

To recycle, a product needs a demand, and while REEs are not so much rare in not much around, it is that they are rare because they are found in low quantities and often difficult to process out of other material. As Taggart explains, these elements are not found in nature as a pure metals, but they must be isolated from host material. Rare earth elements occupy, according to a Reuters report, 15 entries on the periodic table. Rare earths often are found with uranium and thorium, two elements which pose their own set of issues. The refining process requires a great deal of acids, which too need to be disposed of. China has 97% of the market on REE, and coupled with little regulation by that communist state, they need not worry about the pollution caused, or the death from cancer and other diseases due to their methods of extracting the RREs. I like to say that China in terms of enviornmental regulation is where the U.S. was during the Gilded age. Environmental regulation adds cost, and is one reason why the main mine in the United States has been in and out of business, even though demand for REEs have never been greater. An Australian Company has proposed mining the material in their home country, but processing it in Malaysia. Externalizing negative effects of mining (in this case processing) and other undesirable land uses is a common trend of first world countries. There are other reasons China poses a concern. If there is any question of China wanting to control the market of material, you just need to look at the mineral rights they are buying in Africa and South America. If there is any question of their expanding their sphere of influence look at what they are doing in the South China Sea, of which they see the whole area as part of their own manifest destiny. We oppose mines in our back yard, but still expect the products that result from the mining activity. We need copper, we need iron ore, and we need the RREs.

REEs ina Smartphone

Rare earth elements are more common in most products of today than we think. Our high technology products increase the demand for the REEs. As an article in Mother Jones pointed out several years ago, “Walk down the aisle of your local Best Buy and you would be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t contain at least one of the rare earths, from smartphones to laptop batteries to flat-screen TV’s." They are also used in products for defense—radar, sonar, and bomb navigation systems. They clean the air of our cars, by their use in catalytic converters. Even in trying to be green REEs are present--think wind turbines. Then their is the Toyota Prius. Jack Lifton, an independent commodities consultant in strategic metals was quoted in a Reuters article saying that the Prius is “the biggest user of rare earths of any object in the world.” The article noted that each Prius motor requires 2.2 lbs of neodymium and each battery 22 to 33 lbs of lanthanum. It goes on to say that the number will probably double as Toyota attempts to improve the Prius’ fuel economy.

Uses of REEs

Chinas’ monopolization of the market is of obvious concern to the U.S. With China producing 97% of the REEs on the earth, and the U.S. having only about 15% of the total world supply, one can see that this poses a concern. The high tech aspects of the defense industry require REEs. Toyota understands the Chinese dominance and is looking at accessing rare earth mines in Vietnam and Canada. The U.S. knows it but is looking at other measures besides mining. The United States Department of Energy is spending about $20 million dollars to research extraction technologies for coal waste. A professor at Duke University says that coal ash contains “literally billions of dollars’ worth of rare earth elements.” This follows the conclusion of the May 2016 paper by Taggart et. al, which, in its last paragraph says that “More attention is needed for improved methods of extraction and recovery.” It notes that economic feasibility and environmental responsibility of coal ash as an alternative to REE will hinge on the development of these extraction technologies. Of course, coal ash begins with some benefits. First, the location of coal ash deposits is known; second, it is readily available; third, it does require extensive excavation (which, as noted in the Taggart article is costly and environmentally damaging), and in so doing avoids uranium and thorium; and finally, it is a fine powder, which is easy to process. Aluminum and a few other elements are already recovered from fly ash. Appalachia is thought to contain the coal deposits with the highest levels of REEs. But, the method of recovery is not one-size-fits all. The specific chemistry of each type of coal ash will affect the method and chemicals used to undertake the reclamation. Small test projects are not necessarily cost effective on an industrial scale.

