This years Driftless symposium “Restoring the Driftless: The Science, Studies and Strategies for Improving our Region’s Fishery” will be on-line. We have lined up nineteen presentations to cover the two day event…February 23, and March 3rd. To participate you will need to register each day utilizing the links on the “Driftless Symposium Registration” attachment. If you register I will follow up later this week with a more detailed program with biographies of the speakers and a more detailed description of their presentation.
I hope you will be able to attend, but if not, we hope to record all of the presentations and make them available at a later date.
Go here to for further details and links for registration.
National Trout Unlimited is placing a high priority on Community Science and the benefits it provides for angler education and coldwater resource management. Trout Unlimited’s national science team partnered with MobileH2O, LLC to develop a customized mobile application (WiseH2O App) that can be used by anglers to monitor water quality and habitat conditions in Driftless Area trout streams. In 2019, Kiap-TU-Wish anglers participated in a successful WiseH2O App pilot project. The MobileH2O website: https://www.mobileh2o.com/anglerscience provides access to the Kiap-TU-Wish monitoring plan, the 2019 pilot project report, and an interactive map that enables viewing of all 2019 Kiap-TU-Wish WiseH2O App observations. COVID-19 and development of the iPhone version of the WiseH2O App delayed the start of the 2020 monitoring season until early August. Although the 2020 monitoring season was short, we are pleased to report that the iPhone version of the App is available, and the 2-in-1 test strips can be used to measure nitrite/nitrate concentrations. The App also has an updated look, with user-friendly educational messaging. Given the success of the 2019 Kiap-TU-Wish pilot project, and with further App improvements in 2020, WiseH2O App monitoring expanded to the entire Driftless Area (southwestern WI, southeastern MN, northeastern IA, and northwestern IL) in August 2020. Besides Kiap-TU-Wish, 14 additional Trout Unlimited chapters now have an opportunity to monitor our regional coldwater resources.
Those who are interested in WiseH2O App monitoring in 2021 can take the following steps:
Download the WiseH2O App: Android and iPhone versions of the WiseH2O App are available for free download at the Google Play Store and Apple Store (search WiseH2O). Instructions for downloading the WiseH2O App can be found in the WiseH20 App User Guide, located on the MobileH2O website: https://www.mobileh2o.com/mh2oapp.
Complete On-Line Training: Detailed on-line instructions for use of the WiseH2O App can be found in the WiseH20 App User Guide and the Video Tutorial for Using the WiseH2O App, both located on the MobileH2O website: https://www.mobileh2o.com/mh2oapp.
Obtain Water Chemistry Test Kits: Depending on each participant’s level of interest and desired extent of involvement with water chemistry monitoring, 3 types of test kits are available. These three test kits can be ordered directly from MobileH2O, at:https://www.mobileh2o.com/shop. A reliable thermometer for WiseH2O App temperature measurements can also be purchased at: https://www.mobileh2o.com/shop.
For more information on the Driftless Area project, please contact Kent Johnson at d.kent.johnson@gmail.com.
Key interfaces for the WiseH2O App
A. Base Map
B. Observation Entry
C. Observation Data
D. Results Map
Submitted by John Kaplan and Kent Johnson March 8, 2021
Although summer is the peak of the Kiap-TU-Wish monitoring year, monitoring will continue during the winter months at a number of streams and rivers, including three restoration project locations (Pine Creek, Plum Creek, and the Trimbelle River) and the Willow River, where the Little Falls Dam is being replaced in Willow River State Park. Deployment of 21 temperature loggers will continue through the winter to evaluate the year-round impacts of climate change, to provide background data for assessing the future impacts of the new Willow River dam, and to evaluate the ability of our stream restoration projects to improve temperature regimes. In January, water samples will be collected and analyzed at the Pine Creek and the Trimbelle River project locations to better understand water quality during winter baseflow conditions, when watershed contributions of pollutants are minimal. To complement stream temperature and water chemistry data, two weather stations are operated year-round, providing data on air temperature, relative humidity, and dew point. Kiap-TU-Wish also provides financial and volunteer monitoring support to the USGS, for their yearround operation and maintenance of the Kinnickinnic River flow gaging station.
WiseH2O mApp Project: National Trout Unlimited is placing a high priority on Angler Science and the benefits it provides for angler education and coldwater resource management. Trout Unlimited’s national science team is currently partnering with MobileH2O, LLC to develop a customized mobile application (WiseH2O mApp) that can be used by anglers to monitor water quality and habitat conditions in Driftless Area trout streams. Throughout the spring. summer, and fall, Kiap-TU-Wish anglers tested the mApp on 10 local streams and rivers, making 83 observations and providing feedback to the developers on mApp improvements. With the monitoring year complete at the end of the angling season, MobileH2O has prepared a project report, including monitoring results, recommendations, and next steps. The project report is available at the following weblink: https://www.mobileh2o.com/reports.
