Category Archives: News

By Craig Moorhead for the Houston County News

Through cold mist and drizzle, the clear notes of thousands of tundra swans greeted visitors to the Waterfowl Observation Day Nov. 13 near Brownsville.

The event, hosted by the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and Mississippi River Wild, a friends of the refuge group, showcases one of the greatest bird migration corridors on the North American continent. Besides swans, many varieties of waterfowl — including ducks, geese, coots and even raptors — sail down the waterway.

Busloads of bird watchers arrived at the Brownsville overlook Saturday morning. One of those groups, from Winona, had as tour guides Dave Palmquist, naturalist of Whitewater State Park, and Edward Lagace, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Winona District park ranger.

“This is my 27th annual swan watch field trip,” Palmquist said. “Considering the weather, this is a pretty darn good turnout.”

The swan watch has followed the birds over the years, he explained, with tours beginning in Weaver and then Alma, Wis. Now the favored spot is Brownsville, due to extensive habitat work done there in recent years.

“This is my third tour,” Lagace said. “We brought 50 people today, but I had to turn about 20 more away when they called in after the deadline to sign up. We may need to bring two buses next year. People just love coming, just absolutely enjoy this.”

Umbrellas sprouted and rain drops glistened on spotting scopes. River Wild volunteers served bowls of chili, along with other warm victuals. Sue Fletcher, naturalist/educator with the Fish and Wildlife Service, held a big jar of broadleaf arrowhead tubers. Attached to the roots of the plant, they’re the reason the swans are here.

“One swan can eat about six pounds of these per day,” she said. “That’s about two of these containers.

“They do a count every week, and the latest one showed 5,000 to 7,000 tundra swans,” Fletcher added. “That was early last week, so there may well be more here now. In addition, there are about 150,000 canvasback ducks on the refuge, which takes in 260 miles of the Mississippi (River) from Wabasha to Rock Island, Ill.”

That’s a large portion of the total population of the big diving ducks. Fletcher told birders that if they scanned the river, they’d also see other species, including Canada geese, mallards, wood ducks, green wing teal, coots, mergansers, ring neck ducks, golden eyes and bald eagles.

Palmquist said that 12,000 to 15,000 tundra swans can sometimes be seen in the area. In fact, 20 percent to 25 percent of the total eastern population of tundra swans rest and feed in this region in November and December, leaving only when the waters freeze. Then they’ll continue south and east, wintering along the Atlantic seaboard, mostly from Maryland to the Carolinas. The eastern population breeds on a vast swath of arctic tundra from Alaska to Hudson Bay.

Tundra swans swim near the Brownsville observation deck on Saturday. The birds will likely remain in the area until freeze-up, biologist say. (Moorhead-HCN)

Mississippi River Wild President Ken Visger said that in spite of the weather, more than 300 people attended Saturday’s event. For those who missed the boat, there’s more birding to be had. Two observation decks are located along Minnesota Highway 26 south of Brownsville. Both the upper (northern) deck, where Saturday’s festivities were held, and the lower deck, closer to Reno, sport permanently mounted spotting scopes.

“The volunteers are great,” Lagace said. “It’s important to note that Saturdays and Sundays throughout November, there will be staff here with scopes for people to use, and people to talk to (including MRW members) and ask questions regarding the swans.”

“Without the friends group and other volunteers, we’d be sunk,” Palmquist said. “We wouldn’t have the manpower to run these programs.”

A busload of college students from Decorah, Iowa, loaded up to leave. The second bus from the Winona area began to load up as well. The drizzle continued, but cars trickled in and visitors stared out at the big white birds with their long, graceful necks.

Winona resident Farmer Parsi showed his daughter, Ryka, what wild swans look like, birds that have flown straight from a place that most humans will never see. Speaking for the people who were braving the cold, he summed the sight up in two words: “It’s gorgeous.”

Another great day for our annual River Cleanup.  We filled a 20 yard dumpster with lots of trash, over 30 plastic barrels and even salvaged and cut up an 18 foot fiberglass boat that had been abandoned several years ago and had floated down on one of the backwater islands.  Special thanks to CARP and Mississippi River Wild for recruiting volunteers and to the great cooperation from the La Crosse District Refuge office and the Corps of Engineers for providing boats and operators.