Periodic Table of the Elements

In a sense the Prius is not as green as it may first appear. A Prius driver may think they are doing well environmentally. However, first world, and sometimes environmentally smug, Prius drivers likely do not think of the environmental damage occurring to obtain such high levels of rare minerals far away in China, Malaysia, or even here in the United States. While Toyota is looking for other sources, and perhaps studying ways to use other material in-lieu of REEs, the United States is looking to solve the problem by turning waste into something precious, and which may even benefit power companies by recovering the rare earth materials from fly ash. Ash to dust, may be the solution to the nation’s rare earth elements.

Production of Rare Earth Elements

Scientific source: Taggart, Ross K., James Hower, Gary Dwyer and Heileen Hsu-Kim. “Trends in the Rare Earth Element Content of U.S. Based Coal Combustion Fly Ashes”. Environmental Science & Technology. 13 May 2016.

Images from Google

Star Wars

A long time ago in a generation far, far away there was Star Wars! It was on May 25, 1977, or 39 years ago (OK, not so far awary), that the first of the Star Wars movies was released. This movie has gone on to produce subsequent movies, games and memorabilia for generations of fans, including grandchildren of the original viewers. It cuts across multiple generations as a cultural phenomenon probably unrivaled in the history of movie making. It spans the baby boomers who first saw the movie as young adults, it has captured generation X, the ever-present Millennial’s and to what is known as the i-generation, those born after 2000. Yes, we are in year 16 of the new millennium, and the Millennium Falcon, with an aged Harrison Ford still playing Han Solo is at the controls in the most recent sequel released last December. When the original film was released on Memorial Day weekend in 1977, I had just completed my first year of college, and was in the prime movie demographic—a single young male. Although, I was not a big fan of Princess Leia, as were many young men. Perhaps it is because she was not a redhead.  Ladies had Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. And, of course there was Yoda.  It was a time with no cell phones, no personal computers. Music was on cassette tapes, or 8-track. Betamax was a new form for video, but was only about two years old. There was no internet and world wide web in households. We did have landlines for telephonic communication, phone booths (in which Superman would change) and stereo. At my university, the computer was a large mainframe, in which you had to use punch cards to place data and obtain print outs of your statistics or maps. It was in the technology of this era that Star Wars was born.

Star Wars poster

The Star Wars film release was preceded by a marketing juggernaut. It was meant to draw attention not only to the film, but its then cutting edge special effects. Younger aged persons today, like my sons, almost laugh at the primitive special effects. However, back in 1977 the meticulous models, and graphics were a cut above anything else than had before been viewed in film. In a sense, the special effects in Star Wars are part of the generational divide, and why the Star Wars film is representative of a generation far, far away. Computer generated special effects and graphics are now the norm and can do so much more than the primitive computers in existence in the mid 1970’s. This movie earned eleven Academy Award nominations, and won seven. Showing the balance of its then present day work with its groundbreaking special effects, the movie won, among others, for Visual Effects, Costume Design, Art Direction/Set Decoration. It also earned a Special Achievement Award.

Lego display of Millenium Falcon

When first released, Star Wars was not known to have been in the middle of a series of potential movies. It had the simple title “Star Wars.” That is the title to which I refer to it today. I am often told, by those younger than me, that it is the “New Hope.” Any hint at a series had to wait for the first sequel--The Empire Strikes Back, which would note Episode V. Three trilogies set out of order. The first two trilogies, or the first six movies, were released by Twentieth Century Fox, and all completed by Lucasfilm. Of these six movies, the best all time in North America was the 1999 release of Phantom Menace, which ranks #7, beating out Star Wars which is at #8. World-wide, Star Wars only comes in #62 all time, while Phantom Menace comes in at #21. Of course, Star Wars had an $11 million dollar budget, and showing the changes in complexity, the Phantom Menace had a budget of $155 million! Use of advanced techniques comes higher cost. I don’t think 20 years of inflation would cause that high of a rise. Special effects have been a hallmark of the seven films produced in the Star Wars series. These values are all rather pedestrian when compared to the most recent movie.

