BLANCHARDVILLE — Pecatonica Pride Watershed Association will hold a Pop-Up Field Day on July 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Berg Farm, 1.5 miles south of Blanchardville on Wis. 78 near the Lee Bridge. Lunch will be served, drinks will be provided, and conservation professionals will be available to discuss river and stream bank restoration practices and cost-share funding sources.
Local Water Action Volunteers (WAV) will also talk about citizen science water quality monitoring efforts in the streams that feed into the Lower East Branch of the Pecatonica.
The Field Day is free and open to the public. There will be a tour of Mike Berg’s Pecatonica River bank restoration that was undertaken in late 2019 and completed in early 2020. The project was partially funded by NRCS and Pecatonica Pride Watershed Association and also included cost share from the village of Argyle, as part of a phosphorus-trading arrangement. Because the riverbank restoration reduced the amount of soil and phosphorus that wash into the Pecatonica River upstream of Argyle every year, the village paid for part of the project in exchange for “credit” toward lowering phosphorus load totals from the municipal waste treatment plant.
If you go:
The farm drive is located on the west side of Wis. 78, just south of the Lee Bridge over the Pecatonica, 1.5 miles south of Blanchardville. There is no fire number, but there will be temporary signage. There will be hay bale seating, but bring a lawn chair if you prefer.
RSVPs are not required, but helpful if possible, contact Kriss Marion at 608-636-4652 or
maidmarion@circlemfarm.com so food can be ordered.
Wisconsin’s Water Quality Trading program allows municipal waste treatment facilities to meet their required phosphorus discharge limits by paying farmers and landowners upstream to implement practices that reduce the overall amount of phosphorus released to the local watershed.
“My dad was a great conservationist and did a lot on this farm to protect the soil and water,” said Berg, who owns 540 acres of cropland in eastern Lafayette County. “I’m just trying to do my part to make our farm better for the next generation.”
Anyone who enjoys the Pecatonica River may find the tour interesting, but Pecatonica Pride is particularly interested in welcoming landowners who want to learn more about river restoration, and municipal leaders and employees who are curious about water quality trading. Pecatonica Pride also welcomes those who are interested in learning to be WAV stream monitors.
