Paradise Springs Workday

On January 31, 2009, SEWTU started off the new workday year in grand fashion, drawing over 50 volunteers to a huge workday at Paradise Springs, as part of a joint workday with the Gary Borger Chapter of Trout Unlmited and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Under DNR leadership, volunteers split up and performed a myriad of tasks.  First, members removed and hauled an old metal wall which had been the back wall of Paraside Springs' pond to waiting trucks for disposal.  The walls had failed, and were allowing significant slumping and sediment loss in to the pond.   Second, members helped move rocks to shore positions where the levee which creates the pond was failing.  Third, members installed biologs (coconut fiber logs) where the failed metal walls had been to hold the rear bank.  Fourth, members removed woody debris (remnants of removed invasive vegetation) that had been cut previously.   Finally, members traveled away from the pond and performed in-stream work, readying the creek for fish structure installation slated to occur this upcoming summer.

 

All in all this was a completely gratifying workday, as it represented the partial culmination of two previous workdays, which involved removing invasive vegetation with an eye towards allowing equipment access.  That equipment was used to remove the failed metal walls, and also to install two rock fishing station areas around the back of the pond, and to begin to create a walking path around the rear of the pond that will be completed this summer.

 

More importantly, however, the workday continued what has been a great three year string for SEWTU, continued our great working relationship with both the Gary Borger Chapter of TU and the WDNR, and got a lot of great work accomplished.

 

As always, the workday concluded with a free brat lunch, which featured John Knitter's world-famous (well, at least Southeast Wisconsin famous) BOO-YAH stew recipe.  I have no idea how you spell that, so I guessed.  It's from Green Bay, I've been told. 

 

SEWTU looks forward to continuing a strong workday schedule, and a great 2009