In the mApp Development News Department, the iPhone version of the mApp is in limited circulation! Kent Johnson and John Kaplan have been field testing it and providing feedback to MobileH2O (Carter and Sarah Borden). So far, so good; the iPhone mApp should be available to all Kiap-TU-Wish members for the 2020 angling season! In addition, the 2-in-1 test strip, for measuring concentrations of nitrite- and nitrate-nitrogen, will be available for angler use in 2020.
The WiseH2O mApp Project Team, including MobileH2O (Carter and Sarah Borden), Dan Dauwalter (TU National Science Team) and Kent Johnson (Kiap-TUWish Project Leader), is discussing next steps for a broader rollout of the mApp across the Driftless Area, hopefully in 2020. Stay tuned, as this will be a great opportunity for anglers to evaluate the well-being of our precious coldwater resources.
Many people contributed to important aspects of this project. Jacob Lemon and Matt Barney (TU National Science Team), Jeff Hastings (TUDARE Project Manager), and Michael Miller (Wisconsin DNR) provided valuable feedback as Advisory Team members, as did participants during a workshop at the 2019 Driftless Area Symposium in La Crosse, Wisconsin (February 2019). The project team would especially like to thank the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter members who expressed their interest in the project, attended project workshops in River Falls, Wisconsin (March and April 2019), participated in on-site training sessions (April and May), took time to fill out a project survey, and collected data using the WiseH2O mApp. John Kaplan (Kiap-TU-Wish Stream Monitoring Coordinator) deserves a special thank you for his project support and training. This project was funded by Trout Unlimited’s Coldwater Conservation Fund and the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter of Trout Unlimited. — Kent Johnson & John Kaplan
Trout Unlimited’s national science team is currently partnering with MobileH2O, LLC to develop a customized mobile application (WiseH2O mApp) that can be used by anglers to monitor water quality and habitat conditions in Driftless Area trout streams. Before launching the WiseH2O mApp for angler use on a broad regional scale, Kiap-TU-Wish members have been invited to participate in a pilot project that includes Pierce County, Wisconsin. The project is all set to kick off on April 1; but before then, there are several ways for you to get involved:
Angler Survey: We’d like a broad cross-section of our membership to complete a short survey on the WiseH2O mApp, as a means to gauge interest in use of the app and assess the support needed for users. Our thanks to those who have already completed the WiseH2O mApp angler survey! If you have not yet had the opportunity to complete the survey, could you please take a few minutes to do so? To take the survey, please click on the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/kk5HzmKecTYIUbUu2. The survey link is also posted on the Kiap-TU-Wish website and Facebook page. Project participant or not, we value your input on use of this app for angler science and crowdsourcing data that can be used to improve coldwater resource management.
General Angler Participants: Thanks to those of you who have already signed up as target and general anglers! Note that we have much more capacity for general angler participation, so please contact John or Kent if you are interested. The general angler commitment is pretty minimal (1-5 observations during the entire course of the project, from April to October); and these anglers will have the flexibility to monitor stream sites of their choice throughout Pierce County. March 16 Training Workshop: A training workshop on use of the WiseH2O mApp will be held at UW-River Falls on March 16. If you’ve already signed up as a target or general angler, more details are coming your way by March 8. If you are interested but have not yet signed up, please let us know as soon as possible. Note that you can still participate in the project after March 16; we’ll make sure that you receive the necessary training and monitoring supplies. Thanks to all who have become involved so far; we look forward to working with you!
John Kaplan (Kiap-TU-Wish Monitoring Coordinator) jmk8990@comcast.net 612-963-1699 (Cell)
The Problem Poor water quality and degraded habitat conditions can be major detriments to the health of our coldwater resources. Lack of available data on these conditions often hinders our understanding of where trout streams need protection and restoration. Therefore, accurate information is critical for targeting our limited conservation resources.
Angler Science Via Mobile Phone Technology Using patented mobile phone technology and chemical test strips, MobileH2O, LLC has developed a water quality screening method that is fast, inexpensive, and easy for use by anglers wanting to understand water quality conditions and play a part in ensuring the health of their fisheries. Through angler science, natural resource managers have access to a larger quantity of relevant data, allowing them to better manage water quality to address protection and restoration needs.
TUDARE WiseH2O mApp Trout Unlimited’s national science team is currently partnering with MobileH2O, LLC to develop a customized mobile application (WiseH2O mApp) that can be used by anglers to monitor water quality and habitat conditions in Driftless Area trout streams. Via the TUDARE WiseH2O mApp, anglers can quickly make the following measurements: • Alkalinity (mg/L) • Hardness (mg/L) • Nitrate-Nitrogen (mg/L) • Nitrite-Nitrogen (mg/L) • pH • Orthophosphate (mg/L) • Stream Disturbances • Temperature (ºF)
Measurements of alkalinity, hardness, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2), pH, and orthophosphate can be made using test strips provided to participating anglers.
