"Our mission is to optimize opportunities for sustainable economic growth, healthy communities and a healthy environment in the Town and Country RC&D area through the support and coordination of our region's agencies, municipalities and organizations."

 

 

134 West Rockwell Street
Jefferson, WI 53549
920-541-3208
920-674-6195 Fax
Town and Country RCD - Water Issue Team

Water Issue Team

WaterStar Community Program is now up and running!!

 

Waterstar Debuts on Earth Day - 2010

Check to see the latest on this new program developed to encourage and reward communities who go above and beyond to protect their local waters.

SE Wisconsin Water And Energy Conservation Expo


May 7th and 8th , 2010
At the Waukesha County Expo Forum Building

The Waukesha County Water Conservation Coalition is excited to announce that they will be hosting the Southeast Wisconsin Water and Energy Efficiency Expo May 7th and 8th!

Friday, May 7th will focus on business, commercial, and municipal efforts, methods, techniques and products that can help promote the efficient use of water and energy. keynote speaker for Friday is Richard Meeusen, CEO of Badger Meter.

Saturday, May 8th will focus on residential, and family methods, efforts, and techniques that can be used to help reduce water and energy use. Saturday's keynote speaker is gardening expert Melinda Myers.

This family friendly event will have an all day fun-packed 'kids zone' for children on Saturday. Children will have the opportunity to rotate through a series of activities and sessions that will increase awareness of our groundwater and energy resources. The festivities of Saturday will include many hands-on activities, games, and entertainment.

Speakers, presentations, exhibitors, activities and more are being scheduled to make this expo educational, informative, and fun.


For EXPO information brochure including tentative agenda, click here.

For sponsorship and exhibitor application packet, click here.

ONLINE REGISTRATION: Please note that sponsors, exhibitors, and registration for Friday can register online by clicking HERE.

Regional Water Supply Plan Underway

Town and Country RC&D is participating on the Plan Advisory Committee which is developing recommendations for communities in our area to better coordinate their use and protection of our ground and surface water resources .

To see progress so far, go to the web site of the SE Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.
www.sewrpc.org

 

Waukesha Water Conservation Coalition

Our Water Issue Team is part of this group which works to advance residential, commercial, industrial and municipal water conservation in Waukesha County and beyond

Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust (SWWT)

We have joined this new partnership to protect and restore the health of the Milwaukee River basin

New State Law adopts Phosphorus Fertilizer restrictions

A statewide law, Has now been adopted to restrict the use of excess Phosphorus in lawn fertilizers. Starting in 2010, this will no longer be on store shelves!! We supported the Wisconsin Association of Lakes in the passage of this new legislation.

Farms are exempted from these regulations, as are gardens, tree and shrub applications, and lawn areas where a soil test indicates that phosphorus is needed in the soil. Also exempted are organic soil enhancers such as compost that are beneficial for the soil and naturally low in phosphorus.

Because the storm sewers and roadside ditches in our local communities feed into our lakes and rivers, this ban is important throughout our community, not just for lakefront property. As communities in our area pass these ordinances, we shall turn a patchwork into a solid blanket of protection for local waters.

The RocK River Coalition has a PowerPoint presentation available, and if you would like more information or a presentation to your community, contact Lisa Conley (262) 567-5947

SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT

(SOP)

River/Lake/Environmental Partnerships, Communications, Schools in the Milwaukee River, Fox River, Root/Pike Rivers and Rock River Basins

A Sense of Place Project

Is

a celebration of a community's place in history, in space, its natural resources and its people.

A Sense of Place Project

Consists of

Existing events, like local festivals, new events, small or large, held under the SOP theme

Project goals can include:

  • Deeper engagement of area residents in awareness and protection of their natural resources.
  • Building cross-generation awareness and respect by fostering communication between older and younger people.
  • Increasing partnering among community organizations, citizens, businesses, and schools.
  • Providing a school curriculum that more deeply involves students in the learning process.
  • Increasing knowledge of a community’s history and its cultural and natural resource base.
  • Building partnerships in the watershed
Contact person:
Ruth Johnson, Rock River Basin Planner, w 920-387-7869/ h 920-349-3055,
ruth.johnson@dnr.state.wi.us

click here for the Sense of Place booklet (pdf format)

OVERVIEW

COMMUNITY SENSE OF PLACE PROJECTS

UPPER ROCK RIVER BASIN

2002/2006

 

MAYVILLE SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2002-2003

  • Focus: “Coming Home – To the Rock River and Mayville”

Theme: “How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affects you – How you affect the River & the Marsh”

  • Objectives
  • Educating area school children and residents about their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy lake/river system to their personal and economic health and quality of life
  • Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations, implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh watershed system
  • Partners: DNR, USFWL, Mayville Mainstreet, Mayville School teachers, Chamber of Commerce, UWEX, Community Cable, Cultural Waters, Rock River Headwaters, Lake Sinissippi Assoc. Alan Fuller Professional Singer/song writer
  • Funding: Various Grants
  • DNR Lake Planning Grant: $3000
  • Superior Landfill Funding: ~ $2500
  • Wisconsin Humanities Grant:~$9000
  • USFWL Challenge Grant “Year of the Refuge”: $5000