Tip of the Hat to the following Cleanup volunteers:

• Ken Haefs
• John Plitzuweit
• Pete Allen
• Gary Beardmore
• Cathy Beardmore
• Al Brinkman
• Chuck Chihak
• Laura Chihak
• Regina Chihak
• Sasha Chihak
• VinceJohn Goldwater
• Jeff Gross
• Bob Hanson
• Kevin Hayes
• Joe Hayes
• Bob Hill
• Pat Hill
• Phil Moen
• Derrick Nelson
• Paul Nelson
• Russ Peterson
• Jim Rozovics
• Richard Thomas
• Ken Visger
• Terry Visger
• Jean Coldwater
• from the Corps: Ray and Seth
• from USFWS: Ben, Calvin, Jess, Paula

Thanks to Jake at Wild Cat landing & Billy for bringing down the Ambulance

Thanks for all you do for the Upper Miss.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, is an international treaty signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. The convention provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands around the world.

In January 2010, the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands became one of more than 1,800 Ramsar sites worldwide. Over 302,300 acres of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are included in the Ramsar designation.

In making the announcement, Secretary Salazar said, “The ecological, social, and economic values of the Upper Mississippi River make it one of the crown jewels of this nation’s wetlands. This marks the 27th U.S. wetland designated under the Convention on Wetlands. The U.S. became a party to the convention in 1987, which now includes 150 countries. It’s certainly fitting that this area has now officially received international recognition.”

The designation includes just over 300,000 acres of federal and state lands and waters of the Upper Mississippi River floodplain from near Wabasha, Minn. to north of Rock Island, Ill. The designation includes all of the 240,000-acre Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge headquartered in Winona, Minn. and the adjacent 6,226-acre Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.

Other designated sites in the U.S. include such wetland icons as Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia and Florida, Everglades National Park in Florida, and Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.

The site consists primarily of flowing main and side channel habitats, backwater marshes, and floodplain forests.

Facts about the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands of International Importance:

• Home to more than 100 native fish species and 42 native mussels including the nationally endangered Higgins eye pearlymussel
• Located at the core of the Mississippi Flyway, through which 40% of North America’s waterfowl migrate. Treasures of the floodplain wetlands are the canvasback duck and tundra swans.
• Well over 3 million people visit each year

10/10/10 for 10!

Celebrate Working Wetlands

At Brownsville Overlook

Brownsville, MN

On the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

Join us on Sunday, October 10, 2010 (10]10]10 for 10!) at 10:00 AM to celebrate
wetlands for at least 10 minutes
The “official” event will last 10 minutes and 10 seconds.
10 am A flock of people will meet at Brownsville Overlook on Highway 26 near Brownsville,
MN
We will write down 10 reasons why we love wetlands.
10:10 am We will chant “We Love Celebrating Wetlands!” a photograph of us will be taken
with our list in hand.
10:10:10 am the Official Event Over!
Stay and enjoy the migrating waterfowl and meet the Mississippi River Wild members.
Spotting scopes will be placed and binoculars available to enjoy the view.
Contact for more information: Paula Ogden_Muse @ 608 783 8403 or email Paula_Ogden
Muse@fws.gov
Events Listed at:
www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/101010.html
http://coord.info/GC2BQB1 10/10/10 for 10! Brownsville Overlook, Minnesota

Excavation and soil moving for the La Crosse District’s new office/visitor center and maintenance facility began this week.

The site, located on Brice Prairie in the Town of Onalaska, will serve as the gateway to the La Crosse District of the Upper Miss Refuge. The nearly 12,000 square foot building will include an exhibit space, small video theater, wildlife observation room, multi-purpose room, staff offices, and storage. Accessible trails and observation areas will provide additional exploration opportunities.

Construction is expected to take 12 months.

The agency will restore the surrounding 175 acres to sand prairie in several phases, as construction progresses.

The project’s general contractor is Arrowhead Contracting, Inc. from Lenexa, Kansas. The facility will showcase examples of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Funding is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

For safety reasons, the area is closed to public entry.

For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver or contact the La Crosse District Office at 608/783-8405, or stop-in the office at 555 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, WI. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

* * *

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is the most visited refuge in the United States. The refuge extends 261 miles along the Upper Mississippi River from Wabasha, MN to Rock Island, IL, protecting and preserving habitat for migratory birds, fish, and a variety of other wildlife. This 240,000 acre refuge was established in 1924.

The wait is over. Over 1000 name were submitted by the public for the Pool 8 Islands, Phase III “Island Naming Contest.” In March, the public was asked to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service name nine newly- constructed islands in Lower Navigation Pool 8. These islands, funded through the Environmental Management Program, are located in a 3,000 backwater area between Brownsville, MN and Stoddard, WI. All nine islands, built as part of the Pool 8 Islands, Phase III, Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, are designed to restore habitat for migratory birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals. Contest participants were asked to submit names reflecting the Brownsville, MN and Stoddard, WI area in terms of fish, wildlife, habitat, history, and geography. The public’s response to the contest was outstanding with over 160 participants from nine states, who submitted over 1000 names.
Island names selected for the nine new islands are: (see map attachment)

Individuals who submitted winning names received a certificate designating their contribution to the Pool 8, Phase III, Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project.