Empire Strikes Back poster

With Lucasfilm, the original creator of Star Wars, having been sold to, as George Lucas himself said, the “white slave holders” at Disney for over 4 billion (he made a nice sum of money off the sale) the Disney marketing machine is even greater than that put together by Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox 39 years ago. The Force Awakens, the first in the last trilogy, was released on Dec. 18, 2015, and had a budget of $200 million, but it is the top movie in North America and #3 worldwide. Sales worldwide for The Force Awakens is over $2 billion, which doubles the gross of the Phantom Menace. This is just the movie. Think of all the play figures, computer games, books and clothing and other merchandise. It is a Disney money-making machine.

Darth Vadar with Luke

The cultural phenomenon of Star Wars continues to this day. One only need to see the current rage on the internet of the lady who puts on the Chewbacca mask in her mini-van, which has been posted on various news web sites. Her posting went viral with 50 million having viewed it during the first 24 hours, and views are now over 100 million. Laughing is really contagious. CNN titled a report on her donning the mask “Chewbacca Mask Lady brings Joy to the Internet.” Besides joy, Star Wars brought hope in the battle of good over evil.  It also had a story of  redemption. One of the most powerful scenes is in the third movie, Return of the Jedi is when Darth Vadar saves Luke from the evil emperor, but in so doing ends up dying in the arms of his son. Both understood the biblical verse that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend. Star Wars is a movie that bridges the gap between old and new methods of movie production. But it is more than that, it is a movie that bridges divides between multiple generations. It is nostalgic for us who experienced it during its first release, and provides action and adventure for subsequent generations. In that sense it deserves its spot as a world-wide cultural phenomenon.

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

Changes Over Time

In the Disney animated Musical “Beauty and the Beast” the Beast undergoes a transformation in both personality and appearance. Graphically it is displayed in his changing from a beast, back to a handsome prince, but of course he first had to undergo a more personal transformation—one that affected his thoughts, personality and values. The Beast is not too dissimilar to most of us, we change over time. To find this out, we only need to look at photos of our younger self to see how we have changed in body shape, clothing, hair style, skin tone and other traits. Photos may capture a glimpse of our personality through our actions, and what can be seen in the eyes and facial expressions. Our nation has values as well that are expressed through our land use changes. This has been evident from the early days of the republic and the declaration of Manifest Destiny. This post will focus on changes in one specific area south of Madison, WI, in what is now the City of Fitchburg. Even today, Fitchburg is more rural than urban. It is a microcosm of Dane County, with rural, ex-urban, suburban (the predominant style of development) and some dense multi-family areas. The area was chosen as it well represents land use patterns that have occurred in the nation over the span from 1937 to today. While it may not align temporally with varied movements in the nation, it nonetheless is representative of such movements and changes in land use. The chosen area is near the center of Fitchburg, and is about 1025 acres in area. It is bordered by Lacy Road on the north, Irish Lane on the south, South Fish Hatchery Road on the west and Syene Road on the east. Of course, air photos give only a two-dimensional view of the land surface, when in fact it is three dimensions. The study area has undulating topography, particularly a ridge that runs generally east-west through the landscape about halfway between the north and south border. This area is part of a recessional moraine deposited by the Wisconsin glacier over 10,000 years ago. As you read through the post, please ponder what this says about our collective values as a nation.

Grandfather's 1940 era Farmall Tractor

Our journey begins in 1937. The study area is primarily farm land but with a few features to point out. First, the orange circle, near the middle of the study area, shows a farmstead occupied in this era of family farms. The square at the lower right shows a farm field with a ridge at the far south east corner (north is up). Finally, one constant, until development, is topography, and please notice how evident a drainage channel (three blue arrows) is in this air photo, and if you look closely you can see it likely has some grass buffers to parts of its side. Water flows to the north east in the channel. While this era had tractors, they were not the large machines that we see today. In that era you probably had only a few spades on a plow, while today 24 is not unusual. Notice the quilt work pattern of fields showing a variety of cultivation and crop patterns. Farming has become more heavily mechanized, of which evidence will show in later air photos. 1937 is pre-World War II and precedes the baby boom generation.