G. Events in Mayville’s Sense of Place Project

  • 2003 Summer School Classes focused on Sense of Place (art, writing, videoing interviewing of elders by students, radio script of Horicon Marsh history. Ended with Sense of Place Celebration - all summer school kids and parents/participants
  • Audubon Days: Reprise Sense of Place Celebration and SOP Project Display/Public Input in Conservation Tent
  • Area Libraries displayed Art from the SOP project
  • Story Teller’s Workshop: About 20 people attended/wrote their river/marsh ‘stories’

H. Products

  • Publication on Sense of Place (Story Tellers writings; School art project; historical photos)
  • Videotape oral histories of community elders
  • CD of Sense of Place Celebration
  • Professional Logo
  • Hands-0n Watershed Model for educational purposes
  • Publication on Sense of Place: All products included

 

II. WAUPUN SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006

  • Focus: “Coming Home – To the Rock River and Waupun”

Theme: “How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affect you – How you affect the River and the Marsh”

  • Objectives:
  • Educating area school children and residents about their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy lake/river system to their personal and economic health and quality of life
  • Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations, implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh watershed system
  • Partners: Waupun School District; Historical Society, DNR, USFWL, Cultural Waters
  • Funding Grants: USFWL ~ $5000 (shared with all 3 communities) ; DNR Lake $3000; Wis Humanities Grant ~$7000 (shared with all 3 communities)
  • Events/Projects: Accomplished/Planned
  • 2004 Summer School Classes focused on Sense of Place (canoeing/art/writing/etc). Ended with Sense of Place Celebration
  • Area School-wide Writing contest Public & private schools and home schooled children
  • National Truckers Jamboree: Sense of Place Canoe Races
  • Waupun ‘Volksfest’ festival: Sense of Place Display at Masonic Temple, included ‘polling’ of area residents on major resource concerns in watershed
  • DNR Voyager Canoes: All District 5 graders involved in Education day at the Mill Pond. Education stations: Water Quality, Journaling; Forestry; Watershed/Horicon Marsh plus

“Lewis & Clark, the Fur Trade and the Rock River (Voyager canoe trips)

  • Story Teller’s Workshop: 12 adults participated
  • Sense of Place Displays at Area libraries and Historical Society
  • Area-wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities (see Horicon lead below)
  • Area-wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities (see Horicon lead below)
  • Area writer and Waupun library, held a ‘student artist’ contest to help illustrate her new book “The Marsh King”

 

III. HORICON SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006

  • Focus:”Coming Home – To the Rock River and Horicon”

Theme: How the Rock River and Horicon Marsh affects you – How you affect the River and the

Marsh”

  • Objectives:
  • Educating area school children and residents about their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy lake/river system to their personal and economic health and quality of life
  • Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations, implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh watershed system
  • Partners: Community Promotion Organization, Mayor, DNR, USFWL, Historical Society, Local Cable Committee, Lake Sinissippi Association
  • Funding: USFWL(see Waupun above), Wis Humanities Grant (see above).
  • Events/Projects, Accomplished/Planned
  • Area wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh in relationship to Waupun, Horicon, Hustisford and Mayville
  • Area wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh in relationship to Waupun, Horicon and Hustisford
  • Developing Grade School Curriculum for Sense of Place
  • Story Teller’s Workshop: 8 adults participated
  • Fall Pumpkin Fest with Bonfire and Story Telling
  • Area writer and Horicon library, held a ‘student artist’ contest to help illustrate her new book “The Marsh King”

 

IV. HUSTISFORD SENSE OF PLACE PROJECT 2004-2006

  • Focus:”Coming Home – To the Rock River and Hustisford”

Theme: How the Rock River and Lake Sinissippi affects you – How you affect the River and the

Lake ”

  • Objectives:
  • Educating area school children and residents about their place in the watershed and the value of a healthy lake/river system to their personal and economic health and quality of life
  • Including residents in developing objectives, recommendations, implementing a strategy to protect the river/lake/marsh watershed system
  • Partners: Hustisford Historical Society, Hustisford School District, DNR, USFWL, Lake Sinissippi Association
  • Funding: DNR Lake Grant $3000, USFWL (see Waupun above), Wis Humanities Grant (see above)
  • Events/Projects, Accomplished/Planned
  • Elementary School (2004/2005) conducting classes/special field trips/projects on Sense of Place
  • Story Teller’s Workshop: 12 adults and 1 child participated
  • Area-wide Video of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities (see Horicon lead above)
  • Area-wide publication of Rock River/Horicon Marsh and 4 communities (see Horicon lead above)

click here for the Sense of Place booklet (pdf format)

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Water Links

River Alliance of Wisconsin

Shoreland Restoration Resources

North American Lake Management Society

UWEX Clean Water

Wisconsin Association of Lakes

Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

Wisconsin Wetlands Association

 


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