The judging committee was comprised of representatives from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Mississippi River Wild, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Additional islands are under construction. A second contest will be held to name future islands.

For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/ or contact the La Crosse District Office at 608/783-8405, or stop-in the office at 555 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, WI. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

I spent all weekend at Dresser Island Conservation Area photographing waterfowl along the Mississippi River. While I was there I made some interesting images of white pelicans foraging on huge, silver carp. It was fascinating to watch as sometimes it took several minutes for the pelican to get the fish down. Also, when a pelican caught a fish the others converged on it to fight for the bounty. As a matter of fact, when a common merganser caught a shad the pelicans would converge on the little guy and try to take its morsel away as well.

Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge Manager Kevin Foerster, volunteers and Contributors dedicate the new Overlook.

By Craig Moorhead

Special for the Argus

Tundra swans and migrating ducks by the thousands greeted visitors to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services annual Waterfowl Observation Day. The event, held Nov. 14, included a dedication ceremony for the Brownsville Overlook. The wildlife viewing area was completed in 2007, but has seen numerous improvements since then.

Jim Nissen, La Crosse District Manager for the USFWS, said that the overlook is the result of a cooperative effort.

“This is Mn/DOT land,” Nissen said as he looked at the gathering crowd, “and the railroad granted us some land to work with. We used a funding source called the Visitor Facility Enhancement Fund. We knew that this was going to be a real feature. We had the draw-down in 2001 and 2002, and then the island project and we knew there was going to be a tremendous bird response. We just tried to stay with it in terms of providing this sort of an opportunity for the public.”

That opportunity was enjoyed by many on Saturday. In the slough beyond the tracks, a steady stream of swans flew in and out, some resting, some feeding. Other species of waterfowl danced throughout the sky, pirouetting into the backwater in small flocks as visitors looked on with binoculars and spotting scopes.

The elevation of the viewing platform allows bird watchers unobstructed views of a large slice of the river, complete with islands recently re-established. Members of Mississippi River Wild, a private “Friends of the Refuge” group were on hand with refreshments, information, and their own scopes for the public to use.

Ken Visger, a MRW board member from rural Hokah, was at the event. He talked about MRW before the observation day gathering.

“Our purpose is to help the USFWS protect and improve and re-habilitate the Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge,” he explained. “It stretches from Wabasha to Rock Island, but we concentrate primarily on pool seven and eight. Most of the activity right now in terms of restoring habitat is down on pool eight below Brownsville.”

What exactly does MRW do?

“We volunteer for them (FWS), we band ducks, we monitor aquatic vegetation, we plant willows on the islands and we also do education programs and try to inform people about this resource.

“The overlook was really put together with funds from FWS along with Mn/DOT help (hauling in fill)…we’re involved in providing volunteers that work on the deck and help interpret what’s going on out there. Last year there were 40,000 visitors to that observation area. It’s a tremendous resource. People are coming from all over the country. It was even a scheduled trip as part of Elderhostel. If you look in the Elderhostel catalog from last year, they had a bird watching trip where people stayed in Caledonia and went down to the observation area to see the swans in November.”

Visger said that MRW can raise funds for things the FWS isn’t allowed to purchase for visitors. A prime example are three spotting scopes installed this year, two at the Brownsville deck, another at a smaller deck a mile and a half to the south.

“They (FWS) weren’t allowed to generate the funds to get that done,” Visger said, “and so we stepped in and helped to raise the money to make that happen. In each case I think they paid half and MRW raised the money for the other half.”

At the southern end of the overlook, youngster Mary Martin of La Crescent peered through one of the permanent scopes while her dad, Bill, pointed towards the birds, telling her what she was looking at. The scopes are free to use, no quarters needed.

It’s a big refuge. Visger said that the winding river stretches over 250 miles between Rock Island Illinois and La Crosse. “The Upper Miss refuge gets more visitors than Yellowstone Park every year,” he noted.

On the deck, a group of Cub Scouts from Bangor, Wis. helped out, offering brochures to visitors. A tour bus slid in. Visger took a microphone and began the dedication ceremony. He called out for volunteers who helped get the new scopes to raise their hands. Dignitaries clustered by the ribbon, and after some short speeches, Refuge Manager Kevin Forester cut the tape.