Observations of any local stream disturbances and/or habitat degradation can be made using photos and notes via the WiseH2O mApp. Examples of such disturbances may include fish barriers (culverts, beaver dams), livestock (grazing on banks or accessing the stream), stream bank erosion and siltation, trash, and drain tile inlets.
Water temperature can be measured using a high quality digital field thermometer, with the measurement entered in the WiseH2O mApp.
Dip a test strip , Take a photo , Get Results
Kiap-TU-Wish Pilot Project Before launching the TUDARE WiseH2O mApp for angler use on a broad regional scale, several pilot locations have been selected for testing within the Driftless Area. In 2019, Kiap-TU-Wish members have been invited to participate in a pilot location that includes Pierce County.
John Kaplan, who serves as the Kiap-TU-Wish Monitoring Coordinator, will lead the pilot project, with support from Kent Johnson. Here’s how you can be involved:
Membership Survey: As a starting point, we’d like a broad cross-section of our membership to complete a short survey on the WiseH2O mApp, as a means to gauge interest in use of the app and assess the support needed for users. In early February, we’ll send a survey link via our Mailchimp contact list.
Target Anglers: We need a small, hardy group of “target anglers” (8-12) who will be monitoring at designated stream sites on a prescribed schedule, to ensure that the project meets its goal of representing broad spatial and temporal variations in stream water quality throughout the Pierce County project location. Essentially, we’re asking each target angler to “adopt” a stream site and use the WiseH2O mApp approximately 10 times during the March-October period, generally once per month. A draft list of stream sites up for adoption is as follows: • Kinnickinnic River in Lower Glen Park (River Falls) • Rocky Branch Creek in Lower Glen Park (River Falls) • South Fork Kinnickinnic River at 900th Street • Trimbelle River at County Road W • Rush River at 570th Avenue • Eau Galle River at WI Highway 29 (near Spring Valley) • Cady Creek at 50th Street (near Elmwood) • Pine Creek at County Road AA (near Maiden Rock) • Isabelle Creek at County Road EE (near Bay City) • Plum Creek at Plum City Park If you are interested in participating as a target angler, please contact John or Kent (see contact information above), and also indicate your preference for an adopted monitoring site. Sites can be adopted on a first come-first serve basis, so pick your angling favorite early!
General Anglers: We’d also like to invite a larger group of “general anglers” (50-100) to participate. These anglers will have the flexibility to monitor stream sites of their choice throughout Pierce County. Depending on the number of general anglers participating, each angler will be able to use the WiseH2O mApp 2-3 times during the March-October period, on their own schedule. If you are interested in participating as a general angler, please contact John or Kent. The WiseH2O mApp will have a built-in training module, and the app has been designed for easy use. So there is no need to fear this technology if you’re a mobile phone user. Nonetheless, John and Kent will be well-trained users who are available for support. We may also schedule a training session in March for those who are interested. Stay tuned for more details on the March training session via RipRap or Mailchimp. National Trout Unlimited is placing a high priority on Angler Science and the benefits it provides: “Anglers gathering scientific information about the fish and the places they love”. Stream water quality monitoring is one of the key Angler Science initiatives. Kiap-TU-Wish participation in the TUDARE WiseH2O mApp pilot project provides us with an outstanding opportunity to showcase the use of mobile Angler Science technology, with the potential for expansion to regional and national stages. We invite your participation and are looking forward to working with you on this project!
Want to participate?
Contact John or Kent: John Kaplan K-TU Monitoring Coordinator jmk8990@comcast.net 612-963-1699 (Cell)
Kent Johnson d.kent.johnson@gmail.com 612-845-7258 (Cell)
The Driftless Area Restoration Effort (DARE), coordinated by Trout Unlimited, is a geographically-focused, scientifically based, broad partnership operating in support of the National Fish Habitat Partnership to improve rivers and streams throughout the Driftless Area region. The partnership was formed to jointly address the issues of habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation and alteration of cold, cool and warm water rivers and streams in the Driftless Area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
DARE’s goals are to: • Reduce sediment and nutrient inputs to Driftless Area rivers and streams. • Conserve and restore habitats that increase the natural abundance, diversity and health of fish and other aquatic life through landscape-scale community restoration and land protection efforts. • Increase the quantity and quality of angling and other recreational opportunities. • Increase public awareness about Driftless Area resources and the importance of aquatic conservation and restoration
Visit www.darestoration.com to learn more about DARE (The Driftless Area Restoration Effort).
