Rock River Coalition 2010 Annual Report

Rock River Coalition, 864 Collins Rd, Jefferson, WI 53549-1976920-674-7443, info@rockrivercoalition.org, www.rockrivercoalition.org

Rock River Coalition, Inc. Financial SummaryFor the fiscal year ending 12/31/2010

Support and RevenueMemberships/Donations $18,822Grants (Encumbered Funds) $59,352Interest/Program Income $ 2,521

Total Revenue $80,695ExpensesPrograms & Projects $53,013Management & Operations $ 6,608Total Expenses $59,621Net AssetsBeginning of the Year $ 9,460End of the Year $30,534Change in Assets $21,074

membership continued

MissionTo educate and provide

opportunities for people of diverse interests to work together to improve the

environmental, economic, cultural and recreational

resources of the Rock River Basin in Wisconsin.

City of Beaver DamCity of BeloitCity of WhitewaterJim & Cheryl CongdonRobert CrumpDick DavidMargaret Leslie DemuthLynne Diebel Dodge County Land Resources & ParksPatrick & Lloyd EaganGreg FarnhamNelson FischerWilliam ForgartFox Lake Inland Lake Protection & Rehabilitation DistrictKevin Freber - City of WatertownFriends of McCarthy ParkKay GabrielThomas GanfieldDonnell GeibGreen Lake County Land Conservation CommitteeMike GuislemanJennifer Hanneman & Eric JanikowskiPeter HartzTod HighsmithMike HoppenrathJeffrey HrubyAnne & Scott JohnsonRuth JohnsonJohnson Creek Water UtilitiesSusan JosheffMike Kelly - City of JeffersonChase Kelm - Green DiagnosticsJames & Liesa KerlerKoepke Farms - James & Mary KoepkeRalph & Margaret KruegerJohn Krug & Nina SmithbackLake Koshkonong Wetland AssociationLake Sinissippi Improvement DistrictJohn Landowski for Custom CreativePaul Lange - City of WatertownLeader Printing (inkind printing donation)Susan LehnhardtRoger & Margaret MartinJeanine MasonRichard McLaughlinCarl Mendelson & Carol MankiewiczMidwest Prairies LLCMontgomery Associates: Resource Solutions, LLCDaniel MooreSteven NassDavid & Sandra NeuendorfCharles & Evelyn PaysonUrsula PetersenKenneth PotterEugene RoarkRock Aqua Jays

Rock Lake Improvement AssociationMark & Dana RoffersRosy-Lane HolsteinsJames & Marie Rubietta - Whispering Wings Game FarmJan RusterDan SableJustin Sargent Jeanne Scherer Greg SearleGary & Penny ShackelfordDebora SielskiTall Pines Conservancy Inc.Scott TaylorTown of DunnMarsha VomasticSuzanne Wade Bob WeilandMark Wendorf Caroline WernerKen WiesnerSteven WilkeTony & Kate YuhasRoy Zastrow

Less than $25Ron & Nelda BergstenJames DankyWilliam FogartyRalph FroelichElroy MittelstadtJoanne MoonJoseph RadocayMary Thompson

Friends of Cam-Rock Park celebrated 10 years of monitoring in 2010.

Friends of Badfish Creek ‘Parsnip Predators‘ attack these noxious weeds at the Badfish Creek Wildlife Area in June 2010.

2010 Rock River Coalition Highlights A special thanks to our 2010 Members, Donors and Grantors!

Rock River Basin MonitoringPhosphorus Monitoring EffortsThe Rock River Coalition is partnering with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and the City of Horicon to find whether extensive agricultural conservation practices, which were implemented over the last 10 years, surrounding Horicon Marsh have resulted in improved water quality entering the marsh. We hope the results will be used to refine and encourage more conservation practices in the headwaters of the Rock River Basin.

Snap Shot DaysThe RRC held it’s second annual Snap Shot Days, where all streams are monitored on the same day, once in the spring and once in the fall. Fifty four citizens are monitoring basin streams as part of our award-winning effort.