Over the river, flocks of tundra swans traded back and forth. Some small groups sailed in towards the observation deck, oblivious to the humans. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s population of Eastern Tundra Swans rest and feed here, building up energy reserves for the last leg of their migration. They’ll stay on until the open water pretty much disappears, USFWS biologist Jessica Larson explained. “Then they go to the east coast, Chesapeake Bay and the Carolinas.”

At an earlier interview Larson explained that swans and eagles are the most popular birds at the observation decks, but with the re-establishment of the islands, a more vital and varied habitat will most likely provide viewing of a wide variety of wildlife.

After visiting the new Brownsville, Minn., overlook several times without seeing much waterfowl action, it was a pleasure to hear the tundra swans hooting and hollering when I visited again on Halloween. Most of them were farther out when I arrived, but the bay below the overlook was packed with a variety of ducks, Canada geese, pelicans and a few swans.

Several other excited visitors were looking through the telescopes and shouting about the eagles and other birds they were spotting out there. I moved my tripod down toward the scopes to get a better view, and I had barely got everything set up when the birds began to fly. Soon there was a general panic as every bird in the bay eventually took flight and headed across the river.

Unfortunately, a boat was putting along under the overlook, a violation of the voluntary closure of the refuge area that began Oct. 15 and extends until the end of the duck season. There are signs, but every year some people either ignore them or are just clueless about the disturbance they cause to the migrating waterfowl. After waiting patiently for 30 minutes for the birds to return, I gave up and headed for Goose Island.

Around sunset, I again heard the hooting of tundra swans as group after group flew over the island in “V” formations to join the others along both sides of the river. They will continue to arrive for some time now, reaching a peak sometime around the middle of November.

It is rare to witness the birth of islands, much less 26 of them. But we’ve had the chance to do so on the Mississippi River for the past few summers.

In fact, a couple weeks ago the La Crosse Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave a boat tour around some of the new islands being built below Brownsville, Minn., as a thank-you gesture to volunteers who had served over the past year.

The day before, they had done the same thing for the public. It was a great chance to see the results of a successful partnership between government agencies and private organizations to restore parts of the mighty Mississippi to its full potential.

Our great river system has changed a lot in the past century. During the 1930s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a series of locks and dams to increase the depth of the main channel. This, along with other changes, has had an enormous impact on life along the river. Some of the bottomland forests were immediately inundated, but eventually many of the islands that remained above water were also lost to erosion and wind action.

The disappearance of those islands allowed winds to increase water turbidity, depriving aquatic vegetation of light. Losing those plants made parts of the river less suitable for waterfowl feeding, fish spawning and a variety of other wildlife activities. The deposition of sediments from agricultural lands also filled in backwaters, further decreasing habitat potential.

To counteract some of these detrimental effects, Congress passed a law in 1986 that implemented the Upper Mississippi River System Environmental Management Program (UMRS-EMP). This formed the working partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers, the USFWS, the U.S. Geological Survey and five states bordering the Upper Mississippi River system, including Minnesota and Wisconsin. .

One part of the EMP program features habitat rehabilitation and enhancement projects (HREPs), such as the 1,000-acre island restoration project we were touring, known as the Pool 8 Islands Phase III HREP. The new islands will bring back some of the natural habitats lost when the original islands washed away.

Heavy equipment could still be seen on the low islands and on barges along Raft Channel. The material for the 26 new islands was dredged from nearby sloughs. They are being protected from wind and river currents by rocks that could be seen along some of the shorelines and by terrestrial vegetation planted onshore.

The project will be finished for the year by the end of September, but we could already see new wild rice beds, wild celery, coontail, pondweeds, lily pads and numerous other desirable plants growing around the islands for waterfowl to feed on this fall and for fish to breed in next spring.

The area will be closed to waterfowl hunting and is under voluntary avoidance by boat traffic from Oct. 15 through the end of the duck hunting season. The purpose, of course, is to let the thousands of pelicans, tundra and trumpeter swans, geese, ducks, cormorants and various other water birds feed and rest on their southward migration.

Unfortunately, some boaters ignore the voluntary restrictions and barrel through the area anyway. Last year, I personally watched as thousands of birds were unnecessarily panicked by thoughtless boaters roaring through their midst. If intrusions continue, a full closure might have to be enforced.

It is hoped that an already important migratory stopover will become even more attractive with the new islands. The enormous flocks of birds that are visible during October and November from the Brownsville overlook have already become a world-class spectacle, and it can only get better.