1937

Our next photo is 1955. We are now in post WWII America and the nation is in the midst of the suburban experiment. The study area has yet to be affected by significant development, as was true of most of Fitchburg at the time. The field in the lower right how has some contour cropping. The drainage channel, marked by a blue arrow, is still evident, but somewhat less than in the 1937 photo. Part of the channel appears to have been straightened. The effects of the dust bowl and soil erosion has led to the establishment of better tilling practices, but yet there is a disregard for the drainage channel. A few additional homes show up in the study area, mainly along the east side of S. Fish Hatchery Road, which is to the left edge of the aerial photo. Not part of the study area, but visible at the farm bottom right is a rural subdivision that is developing south of Irish Lane.

1955

The next photo, 1968 really begins to show post WWII suburbanization. At the right side dark squares show rural subdivisions under construction. Lot sizes are about half-acre, with a rural street cross section. If you look closely you will see only a small section of paved street in the dark blue square to the north side of the image. At this point in time, the farmstead in the center of the image, is now an area covered by trees; the buildings have been razed, or burnt down. The farm was consolidated into a farm of an adjoining relative. The blue triangle shows the location of one of the many high tension line power poles that run through this area. This is now a double 168 kV line, but perhaps was a single 168 kV line when first introduced.  The growing nation needed electricity and high voltage power lines are being put in place to meet demand. To the east of the study area a seed corn processing plant has been constructed.  Also, notice even further changes in contour cropping of the land at the lower right. Fields, generally, are larger patches than in 1937 likely a recognition of the movement to larger machines, and movement from a variety to one or two types of crops. Corn, in particular, will come to dominate the farm fields of the Midwest.

1968

By 1980, the drainage channel is a hint of its prior self.  Likely simply plowed over and left to nature.  It would have served the same drainage basin area as it did in 1937.  Agricultural fields have even less demarcation than in prior years.  I believe this to be the height of land conversion to farmland. Demand was high, baby boomers were now entering young adulthood, and would have families (generation X) to feed, and it was still at a point, unlike today, where the vast majority of our products that we ate were produced within the nation. Farm set aside programs, to reduce soil erosion were in their infancy. The demand for corn as fuel in the early part of the 21st century would see farmland converted out of set aside back to production. A large blue rectangle near the rural subdivisions shows farmland that has been converted to a park. The town of Fitchburg, purchased 60 acres using LAWCON money, local funds and even funds obtained as a fee-in-lieu of park dedication. You can see two ball diamonds, and in the lower right of the park area two tennis courts. Softball was a common recreation activity enjoyed by baby boomers and their fathers. My dad, and my brother John played on the same slow-pitch softball team in Sun Prairie in this era. The two rural subdivisions are now larger and have more homes, although a few empty lots remain in each. By 1975 Fitchburg had changed its land use practices and pretty much prohibited rural subdivisions. The reason is quite simple—rural subdivisions place a high demand on city services. A good example is the rural subdivision just south of Irish Lane (seen first at the bottom of the 1955 air photo). Contamination of private wells by septic systems and agricultural practices would require the city to install public wells to serve the area in the 1980’s.

1980

The next air photo is 1995. McGaw Park, which occupies 60 acres of the light blue rectangle shows tree growth starting to predominate in the non-developed portions of the park. The park, by now, has an access drive off of Lacy Road, and five ball diamonds-four for softball one for little league. It has a shelter, sand volleyball, basketball, and other facilities not readily visible. Easily visible, however, are two large parking lots. The drainage channel first seen in 1937 is once again more defined in this air photo. The former central farmstead is still an area of trees.