Mussel MonitoringThe RRC actively promoted mussel monitoring in 2010 and plans to continue the effort in 2011.

Wetland MonitoringThe 1,461 acre Zeloski Marsh restoration, a part of the Lake Mills Wildlife Area, was in it’s third year of full restoration in 2010. RRC bird monitors have documented more than 200 species on the site. 280 acres were monitored adjacent to Zeloski under a contract with DOT’s wetland mitigation program.

RRC Special ProjectsWater Star Community ProgramThe RRC took a lead role in the development of a new state program designed

to inspire, guide and recognize municipalities of all sizes for exemplary work in groundwater and surface water. State-wide 22 municipalities became Water Stars in 2010. In the Rock Basin, Water Star Communities are: Gold-Dane County, Fitchburg, Middleton, Sun Prairie; Silver-Waukesha County, Beloit; and Bronze-Watertown, DeForest.

Wetland Volunteer Monitoring On-line GuideThanks to a DNR Citizen-based Monitoring Partnership Program Grant, the RRC has completed an on-line wetland monitoring manual for use state-wide. The manual will assist all groups who care about wetlands to consider what might be valuable and possible for the group to monitor. The series of nine downloadable pdf files can be found at http://wetlandmonitoring.uwex.edu.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEIt is hard to believe my first year serving as president of the Coalition has already passed. I want to thank our hard working and multi-talented board and employees for their support. This small organization continues to pack quite a “punch” thanks to the efforts of many.

We have held our own over the last year. As usual, stream and wetland monitoring, and implementation of the new – and highly successful – Water Star program have occupied most of our attention.

But we are full of anticipation as we look forward. The Rock River Recovery planning process is providing unique opportunities to explore the root causes of our water quality problems. An educational forum – sponsored by the Coalition and several partners – on working with farmers to reduce runoff was held in April, and two more dealing with water quality improvements and climate change will take place in May and June. Will there be political will to act on what we learn? I don’t know, but I am confident the knowledge and relationships forged in the planning process will pay dividends.

We recently heard that the Jefferson County Economic Development Consortium received a large grant to start laying the groundwork for a biomass industry in our basin, while also addressing the economic impacts of flooding. We are heartened that this project views flood damage and recovery, economic development and water quality as inter-related problems. The Coalition will be part of the partnership managing this effort.

I want to thank our members and donors for their generous support. Rest assured the Coalition will continue to play a strong

role in creative efforts to protect and improve the Rock River and its tributaries.

Best WishesScott Taylor2010 RRC President

$10,000 or overU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

$1,000 to $9,999Alliant EnergyAnonymousDepartment of Administration Friends of Horicon MarshTown and Country RCD Inc.Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

$100 - $999American Transmission CompanyLisa & Bob ConleyDane County Environmental CouncilFrances HighsmithHoricon BankRoger & Denise KistKunkel Engineering GroupLanDesign by Margaret BurlinghamMSA Professional Services, Inc.Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.Natural Resources Foundation of WisconsinTom & Tracey Novak - Pleasant Valley AcresRock River Storm Water GroupTaylor ConservationCarole Topel in Memorial of Warren TopelUniversity of Wisconsin-ExtensionVierbicher Associates, Inc.Village of TheresaWater House FoodsWater Words That WorkWisconsin Public Service Commission

$25-$99Todd AmbsRoger AnclamMark AndersonBill & Cindy ArbitureBarry AshenfelterJan AxelsonSharon BeallPatricia BielkeDavid BrummDean & Kim BuchholzBradley CantrellDavid CarpenterBetty ChewningPatricia CiceroCitizens Natural Resources Association

RRC ChaptersFriends of Badfish Creek, the first RRC Chapter, has been working hard to control invasive species, after receiving a grant to control a large patch of Japanese Knotweed and another to control wild parsnip on state lands. They are also leading the effort to have the Badfish Creek listed as a Dane County Natural Area which will allow for protection of its wetlands and riparian areas.