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|  Joe Smith points out the heavily weighted square plate in the creek bottom that holds sensors for measuring water depth and velocity, and serves as the base for a water sample intake pipe. Creek water samples are automatically drawn up the white intake pipe every three hours, 24/7, using a computer-programmed automatic water sampler pump in the shelter. - photo submitted  Ken Klapmeier, Joe Smith and Dave Topinka, team captain, examine the collection bottles from the base of the pump and prepare samples for transfer to a certified laboratory for analysis of various forms of phosphorus. - photo submitted  The heart and brains of the collection system is the water sampler pump and computer controller that remembers sampling frequency, times, volume and precipitation time and quantity. Creek velocity and depth is recorded with a separate Data Logger. The black box tells the pump when to draw water samples up from the creek and deposits each sample in a different sample bottle that is encased in the lower half of the round unit. - photo submitted | Grants Awarded to the Pine River Watershed AllianceThree area foundations recently granted $30,000 to the Pine River Watershed Alliance (PRWA) to scientifically and comprehensively determine how much phosphorus is entering Bungo Creek and where that phosphorus originates. The foundations, each donating $10,000 to the research project, are the University of Minnesota Central Region Sustainable Development Partnership, the Pine River Watershed Protection Foundation and an anonymous foundation. “While this is not as large an amount of grant monies that people often read about, these grants are investments in millions of dollars of recreational lakes and agricultural lands in the Pine River Watershed,” said PRWA chair Ron Meyer. Bungo Creek is in the west central part of the Pine River Watershed and flows into the south fork of the Pine River, the Whitefish Chain and then into the Mississippi River. This year long project is collaboration between the Pine River Watershed Alliance (PRWA) and the University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water and Climate. Dr. John Moncrief is the principal investigator assisted by Edward Dorsey, senior scientist for the University of Minnesota. Two teams of five volunteers assist the University project leaders by tending the three equipment sites along Bungo Creek each week to extract stream water samples that are collected every three hours with an automated solar powered collector. These stream samples are then sent to a certified laboratory for analysis of various forms of phosphorus. Stream depth, and velocity are monitored continuously to document the mass flow of the stream in addition to precipitation. The University's Department of Soil Water and Climate furnished technical leadership and expertise in addition to the equipment shelters and automated equipment. A desirable soil component for the growth of gardens and crops, phosphorus is a nutrient that also promotes undesirable plant and algae growth in the lakes. When lake plants die and decompose, they deplete the oxygen in the lake. While found commonly in nature, a variety of human activities on the land also contribute to the soluble and particles of phosphorus entering public waters in a watershed. It requires a balancing act. “The basis for this research project actually started ten years ago when water quality monitoring of the White Fish Chain of Lakes showed decreasing water transparency of two to four feet,” said Jack Wallschlaeger, longtime Pine River volunteer researcher. He said that two earlier studies showed that 54 percent of the phosphorus entering the White Fish Chain came down the Pine River and specifically that the greatest source of phosphorus entering the Pine River came from Bungo Creek. When asked how this project fits with their funding mission, Linda Ulland, executive director of the Central Region Sustainable Development Partnership, said, “The Partnership works with citizens in central Minnesota, connecting with University resources, to create and sustain healthy ecosystems, strong and diverse economies, and vibrant communities. We support projects that demonstrate public purpose, and that build partnerships that connect citizens to local assets and education, research and outreach resources of the University. Our focus is on programs and projects relating to agriculture, natural resources, tourism, and energy.” Ulland continued, “So, based on that, this project is a perfect fit--strong citizen involvement, strong connections to the University and its resources, working toward sustainable and healthy natural resources. I am excited about the project because it truly does represent partnerships and collaborative efforts.” Judy Wallschlaeger, Treasurer of the Pine River Watershed Protection Foundation, said, “We are especially pleased to give our first grant to the Pine River Watershed Alliance as their project fits right in to why the Foundation has been fundraising. This research project should go a long way toward identifying the sources of phosphorus in the Whitefish Chain, which should give us clues as to how to create a more balanced ecosystem.” This first phase of the PRWA research project, determining the amount of phosphorus in Bungo Creek, will be followed by a second phase to study the past and present land uses in the area of Bungo Creek.\ “This second phase will also look at the phosphorus balance within the watershed,” wrote Ron Meyer, PRWA chairman in his grant proposal to the foundations. “In other words, exactly how much phosphorus is brought into the Bungo Creek Watershed, how much is flushed out through the creeks and rivers and how much accumulates within this minor watershed,” he said. Meyer said this effort is to understand both the natural and human impacts to the build up of phosphorus in this watershed. "The hope is the water testing will help us identify locations of the most significant phosphorus reservoirs. The challenge is that these reservoirs could have been collecting phosphorus for the last 75 years,” he said. "The project is interested in understanding how the accumulation process might work so ideas on how to deal with reducing the reservoir amount can be addressed as well as looking at land management practices to prevent future accumulation,” Meyer continued. “We have gotten a lot of local support in helping set up our test systems and have talked to a lot of people who stop to ask about the ‘Green Boxes’. We want to make sure anyone who has questions feels free to contact us. We believe what we learn will help us all." The Pine River Watershed covers a large area of northern Crow Wing and central Cass counties. The area of the Pine River Watershed covers about 785 square miles, or about 502,000 acres. Of this area about 62,000 acres are lakes, 61,000 acres are shrub swamp and 24,000 acres are bogs. The Pine River Watershed is part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The Pine River has its headwaters in the northwest portion of the watershed. Variety Lake in Cass County is its headwater lake and from there flows generally south and east to Pine Mountain Lake near the city of Backus. The Pine River then splits forming a North Fork that flows generally east through a series of Cass County lakes (Bowen Lake, Lind Lake, Brockway Lake, Hattie Lake) before turning south, eventually entering Norway Lake near the City of Pine River. The South Fork flows south six miles from Pine Mountain Lake and east five miles where it joins the North Fork just west of Highway 371 near the City of Pine River. The combined rivers form the main stream and flow east entering the west end of the Whitefish Chain. The Pine River exits the eastern end of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes in Cross Lake. Leaving Cross Lake, the Pine River flows generally south, then east and then south again, entering the Mississippi River approximately sixteen miles north and east of the city of Brainerd. The Alliance is always interested in more people getting involved or attending their meetings. Please contact Ron Meyer at prwatershed@crosslake.net or call 218 692-1020 for more information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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