1995

The last aerial photo is from 2014, with 2016 parcel data overlaid. The former farmstead is now trees, but some of the trees have been removed for a street project completed in 2015 so is not shown on the air photo. A large multi-family development is occurring at the southwest corner of lacy Road and Syene Road, which can be noted by the lot and street pattern.  A number of developments have occurred, most in the first half of the 2000's.. A business park with single family homes exists to the upper left. A municipal well site, not noted, is also located in that area. Storm water retention ponds can be seen near the central part of the study area. These ponds, provide a slower release of storm water to avoid downstream flooding, but since they are wet ponds, they also work to trap certain pollutant loadings from entering the streams, rivers and lakes. Two somewhat isolated developments also exist. One being a small lot single family, with some two family units at corner lots. Showing a new trend (called new urbanism) in development, the homes are closer to the street and some are served by alley. The development near McGaw Park is comprised of several four unit buildings as a retirement community. Many seniors who live there are active, and the condominium affords freedom to move around to visit grandchildren, or undertake other pursuits and travels. They are the older part of the baby boom generation, a generation that has so defined the United States with its large demographic impact. Baby boomers remained the largest generation until recently when supplanted this past April by the Millennial generation. Finally, McGaw Park trees have increased in size, one parking lot is barely visible through the trees that have been planted to shade and prevent a heat island effect. The McGaw Park trees are viewed by many neighbors as natural, even though they are first growth trees that are nearing the end of their life span. The farm in the lower right corner shows some use, but not as much in the past of contour cropping. The central drainage channel is more visible east of a subdivision due to the greater amount of storm water that comes off a development (due to increased impervious surface, and longer release times due to the detention of the storm water). The upper reach is not visible. Finally, in a bode to late 20th and early 21st century need for wireless communication, a cell tower is outlined by a red trapezoid.

2014 Air photo, 2016 parcels

By the end of this year, this area will look even more different. A new plat will be located just west of McGaw Park. Man is ever changing the natural landscape to accommodate an appetite for new housing and development. While new forms of development are often criticized for their density and small lots, they help save farmland. For example if the approximate 223 single family homes that were built in this area since 2000 were one acre in size, when streets, storm water and parks are added that would account for over 300 acres of land in the study area. This is compared to the approximate 90 acres occupied today. In creating neighborhoods with a mix of uses and density the city allows different aspects of the market to be met, more vibrancy, less loss of farmland, and the ability to provide transit. A general rule of thumb is a density of 8 units/acre to help make an area  transit feasible.

The landscape of our earth changes over time from both natural and man-made activity. As shown, land use patterns change, services are added to meet demand, and the resiliency of nature is tested. As much benefit as storm water controls provide, they have their downside in lengthened time of release which leads to more scouring. Everyone wants a cell phone, but those near the tower are having to put up with increasing use of generators in case of power outages. The problem is not the outage but the weekly testing and the noise produced. Development near high power lines become difficult, although some do not mind living next to them. Some view development as inevitable, if not beautiful, and in keeping with the American protestant ethic of subduing nature. Others view development as a zit on the landscape. Nationally, the ethos are such that farmland is often viewed as the manifest destiny, that it is there to be developed. To change our gobbling up of farmland requires a change in our values. In the meantime increasing the density affords an ability to have greenfield development, and yet at the same time preserve farmland at a greater rate. A development at 8 units/acre uses half the land of one at 4 units/acre. Whether development is the beauty or the beast is in how one views the time and world in which we live. Planning is the balancing of competing interests. This study are shows one method of achieving that balance.

VE Day

It was on this date (May 7), seventy one years ago, that the armed forces of Germany, the Third Reich, surrendered to Allied forces.  The event, ending six years of war, was signed in Reims, France at the offices of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, otherwise known as SHAEF.  The conclusion of hostilities was scheduled to occur the next day, May 8.  Obviously war disrupts communication systems, and even with an early morning signing at 2:41, it was apparently understood that it would take a full day for news to reach all involved forces.  Unfortunately, the cessation of hostilities occurred too late for PFC Charley Havlet, who died on May 7 during a German ambush.  Charley has the distinction of being the last American casualty during the war in Europe.

