Contact: Kathy Byrne, Co-coordinator Crawford Stewardship Project kathybyrne@hotmail.com 608-734-3143
News Release
April 10, 2013
Crawford Stewardship Project receives Citizen-Based Monitoring Award
Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) received the Citizen-based Monitoring Award for Group Effort at the Citizen-based Monitoring Conference in Wisconsin Rapids on April 5, 2013. The Group Effort award is presented in recognition of a group of monitors working within a monitoring network, watershed organization, citizens group or other collaboration. CSP received an engraved plaque from the UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“We were so pleased to receive this award in recognition of our work in helping to protect the surface and groundwater of Crawford County”, states Kathy Byrne, Co-Coordinator of Crawford Stewardship Project who supervises CSP’s citizen volunteer monitoring efforts. She adds, “Our volunteers are out at various sites monthly from April to October collecting data that is submitted to the Water Action Volunteers (WAV) database. They also collect water samples that are tested at a DNR certified lab for bacteria and chemicals which is paid for by CSP. We appreciate the dedication of our monitors, some of whom have been doing this for a number of years. They are the ones who received this award and it is only because of them that we are able to do this work.”
In 2002, the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources implemented the annual Wisconsin Volunteer Stream Monitoring Awards Program to recognize exemplary work in volunteer stream monitoring in Wisconsin. Canine
The CSP water monitoring effort began in 2007 when a hog CAFO expanded near Wauzeka. Concerns about possible pollution of surface and groundwater spurred the organization to begin their monitoring program. “Since that time one of our sites near the CAFO has had problems with elevated levels of bacteria including e-coli as well as phosphorus”, Kathy said. “We continue to monitor and have been in contact with the DNR regarding this”.
CSP’s monitoring efforts recently expanded to a creek near the frac sand mine south of Boscobel in Grant County and also plans to monitor near the Bridgeport frac sand mine that was just recently permitted by the Town. “With so many threats to our water from industry it is more important than ever to protect this precious and finite resource”, said Kathy. “With the hope of additional volunteers in the future we would like to expand our efforts even further to other threatened streams in the area”, she added.
If you are interested in volunteering as a water monitor for CSP please contact Kathy Byrne at csp.county@gmail.com or call 608-734-3143. All CSP volunteers are trained through Valley Stewardship Network. Two training dates are currently scheduled for May 2 and May 11. For more information on the water monitoring training please contact Valley Stewardship Network at info@kickapoovsn.org or call 608-637-3615.