German General Jodl signing the surrender document

Interestingly, Charley, whose parents had immigrated from Czechoslovakia, died about 8 miles into Czechoslovakia when his reconnaissance platoon was subjected to hidden machine gun fire from concealed German positions.  News did not reach the Germans or US Soldiers at that location soon enough.  He was the last among 183, 588 American combat dead in the European theater of operations. Yet, the end of the war in Europe was not the end of WWII.  Letters from Roy Hovel, a member of the US Counter Intelligence Corps attached the 83rd Infantry Division leaves us with an impression thoughts going through the minds of soldiers at the time of VE Day.

Charlie Havlet, the last American death in the European theater

After having written his sister on the last day of April and saying he believed the war in Europe would end the next month, and he hoped the psychological effect would lead to Japan's surrender, a few days later he admits to different thoughts.  As he is writing a letter to his parents dated May 4, he writes that "Well, I just got the first news of the surrender of  the German army in Northwest Germany, Holland and Denmark , at 8:40 p.m., now probably 1:40 at home.  Perhaps presaging the death of Charley Havlet, he notes that as "far as he can see that means there isn't any more resistance in the German nation itself, just Czechoslovakia and Norway left.  Charley Havlet, was the wrong man in the wrong place.  If his platoon had been further north he may have survived the war.  It is later in this letter that his thoughts on the future become known, when he writes:  "I would dread going to the Pacific, because of the boat ride if nothing else. Most of us will stay over here in the Army of occupation for a long while, but many will also stay with their division and the big question is who is going to go with it and also where is the division going."

English version of surrender

Where is the division going, and who will be with it?  That is the question the men in Europe were wondering.  The 83rd infantry entered the war in June 1944.  They fought in the hedgerows of Normandy, made their way through northern France to the Rhineland, and of course the infamous fighting in the Ardennes--the battle of the bulge.  They would be the first reach the Rhine, and to cross the Elbe.  After having crossed the Elbe they would told to move back to their positions on the west side of a river instead of moving on Berlin.  Who could blame the men for wondering if they would now be sent to the Pacific. The end of the war in Europe brought more unknowns for the soldiers who had endured the European campaign.

Baltimore Sun article

Fortunately, Roy Hovel did not let his worries of potential future deployment and a boat trip across the Pacific bother his celebration of VE day.  In a May 9 letter to his sister he writes that "We spent VE day here.  It wasn't anything special except that they had all the chicken we could eat and wine, Champagne and cognac in the evening."  Perhaps, his job was tiring and stressful, or his thoughts of the boat ride across the sea did get to him as he notes that "I wanted to relax a little and drank a little too much, the fourth time in my life."  He admits this probably was not the best thing to do when one has a cold.  But this letter of May 9 does more than admit to a little too much partying on VE day, although who can blame a soldier for living it up on such a momentous day. Needless to say he was not the only one who imbibed a little too much.

Front of post card R Hovel sent home
for writing on back, see below

What Roy Hovel did see a great deal of, he noted in a letter home were young women who had fled west to avoid the Soviet soldiers, and the acts they were perpetrating on the civilian population, especially women.  In a contrast to the Soviets, Roy Hovel notes in a May 14 letter home, that while the girls were good looking, they "can't fraternize with them." American rules were quite different than those for the Soviets, at least for a member of the CIC.  What the Americans had more than any other groups was cigarettes.  It was a different time than today, and cigarettes were used as barter.  Some American soldiers, it has been reported, would trade cigarettes and food for favors, begging the question of the fine line between rape and prostitution with a decimated civilian population.

Back of post card home, the Allies finally caught up with the man on the front

VE day did not mean the end.  Soldiers wondered if they would head to the Pacific, get a chance to go home, or be part of the European occupation force.  Near the conclusion of the May 14 letter ROy Hovel would once again state "I'm still wondering where I will be at for the next few months." He lists his desire that he would prefer to stay in Europe, now that he "is used to it." His wish would be granted.  He would become part of the occupation force in Europe.  The occupation would continue his service overseas, and Charley Havlet would be buried overseas in the Lorraine American Cemetery at Saint-Avold, France.  

Roy Hovel